Hyatt Hotels in South Africa has received national recognition at South Africa’s Top Restaurant Awards, with Urchin Restaurant at Hyatt Regency Cape Town named SA’s Top Restaurant, ranked among the Top 10 Overall Best Restaurants (as voted by South African diners), and placed within the Top 3 Fine Dining Restaurants. Room 32 at Park Hyatt Johannesburg was also named a finalist in the Luxury Dining category.
Presented by the Restaurant Voice of South Africa, the awards mark 20 years of recognising excellence across the country’s dining landscape. The accolades reflect the collective voice of South African diners, acknowledging consistency, quality and the overall guest experience.
At the centre of this recognition are two chefs shaping contemporary South African dining through distinctly individual perspectives.
Chef Marcus Gericke of Journey Urchin Restaurant at Hyatt Regency in Cape Town, presents a deeply considered expression of the Western Cape. Drawing from the coastline, its communities and its culinary heritage, the restaurant’s signature nine-course tasting menu, Journey, was developed through an extensive road trip across the province. This process allowed the team to engage directly with farmers, fishers and home cooks, resulting in a menu grounded in lived experience.
Each dish reflects a strong sense of place, seasonality and narrative, supported by a carefully curated wine programme and quietly attentive service. Adjacent to the tasting menu, the Navigator Menu offers a more accessible, à la carte interpretation of the Cape’s most recognisable flavours.
“This recognition across multiple categories, including the overall award, speaks to the integrity of our entire offering, from our tasting menu to our à la carte experience,” says Gericke. “Our intention has always been to honour the Western Cape through food, telling the stories of its people, landscapes and traditions with clarity and respect.”
Gericke’s approach is defined by restraint and authenticity, with a deliberate focus on South African flavour rather than external influence. The result is a dining experience where storytelling is embedded in every course, and every detail is carefully articulated.
In Johannesburg, Room 32 at Park Hyatt Johannesburg offers a more intimate and contemporary interpretation of fine dining. Set within a restored heritage property in Rosebank, the 31-room hotel positions the restaurant as its central gathering space — where guests and the city connect over food, fire and conversation.
Led by Chef Karel Jacobs, the menu follows a seasonal, ingredient-led philosophy, shaped by close relationships with local farmers and foragers and expressed through a refined, fire-led cooking style. He adds, “Room 32 was created to express a cooking-on-fire style inspired by the elements, a space that feels intentional and personal, grounded and reflective of Johannesburg’s energy,” says Jacobs. “To be recognised so early in our journey is incredibly encouraging, and a testament to the team’s focus on uncompromising detail, flavour-first and experience.”
From business lunches and dinners to high tea, weekend brunches and curated beverage pairings, the experience is designed to feel considered and immersive. Recognition as a finalist in the Luxury Dining category, achieved within months of opening, signals the strength of the restaurant’s culinary direction and execution. This moment forms part of a broader evolution for Hyatt Hotels in South Africa, where a focus on culinary identity, local sourcing and experience-led dining continues to shape each property’s offering. At Park Hyatt Johannesburg, this is further underscored by the hotel’s award of One MICHELIN Key in the guide’s inaugural 2025 hotel selection, recognising exceptional quality, design and service.
This direction is driven at a leadership level, with a deliberate investment in culinary excellence and global benchmarking at its core. As CEO Hamza Farooqui notes, “This recognition spans both the Hyatt Regency Cape Town and the newly opened Park Hyatt Johannesburg, affirming that world-class dining is not confined to a single address, but is a hallmark of the Millat Group’s enduring hospitality philosophy.”
Over the last two years, Millat has invested significantly in training and sending chefs to Michelin-rated restaurants globally to expand their knowledge base. In addition to this, we’ve recently appointed a team of Michelin Chefs to work with our homegrown chefs to ensure they are trained and equipped to curate Michelin-standard offerings across all restaurants in our hotels.”
Millat-Group
Millat Group–owned Hyatt Hotels are grounded in a philosophy of changing lives through hospitality, supported by sustained investment in culinary excellence. This includes international immersion across leading dining markets such as the UK and UAE, alongside collaboration with MICHELIN Key consulting chefs to ensure global benchmarking in luxury and fine dining.
About Millat-Group
The Millat Group is a principal-owned and led family office adopting a private equity approach, deploying capital where value arbitrage exists. For more information, visit www.millatglobal.com
For more information, visit: Hyatt.com
The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates. About Park Hyatt Johannesburg | Park Hyatt Johannesburg is a luxurious 31-key hotel located in the vibrant Rosebank district of Johannesburg. This intimate hotel offers an unparalleled blend of modern comforts and timeless sophistication, inspired by Johannesburg’s rich cultural heritage. The hotel features two signature dining venues, including Room 32 and Whispers of Diriyah. Guests can also enjoy wellness offerings, including bespoke treatments, a fitness centre, and an outdoor pool. Park Hyatt Johannesburg is designed to cater to the needs of discerning business and leisure travellers and is part of the Millat Group’s prestigious portfolio.
About Hyatt Regency Cape Town
Hyatt Regency Cape Town delivers on its brand promise to guests seeking to experience South Africa’s rich and multicultural history. This 5-star luxury hotel boasts of 137 modern rooms with locally curated artwork in the lounge areas, spacious suites, Halal certifi ed restaurants, intimate prayer rooms and a vibrant pool area. Our spaces are designed intuitively, connecting you to all the essentials for business or leisure – everything you need to make personal connections and professional collaborations.
This flagship hotel is the first Hyatt-branded property in Cape Town, centrally located in the heart of Cape Town city bowl, at the foot of the iconic Table Mountain, nestled in the historic Bo-Kaap neighbourhood and within walking distance of the renowned Iziko Museum. Hyatt Regency Cape Town inspires an open outlook for guests and colleagues in search of enriching experiences and a genuine sense of community.
