The man behind the best steak restaurant in South Africa

·14 May 2025

Vuur restaurant at the Remhoogte Wine Estate in Stellenbosch has been listed as South Africa’s top steakhouse in the 2025 edition of the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants.

The World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants lists the top steakhouses globally based on the quality of the food, service, location, and wine.

“Our annual ranking of the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants is driven by quality in every aspect,” Upper Cut Media, the organisation behind the list, explained.

It has a group of experienced ‘Steak Ambassadors’, including award-winning chefs, certified meat and Wagyu experts, and food journalists, who evaluate restaurants on every continent.

These Steak Ambassadors visit and rate each restaurant incognito and unannounced, after which a final decision is made by the executive team.

Parrilla Don Julio, located in the heart of Buenos Aires’ Palermo district, topped the 2025 World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants rankings.

Two South African restaurants, Vuur at the Remhoogte Wine Estate and The Blockman in Johannesburg, were featured on the list.

Vuur at the Remhoogte Wine Estate is the brainchild of chef-owner Shaun Scrooby, who is renowned for his open-fire cooking.

In 2021, Scrooby approached the Remhoogte Wine Estate with a unique concept of fire cooking, storytelling, and wine pairing.

He identified the estate’s old horse stables under an ancient oak tree as the ideal venue for this unique concept.

Vuur, the Afrikaans word for fire, is the main form of cooking used in the preparation of all the food. Scrooby uses six different types of wood, each chosen for its unique flavour.

His team crafts a seasonal, seven-course menu that showcases the best of local produce, meats and seafood.

Dishes are prepared and served in front of guests, with chefs sharing the stories and inspirations behind each creation.

Each plate of food is paired with a wine from Remhoogte Estate and served straight from the fire to guests’ tables.

The concept has received great interest and reviews, which led to the opening of Vuur Goose Island in December 2023.

The Vuur Goose Island is a shared chef’s table allowing more guests to enjoy the Vuur experience at the Remhoogte Wine Estate.

The setting itself is as much a part of the experience as the food. It is surrounded by water and offers views of the Simonsberg Mountains.

The ambience is intimate and unpretentious, inviting guests to relax and engage with both the cuisine and their fellow diners.

Vuur has been awarded as the best meat-centric destination in Africa, cementing its status as a must-visit in the South African culinary landscape.

Due to its popularity and exclusivity, securing a table at the Vuur restaurant at the Remhoogte Wine Estate during busy periods can be challenging.

They only serve one lunch table per day, accommodating a maximum of 10 people inside their stable or 12 people outside underneath the old oak tree in the summer.