Twelve of Cape Town’s most celebrated restaurants will cook side by side at Green Point Cricket Club on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November. Taste of Cape Town brings the kitchens that have put the city on the world’s food map into one field for a weekend.

Every guest eats from the same menus at the same prices. The festival starts from a simple idea: the best way to celebrate Cape Town’s restaurants is to bring the whole city to them.

Top kitchens in one place

Confirmed chefs include James Gaag of La Colombe, Amori Burger of Upper Union, Vusi Ndlovu of EDGE Africa and Shaun Scrooby of VUUR. Bertus Basson of Basson & Co and FYN founder Peter Tempelhoff with culinary director Ashley Moss are also confirmed.

Bonnke Shipalana group CEO of The Allure Group, which holds the exclusive brand licence for Taste in South Africa, said Cape Town showed up for the table rather than the menu.

“The meal you remember from a Cape Town summer is not the one with the most courses. It is the one everyone was at,” said Shipalana. “For two days, La Colombe, FYN and Vuur cook in the same field, and a R450 ticket gets you to every one of those tables.”

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City backing

The City of Cape Town is a partner of the festival. Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said the City supported events like Taste of Cape Town because they grew the economy and celebrated the arts and culture that made the city home.

“Cape Town’s food and wine are part of who we are, and they bring people to our city from every corner of the world,” said Smith. “Taste of Cape Town puts our restaurants, our producers and our young talent in front of thousands of guests over one weekend. That means tables filled, suppliers paid and young people given a start in the kitchen.”

Beyond the plates

The festival is designed to feed every sense. Guests can expect live cooking demonstrations, a live music stage and Graham Beck as Cap Classique partner. Wines come from Kleine Zalze, Cavalli, Waterford, Steenberg Vineyards and Boekenhoutskloof.

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Tickets and access

Tickets start at R450 for the Taste Entry Pass, which gives full festival access to every restaurant, demonstration and pour.

Capacity is limited to 4 000 guests a day. Tickets are available at tasteofcapetown.co and Quicket.

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