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We've compiled the best of the best in Franschhoek - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Sister restaurant to Cape Town's fêted La Colombe, the food, ambience, wine selection and service at La Petite Colombe are simply impeccable. The decor is sleek and understated because the true work of art is the food—an 11-course banquet showcasing French cooking techniques and the finest ingredients. Also on-site is the tasting room for Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, whose red wines in particular are revered. Reservations are essential.
Headed by former La Colombe chef Charné Sampson, Epice is inspired by spice blends from around the world. The menu—a 10-course tasting feast—features spices from Mexico, Ethiopia, and the subcontinent among others, married with dishes from across Africa, such as lamb with dahl and chermoula or West Coast mussels with passion fruit and cumin. For the slightly less famished there is a "reduced menu"—eight small courses. Reservations are recommended.
Try to reserve a window table for views across the vine-clad valley at this restaurant atop a working winery built into the mountainside. Choose from a two- or three-course menu featuring dishes that marry South African ingredients with French techniques, such as venison loin with Cape Malay jus. A lot of the produce is grown on the farm, and the aim is to get you to try different flavors with the wines to see which combinations appeal to you most.
Miko is a contemporary fine-dining restaurant with seating indoors and out, both offering spectacular views of the Franschhoek Valley. As well as meaty fare like duck terrine and ash-cured venison, there are good vegetarian options including cauliflower steak with masala velouté. The daytime menu is a simpler affair, featuring salads, burgers, and fish-and-chips.
The chic decor here is a bold contrast to the old-world charm of Huguenot architecture: a bright dining room in blue and white that evokes a house by the ocean. The menu is fairly compact and yet impressively varied, featuring venison or duck, beef, seafood, and a delectable vegetarian option. Food is beautifully presented and attentive staff offer optional wine pairings for each dish.
Best known as a celebrity judge on the local edition of MasterChef, Reuben Riffel's flagship restaurant in his hometown of Franschhoek is a wonderful blend of fine dining techniques and unpretentious surroundings. Dishes marry local ingredients with French techniques, and in many cases they have a sprinkling of Asian influence. The decor is minimalist but welcoming, with exposed brick walls and large windows, and the service is impeccable and well informed.
Reserve well in advance for the buffet lunch here at one of the Cape's most beautiful and historic wineries. A wide selection of soups, quiches, and pâtés prefaces a bewildering array of cold and hot main dishes, including pickled fish, roasts, and imaginative salads; traditional Cape dishes are well prepared. End with an excellent sampling of South African cheeses and preserves or a quintessentially Cape dessert such as malva pudding. Unobtrusive, professional, but friendly service complements the bounty, priced at R260 a head.
