The restaurant named the ‘best culinary experience in South Africa’

The SALT Road in Houghton has been awarded South Africa’s best culinary experience for 2025 by Our-Venue.com in their annual Spotlight of Recognition Awards.

The restaurant is based on the simple, ancient idea of salt, combined with ancient techniques of fermentation and preservation.

The Johannesburg restaurant is the latest brainchild of chef duo Craig Cormack and Beau Du Toit, who also own SALT and the Goose Roasters. 

The restaurant said that this latest achievement is a reflection of its team’s passion, the artistry of its chefs and the unwavering support of its guests. 

Cormack, with 40 years of experience, first conceived of the idea in 2009, when he began pairing food, wine and salt at food and wine shows. 

Cormack said in an interview with A Table in the Corner, he read Mark Kurlansky’s book ‘Salt: A World History’ and became obsessed with the idea of developing a menu around the simple spice. 

The book included small, historical recipes. Cormack then went back to look at the ancient cooking techniques from the last 2000 years, and the concept was born. 

“Long before salt lined modern kitchen shelves, it carved out trade routes, built cities, and fuelled empires,” the owners said. 

“Its story starts deep within ancient seas and prehistoric lakes, where evaporated waters left behind glittering veins of mineral-rich treasure.”

They explain that, for the first people to use the seasoning, salt was a survival technique, preserving food and making it possible to store fish, meat, and vegetables beyond harvests. 

Archaeological records show evidence of salt production as far back as 6000 BCE in Romania and China. Civilisations were built around salt. 

“It became currency, it became sacred. It became life. At Salt Road, we honour this ancient journey every day. Carrying salt’s timeless story into our kitchens, our rituals, our celebrations,” they said. 

A simple love of SALT

Cormack’s business partner Du Toit started his culinary journey working at a Michelin-starred Thai restaurant, sparking his curiosity about the role of climate, geography and culture in food preservation. 

He began to focus on fermentation, salting and curing techniques that helped Thai food adapt to economic limitations. 

Despite the chef’s differing approaches, salt united their philosophies. Du Toit said that the salt focus is about looking to the past for timeless techniques, over trends. 

“It’s not just about sustainability – it’s about understanding our impact and leaving a legacy for future generations,” he said. 

The owners said they began their journey with nothing more than curiosity, a few good knives, and a shared belief that flavour tells stories. 

“Over the years, we’ve burnt, learned, rebuilt and laughed our way through it all,” the owners said. 

“Through every shift, one thing stayed constant: Salt. Our third partner, the silent one that never left the table.”

While the chefs have opened several SALT restaurants since their journey began, the SALT Road is not only a journey through the history of the seasoning, but a piece of the Cape Winelands in the heart of Johannesburg. 

The restaurant has been designed to deliver coastal charm and the Cape Vineyard experience, within the 102nd Avenue Boutique Hotel.

The Houghton restaurant reopened to the public in July 2025, having made an impressive name for itself in its first few months of existence. 

Menu items include salt-baked fish, aged beef, sautéed Gnocchi, smoked lamb burgers, and angus fillet. The menu is seasonal, however, and changes every few months. 

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More photos from the SALT Road Houghton: