‘Sibalicious’ celeb chef opens first restaurant in CPT

Foodie fans, take note of this one: an award-winning South African celeb chef has opened her very first restaurant in Cape Town.

Almost everyone knows her famous face and food from her television cooking shows, but celebrity chef Siba Mtongana has since ventured into the realm of business by opening her own pop-up restaurant in 2020.

Two years later and Mtongana has signed a contract to make this pop-up a permanent feature.

Celeb chef for Table Bay hotel

At the start of the pandemic in 2020, Mtongana opened Siba The Restaurant as a pop-up in The Table Bay hotel in Cape Town. And now she has signed a contract with Sun International for a permanent venue at the hotel.

According to Tourism Update, there had been on-going construction to expand the facilities at The Table Bay, which came to an end mid-April. The new steel and glass structure has increased the floor space of the restaurant by 95sqm.

Joanne Selby, General Manager at the Table Bay hotel said that the new space with its incredible views will only add to the experience.

“Our outdoor patio space has only ever been functional in favourable weather, so with the growing popularity of Siba’s restaurant, we decided to incorporate this space into the restaurant. Diners will now be able to enjoy an extraordinary fine dining experience while taking in views of the jetty and boats moving in and out of the V&A Waterfront.” she said.

The celeb chef has many other achievements under her belt. Mtongana has won five US Film and Television Awards and her cooking tv shows have reached audiences in at least 135 different countries. Her book, Welcome to my Table, also won two awards at the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in China.

Mtongana said that her food is a fusion of her African roots and her many world travels. She now combines this to create an authentic fine-dining experience. 

“I wanted to elevate African cuisine to a world-class standard. Classics such as our dombolo steamed buns have become firm favourites with our patrons from all around the world.” she said.

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