The man who built a world-class restaurant in rural KwaZulu-Natal

·2 Apr 2025

Dylan Smith started one of South Africa’s top-rated restaurants, The Cellar, in rural KwaZulu-Natal after gaining valuable experience working for the rich and famous in the south of France.

Smith was born and raised on the South Coast. He attended Creston College in Oslo Beach, Port Shepstone, where he matriculated.

During high school, Smith developed a love for cooking and decided to become a chef. This led him to follow this passion after school.

He recalled his first experience when discussing his plans with Kevin Joseph, the executive chef at the Kapenta Bay hotel at the time.

Joseph was highly regarded and went on to work as an executive chef at top hotels, including the Oyster Box and the Leopard Creek Golf Estate.

Joseph told Smith that if he peeled ten bags of potatoes, five bags of onions, one bag of baby onions, and one bag of baby carrots and onions, he would show him something.

“It took me a while to do it fast enough to finish it before the shift ended. After I did it, Kevin took me to the combi-steamer, pushed a button, and told me that is how it works,” he joked.

“That was my first experience of becoming a professional chef. I was lucky because I grew up in the era when chefs still threw pots at you when you got something wrong.”

He went on to study at The Royal Hotel in Durban and the Christina Martin School of Food and Wine and served his apprenticeship under Andrew Draper at Harvey’s.

Draper greatly impacted Smith’s early culinary style, which was heavily influenced by Asian and European cuisines.

He started working as a chef at top restaurants in Durban and quickly became known for his exceptional cuisine. He was widely featured in the media, including the popular Top Billing.

It was time for him to spread his wings, and he and his fiancée, Kate Smith, moved to the south of France. There, he worked for the rich and famous aboard a private yacht.

In 2009, he returned to the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast to get married, and the husband-and-wife team decided to open The Cellar at Honeywood restaurant.

They did not initially have a restaurant kitchen or any other equipment, so they had to make it work with what they had.

However, the fine-dining bistro fusion restaurant has a unique offering. The combination of Dylan’s gourmet cuisine and Kate’s warm hospitality was a hit.

From a small restaurant to the Honeywood Forest Lodge

What started as a ‘see if this works’ restaurant concept developed into an exciting venture that kept on gaining support and growing.

The quaint restaurant developed into a fully-fledged travelling destination, Honeywood Forest Lodge.

The lodge features high-end accommodation, the Forest Spa, and, of course, the highly acclaimed The Cellar restaurant.

“With lots of hard work and planning, it has transformed into an upmarket and sophisticated venue where the décor and furnishings set the ambience for intimate dining,” Smith said.

Honeywood Forest Lodge is located in Sea Park, five kilometres from Port Shepstone, where he grew up.

The Cellar restaurant became known for its gourmet cuisine and à la carte menu with contemporary fusion cooking style.

In addition to the à la carte menu, clients can choose a 3-course set lunch or a 5-course tasting menu.

The Cellar restaurant also features an extensive wine list and a choice of South African craft beers and gins.

Smith said apart from the Asian and European styles, he also incorporated South African cuisine into his cooking.

“We like to use local ingredients from the South Coast. You will find as many local ingredients as we can fit into a dish,” he said.

They grow a lot of herbs and food that go into the dishes, creating a high-end restaurant that the South Coast is very proud of.

The Cellar restaurant achieves excellent reviews

Smith’s The Cellar restaurant achieved exceptional reviews and ratings, with a 94% recommendation rate and 4.7-star rating on Google.

To put these ratings in perspective, they are higher than most top restaurants in Cape Town and Johannesburg, including Marble, Tang, and Kream.

Visitors nearly unanimously praise The Cellar for its exceptional food, great locations, and exceptional service.

“This is my first 5-star review. Owner and chef Dylan treated our tastebuds to a symphony of flavourful dishes. This is the best restaurant on the North and South Coast,” Pedre Dippenaar said.

“This is the best food on the South Coast. This is a special dinner or date night place, and they do it really well,” said Marshall Ross.

“This is my favourite restaurant of all time. I can’t get enough of this experience: excellent, beautifully presented food in this stunning homely setting,” said Laetitia Burger.