Not a single SA restaurant made the San Pellegrino Top 50 this year after the Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek tumbled 21 places to position 57.  Luke Dale Roberts pops up at 74 with his Test Kitchen – a new entry – and, er,  that’s it for the African continent.  Which makes the chocolate chef (below) at last night’s awards function at London’s Guildhall Africa’s only contribution to global gastronomy and a colonial one at that. Jambo Bwana!

SA has literally fallen off the culinary map.  Coupled with a curious comment from James Molesworth of Wine Spectator fame on the WOSA site that vintage 2010 is a “bump” on the quality road after a spectacular 2009, SA fine eating and drinking could be in for a torrid time.  Assuming of course that stomach high rollers still take Restaurant Magazine and the Wine Speccie seriously.  Not a given when France has no one in the Top Ten.