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Chef Luke Dale Roberts has announced that he will open a landmark new restaurant, at the renowned Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in late 2026. The project marks one of the most ambitious culinary undertakings of Roberts’ career since the debut of The Test Kitchen in 2010, and will see him dedicate his full creative focus to building what he believes can become one of the world’s leading destination restaurants.

The restaurant will form part of the extraordinary hospitality offering at Tswalu, South Africa’s largest private wildlife reserve, and will bring Roberts’ globally influenced culinary vision to one of the most remote and spectacular dining locations in Africa.

“This is the most exciting project I’ve embarked on since the early days of The Test Kitchen,” said Roberts. “Tswalu is one of the most extraordinary places in the world, and the opportunity to create a restaurant that reflects its landscape, its ingredients and its sense of place is incredibly inspiring. I’m placing my full creative energy into this project and believe we can build something truly special, a restaurant that stands proudly on the global stage.”

Working alongside Roberts will be his long time protégé, Carla Schulze, Executive Chef of SALON. Schulze will play an pivotal role in the creative direction of the restaurant, spending one week each month at Tswalu working with the team and collaborating with Roberts on menu development.

The kitchen will be led by Dillan Kannemeyer, currently Head Chef at SALON, who will relocate to Tswalu to become Head Chef at the restaurant.

The opening of the new restaurant at Tswalu will also mark a change for SALON, Roberts’ tasting menu restaurant located at the Old Biscuit Mill, which opened in 2023.

Roberts emphasizes that while SALON’s nine-course tasting menu has been highly celebrated, Cape Town has also seen a significant increase in restaurants offering tasting menus in recent years, and the reality is that there are only so many people who want to dine in that format on a regular basis. “I believe diners will always value skillfully prepared food and thoughtful cooking, but increasingly they want the freedom to choose not only what they eat, but also how many courses they feel like enjoying.”

Reflecting on the journey of the restaurant, Roberts says the experience of creating and running SALON has been deeply meaningful for him and his team.

For these reasons, SALON will close in its current form at the end of March 2026, with many members of the team moving across to the Tswalu project.

The SALON space will remain part of the Luke Dale Roberts group and will be used as a private dining and events venue, focusing on exclusive lunches, dinners and special occasions.

The Tswalu project will emphasize sustainability, craftsmanship, and a strong sense of place. Roberts and his team will collaborate with artisans and designers to create a dining environment that reflects the Kalahari landscape while celebrating South African creativity.

British-born Luke Dale Roberts is widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential chefs, with a career that spans Europe, Asia and South Africa. He trained in Switzerland and England before spending five formative years working in leading kitchens across Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and the Philippines, experiences that helped shape the globally inspired culinary perspective for which he is known today. After relocating to Cape Town in 2006, he quickly established himself on the international stage while leading La Colombe to global recognition, achieving an extraordinary No.12 ranking on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2010, while also being named Best Restaurant in Africa and the Middle East.

For Roberts, the Tswalu project represents an opportunity to build a new restaurant with a strong team and a clear sense of place.

“Tswalu offers an environment that is unlike anywhere else,” he says. “From the very beginning it felt like a partnership that made sense. The team there is exceptional to work with, they care deeply about what they do and they approach hospitality with the same principles and work ethic that we value in our kitchens. There is a shared understanding about attention to detail, consistency and the importance of looking after guests properly. That alignment makes a huge difference when you are building something new.

Sustainability is something that sits at the heart of what Tswalu does, and that’s incredibly important to us as well. From the ingredients we use to the materials and craftspeople we work with, there is a real opportunity to build a restaurant that respects its environment and supports the people connected to it. We’re all approaching this with the same mindset, to take the time to do things properly and to create a restaurant that feels authentic to its surroundings. I genuinely believe that together we are going to build something truly special at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.”