La Colombe 12th best in world
A thrilled Head Chef Luke Dale-Roberts puts the success down to his first rate culinary brigade and front-of-house team, both of which he notes as integral to the restaurant's year-on-year growth and success, "this is fantastic recognition for the entire team at La Colombe as we have really put in a concentrated effort to be as precise as possible in everything we do. We are thrilled with the result!" he said.
Dale-Roberts and the La Colombe team join culinary luminaries such as Ferran Adrià, whose famed concept-driven restaurant El Bulli was shifted into second place from last year's number one rating by 32-year-old wünderkind Rene Redzepi, head chef at Copenhagen gourmet destination Noma. The awards, organized by the UK's Restaurant Magazine tallied votes from an Academy of over 800 esteemed international critics, journalists and food experts to establish the hallowed annual list of the best names and places in the world of gourmet dining.
This year's awards show a marked movement in places, demonstrating that the awards is a true showcase of the most dynamic eateries and groundbreaking chefs in the world and not simply an account of established restaurants. Paul Wootton, editor of Restaurant Magazine says "this year's list is an exciting one that highlights in particular the wealth of young, dynamic chefs bringing new ideas to the world of gastronomy".
For Dale-Roberts who, since taking the reins of the La Colombe kitchen in 2006, has worked tirelessly in his kitchen to push culinary boundaries, raise quality levels and continue to excite the palates of his discerning clientele, the award is a welcome note of recognition, but he is resolute that he and his team will march on business as usual "they say you're only as good as the last plate you've served and though we're over the moon, it's not going to change our commitment to pushing the boundaries of excellence and culinary possibilities", said Luke.
The S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards were held at the Guildhall in London on Monday 26th April 2010 in a ceremony often referred to as the ‘Oscars' of the global dining scene.
Another Cape Town based restaurant on the list at number 31 this year, up six places, is Le Quartier Français, home of fellow culinary talent Margot Janse.
La Colombe, winner of both Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year in the Prudential Eat Out Awards 2008, was also honoured with the prestigious Eat Out Restaurant of the Year title for 2009. The restaurant has also achieved the highest three star rating in both the 2009 and 2010 issues of the acclaimed Rossouw's Restaurants guide.
