These are the two best restaurants in South Africa

Two South African restaurants have cracked the list of the top 100 restaurants in the world, with one placing in the top 25.

The Test Kitchen in Cape Town has been named the best restaurant in Africa, and the 22nd top restaurant in the world, in the S.Pellegrino Best Restaurants Awards for 2016.

The list is created from the votes of The Diners Club World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of almost 1,000 international leaders in the restaurant community.

The Test Kitchen ranked 28th in the 2015 list (and 48th in 2014), but climbed the rankings thanks to Chef Luke Dale-Roberts’ “rock star” flair in the kitchen.

“Combining culinary braggadocio and classical technique, his food would stand out in any of the world’s gastronomic capitals, but in the South African city it’s pretty much unique,” the group said.

Dale-Roberts is a British-born chef who trained in Switzerland and England before heading to Asia for a five year stint, launching several restaurants in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and the Philippines.

The Test Kitchen

Another Cape Town restaurant, La Colombe, is the second South African restaurant ranking in the top 100, coming in at 76th.

Headed by executive chef Scot Kirton and head chef James Gaag, the restaurant delivers a French signature theme with a subtle Asian influence.

This marks the third time La Colombe made the ranking, with the previous two times in 2009 and 2010, when it made the top 50 under chef Luke Dale Roberts (of the Test Kitchen). It reached its highest spot at 12th place overall in 2012.

Chef Scot was been recognised as Top Chef in South Africa at the Eat OutAwards in November 2015.

Best restaurants in the world

Italian restaurant Osteria Francescana was named as The World’s Best Restaurant 2016.

“The world-famous restaurant of Massimo Bottura has been waiting in the wings for the No.1 spot after sitting at No.3 in 2013 and 2014 and stepping up to No.2 in last year’s ranking,” the group said.

With four restaurants making the top 50, 2016 is proving to be a great year for Italian cuisine: Le Calandre in Rubano sits at No.39; Piazzo Duomo in Alba climbs 10 places to the No.17 spot; and Combal Zero in Rivoli also makes a re-entry to the list at No.46.

Spain also has plenty to celebrate with three restaurants in the top 10 including last year’s No.1 El Celler de Can Roca (now at No.2).

Here are the top 25 restaurants in the world

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