Africa Restaurant Awards
Honouring the chefs, restaurants and hospitality groups carrying Africa's extraordinary culinary heritage onto the world stage.
Recognising Excellence Across Africa
Few culinary landscapes are as gloriously varied as Africa's. From the spice souks of Marrakech to the wine estates of the Western Cape, from the grilled-fish shacks of the Swahili coast to the buzzing supper clubs of Lagos and Accra, the continent tells its story through the table. The Africa Restaurant Awards exist to celebrate that story — and the cooks, restaurateurs and hospitality teams who are writing its most ambitious new chapters.
For decades, African cuisine was underrepresented in the global conversation about great dining, too often reduced to a single, flattening idea. The reality is a mosaic of distinct traditions: the slow-cooked tagines of the Maghreb, the injera-and-stew rituals of the Horn, the peri-peri and braai culture of the south, the jollof rivalries of the west. Today a confident new generation of chefs is reclaiming these foodways, plating heritage ingredients with technical precision and unmistakable pride.
Recognition matters here more than almost anywhere. A meaningful award draws international attention, attracts culinary tourists, helps secure investment for ambitious operators, and signals to young cooks that a career in this industry is worthy of aspiration. Our programme is designed to do exactly that — to shine an honest, well-judged light on the people elevating African hospitality.
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The Dining Scene in Africa
The continent's culinary energy radiates from a handful of remarkable hubs. Cape Town and Johannesburg anchor a sophisticated South African scene, where tasting menus draw on indigenous fynbos botanicals, line-caught seafood and one of the New World's most celebrated wine regions. Marrakech and Casablanca carry the refined banquet traditions of Moroccan hospitality, while Cairo blends millennia-old Levantine and North African flavours with a fast-modernising restaurant market. Along the coast, Nairobi and the Kenyan shoreline have become a magnet for safari-and-supper travellers seeking ingredient-led cooking rooted in place.
West Africa is arguably the continent's most exciting frontier. Lagos, Accra and Dakar are home to a wave of chefs reinterpreting jollof, egusi, suya and grilled plantain with contemporary technique, turning street-food staples into ambitious, design-forward dining experiences. This is cooking with confidence and identity — proudly local, globally fluent, and increasingly impossible to ignore.
Underpinning all of this is the rise of culinary tourism. Wine routes, coffee origins, market tours, beachfront resorts and city-centre fine dining now feature prominently in travel itineraries across the continent. As international hotel groups expand and home-grown hospitality brands mature, the appetite for credible benchmarks of quality has never been greater — and that is precisely the gap these awards are built to fill.
Award Opportunities
African restaurants, chefs and hospitality teams may enter across a broad range of categories. Explore the sectors below and review the full award categories to find your best fit.
Fine Dining Awards
For destination tasting menus and elevated à la carte rooms setting the regional benchmark.
Explore ✦Casual Dining Awards
Celebrating relaxed neighbourhood favourites and vibrant all-day eateries.
Explore ✦Cafe Awards
Honouring coffee culture, from Ethiopian origin roasters to chic city cafes.
Explore ✦Executive Chef Awards
Recognising the culinary leaders defining technique and identity in African kitchens.
Explore ✦Resort Restaurant Awards
For safari lodges, beach resorts and luxury escapes serving exceptional cuisine.
Explore ✦Sustainable Restaurant Awards
Championing low-waste kitchens, local sourcing and responsible hospitality.
Explore ✦Seafood Restaurant Awards
For the coastal kitchens of the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean shores.
Explore ✦Restaurant Innovation Awards
Rewarding creative concepts, bold formats and fresh thinking in African dining.
Explore ✦Leading Restaurant Destinations in Africa
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South Africa
Cape Town and Johannesburg lead the continent's fine dining, backed by world-class Cape Winelands and inventive, terroir-driven tasting menus.
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Morocco
Marrakech and Casablanca pair the grand banquet tradition of tagine and couscous with stylish rooftop terraces and refined riad dining.
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Egypt
Cairo's fast-modernising scene blends ancient North African and Levantine flavours with a thriving new wave of contemporary restaurants.
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Kenya
Nairobi and the Swahili coast attract safari-and-supper travellers with ingredient-led cooking, coastal seafood and lodge gastronomy.
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Nigeria
Lagos is West Africa's most dynamic dining city, where chefs reinvent jollof, suya and egusi with design-forward, contemporary ambition.
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Ghana & Beyond
Accra, Dakar and Addis Ababa round out a fast-growing roster of cities where heritage cuisine meets fresh, confident modern technique.
Browse all restaurant sectors or compare neighbouring regions such as Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Who Can Enter
Restaurants & Eateries
From flagship fine dining rooms to beloved neighbourhood bistros and all-day cafes operating anywhere in Africa.
Chefs & Culinary Teams
Executive chefs, head chefs, pastry talent and kitchen brigades shaping the region's culinary identity.
Hotels & Resorts
Safari lodges, beach resorts and city hotels whose restaurants and dining programmes deserve recognition.
Hospitality Groups
Multi-site operators, emerging brands and franchises building the next generation of African dining.
Benefits of Recognition
International Visibility
An award elevates your profile far beyond your home market, reaching travellers, critics and partners worldwide.
Credible Endorsement
Independent judging gives your kitchen a trusted mark of quality that guests and investors genuinely value.
Team Motivation
Recognition rewards the dedication of your brigade and helps attract and retain exceptional culinary talent.
Tourism & Growth
A respected accolade draws culinary tourists and opens doors to expansion, press and new commercial opportunity.