Diners Club announces 2025 SA Winelist Awards winners

South Africa’s top restaurants have been recognised for excellence in wine with the 2025 Diners Club Winelist Awards. Celebrating outstanding curation, diversity, and service, the awards highlight establishments that set the standard for wine presentation and elevate the dining experience across the country.

10 Mar 2026

Source: Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels

The awards are presented across five tiers—Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and the ultimate Icon Award.

The Icon distinction represents a wine list of true international stature and stands as the pinnacle of wine presentation in South Africa. The criteria and categories align with global trends, reflecting Diners Club’s commitment to service excellence within hospitality and tourism.

Icon winners

The 2025 judging panel—a collective of wine, food, and hospitality experts—awarded Icon status to four restaurants: three in Gauteng (Kievits Kroon Gauteng Wine Estate, Pretoria; Verdicchio Restaurant & Wine Cellar, Fourways; Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa, Sandton) and one in the Western Cape (Rooi at the One & Only, Cape Town).

The Icon Award is reserved for restaurants that meet all Diamond criteria, offer extensive international selections, and have dedicated full-time sommeliers.

Other award winners

Seventeen restaurants achieved Diamond status, eight received Platinum awards, twenty-two were recognised with Gold, and three earned Silver. The awards highlight a mix of urban and regional establishments, demonstrating excellence in wine presentation nationwide.

Selected provincial winners:

Gauteng

• Diamond: Signature Restaurant (Sandton), Keystone Bistro (Melrose), Brasserie de Paris (Pretoria), Geet Indian Restaurant (Pretoria)
• Platinum: The Blue Train, The Forum Company, Tony’s Spaghetti Grill (Randburg), Balata (Randburg), The Connexions at Misty Hills Country Hotel (Muldersdrift)

Western Cape

• Diamond: Bientang’s Cave (Hermanus)
• Platinum: Swartberg Country Manor (Oudtshoorn)
• Icon: Rooi at the One & Only, Cape Town

Other provincial winners were recognised across KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the North West, the Northern Cape, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, reflecting the geographic spread of excellence in wine lists nationwide.

The judging panel evaluated entries based on curation, diversity, reserve and vintage offerings, and the presence of trained sommeliers, ensuring a rigorous and credible assessment of South Africa’s best wine lists.

View the full winners here.