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The dining scene ranges from fine South African cuisine complete with silver service to local, laid-back, country-style cooking. Franschhoek restaurants attract some of the country's most innovative chefs, who aren't afraid to experiment with unusual ingredients or food-and-wine combinations, and offer up a very sophisticated dining experience in a gorgeous setting. West Coast fare is not as urban as what you find in the Cape Winelands, and coastal towns usually concentrate on seafood, often served in open-air restaurants. Farther inland the cuisine tends to be less trendy and the portions more generous. Be sure to try some Cape Malay cuisine, characterized by mild, slightly sweet curries and aromatic spices. The only places you're likely to be disappointed in the food are in smaller agricultural towns in the Overberg or up the West Coast, where overcooked veggies and an uninspiring and indistinguishable roast are still the norm. But this is changing from month to month as weary city slickers head out of town to open lovely restaurants serving high-quality food.
Country restaurants tend to serve lunch from noon and dinner from 6, and do not cater to late diners except on weekends. Because these areas rely heavily on tourists and local day-trippers, most restaurants in the Cape Winelands and seaside towns are open on weekends, especially for leisurely Sunday lunches, but may catch their breath on Sunday evenings or quieter Mondays. Dress codes vary as much as the dining experiences. Casual wear is acceptable during the day and at most restaurants in the evening. On the coast people pull shorts and T-shirts over their swimsuits before tucking into a plate of calamari and chips (fries), but some Winelands restaurants like their patrons to look as good as the cuisine they deliver. Even so, a nice pair of jeans or pants and a good shirt are usually enough; jackets and ties are rarely expected. If there's someplace you really want to eat, reserve ahead. In December and January, popular restaurants book up quickly, and reservations are advised at least a day or two in advance.
This lovely little café in the pretty Banhoek Valley is a great place to stop for breakfast, high tea, or just a piece of cake and a cup of coffee. Based on a berry farm, there's a shop selling fruit, jams, and baked goods, but you would do well to stop here for half an hour for sweet treats on the patio. Light lunches are also served.
At this casual seafood spot in pretty Pringle Bay, expect fresher fish than you'll find just about anywhere else. It's prepared simply, usually with salsa verde or just garlic butter. Everything is cooked on a wood fire, and most dishes arrive on huge platters. Beer-battered hake and chips—served on newspapers, of course—makes the perfect lunch.
Harbour Road has a string of eateries you can choose from, but you can’t go wrong at this popular place with views of the ocean. Obviously, fish and seafood are the star of the show. You can taste it all in the signature seafood stew or a generous platter to share with the table.
Quirky and brightly decorated, this unpretentious eatery and its frequently changing menu are not to be missed. Not surprisingly, seafood is the main attraction—the oysters here are legendary—but meat-eaters will delight in a wide selection of pork, lamb, quail, and Chalmer steak. Enjoy your meal in front of a warm hearth when it's cold out, or dine under the canopy, dotted with fairy lights, on a clear night.
Part of a province-wide chain, this rustic bakery is best known for its savory pies, but you can also get tasty salads and sandwiches to enjoy in the shady garden.
This cozy eatery's small, seasonal menu changes often and features innovative fare and simple presentations. If the wildebeest with gooseberry and Amarula sauce is on the menu, do not miss out. The flavors of the popular ice-cream trio change often, but you can expect options like coconut and sesame, ginger and rooibos tea, or even curry and balsamic vinegar. The carefully chosen and well-priced wine list reflects regional labels.
This corrugated-iron shack on the beach stood empty for years, then suddenly metamorphosed into a buzzing seafood restaurant. As well as the usual seafood and fish, you'll find fish curries, deep-fried calamari, and smoked snoek samosas on the menu. There are a couple of meaty dishes too, plus at least one vegetarian option. It's literally set on the sand and is an ideal location to take in the sunset.
This relaxed establishment offers rustic, slow-cooked country food with a twist; their dishes are hearty and big on flavor. Fresh, seasonal ingredients are used to make up their menu, and local boutique and garagiste wines are supplied by the Wine Kollektive next door. The atmosphere is laid-back—enjoy alfresco dining in the shaded courtyard or sit in the cozy dining room. The menu is not broad, but there's likely something for everyone. For breakfast you might have a duck egg frittata with chorizo, olives, capers, rosa tomatoes, and Camembert, or soft-poached eggs with brown mushrooms and Greek yogurt. Dinner gets off to an unusual start with a tapas platter with stewed lamb hearts, panfried chorizo, marinated West Coast mussels, and chili prawns. Service is friendly and efficient.
When Topsi Venter, doyenne of the Cape culinary scene, decided to hang up her apron and retire, it seemed appropriate that one of her former students, Chris Hoffman, should take over her popular restaurant. Chris peeled his first potato while apprenticed to Topsi and then went on to work at other restaurants. He has carried on with Topsi's tradition of delicious no-fuss food in a town in love with fine dining and foodie fuss. The blackboard menu changes regularly, and the food is rustic and hearty. Look out for slow-roasted duck served with stir-fried couscous and a spicy apricot sauce, or mushroom, basil, chili, and lemon pasta. Malva pudding (a South African traditional baked sticky pudding) is an all-time favorite and served with a delicate crème anglaise. In this valley of wonderful wines it's great to be able to BYOB, but they also have a small wine menu.
In a deeply rural setting between Robertson and Ashton, this 200-year-old fruit and wine farm is home to a rustic restaurant where the menu consists of country-style cuisine made with seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs from the garden. You might start with a sage risotto with crispy parma ham or lightly smoked springbok carpaccio dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. Main courses might include seared salmon trout fillet with Asian-inspired flavors of soy, ginger, and sesame, served with jasmine rice. Desserts are as admirable, their sauces as stellar as those of the savory variety. Try the "dream of Africa," a freshly baked fondant of Belgian chocolate served with vanilla yogurt cream and Merlot syrup. The wine list does not disappoint, presenting a selection of the Robertson Valley's best, augmented with French Champagne. Plan ahead, as open hours are limited.
La Borie Wine Estate is nestled in the Paarl valley, with Paarl rock as its backdrop. Harvest, the on-site restaurant, offers elegant, relaxed dining for the whole family. You know you're in luck when you go to a restaurant headed up by Matthew Gordon, a fine chef who knows the business inside out. Enjoy an eclectic mix of South African cuisine on the oak-shaded terrace. Ingredients are sourced locally or grown in the restaurant's own garden. Look for free-range organic lamb, mussels, and fresh line fish. The menu also features scrumptious vegetarian options such as grilled large black mushrooms with a parsley crust and brown herb butter. The wine list includes wines from La Borie's own cellars and from KWV Wine Estate. Harvest is the winner of a Klink Award for best restaurant on a wine farm and has been voted among the top-10 most child-friendly restaurants, with a fabulous kids' menu that manages to avoid the tedious and overprocessed options so many other restaurants dish up.
If you're keen to escape the crush in Hermanus, head to Heaven, situated on Newton Johnson Family Vineyards. It's up the picturesque Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Road, where vines and fynbos cover the slopes and where you may wish you owned a country home. The view is wonderful, the service is attentive, and there's a good selection of local wines. The menu, which changes often, always emphasizes the best seasonal produce. Starters could include hot-smoked yellowtail and slow-braised beef tongue. Mains, served with hand-cut chips or a green salad with mature Gruyère, include winter root vegetables with cheese and hazelnuts, cashew-crusted hake, and pork loin with braised lentils. The restaurant is big on foraging. Michelin-star chef Eric Bulpitt heads the team and sends them out into the garden for fresh herbs and the fields for wild greens and waterblommetjies (literally translated from Afrikaans, this means "water flowers").
With a panoramic view of Walker Bay, La Pentola specializes in international cuisine with South African flavors. Drawing on French, Italian, and Mediterranean influences, executive chef Shane Sauvage uses the best local ingredients to create delectable dishes. The extensive menu includes fresh seafood, duck, ostrich, prime cuts of beef, pastas, salads, and exotic game dishes. For starters order one of the house specialties: basil and pork livers or Spanish snails wrapped in bacon and steamed in Chardonnay. Entrees include line fish basted in butter and cooked with red onion and tomato, and beef fillet served with a KWV brandy, dijon mustard, and cream sauce. If you're in the mood for something exotic, try the warthog loin fried with butter, brandy, honey, and mustard, or cubed crocodile tail and curry sauce in pastry. Wine connoisseurs will be delighted with the award-winning wine list, which is as varied as the menu.
Chef-owner Marc Friederich is a foodie with an instinctive feel for what will work. And work his restaurant does: it's consistently full, consistently interesting, and always a pleasure to eat in. What to choose? There's a Lebanese mezze for starters made up of mouthwatering dips, dolmades, falafel, and warm pitas for scooping, or you could opt for Marc's fish soup with a dash of ouzo and aioli crostini. For entrées there's organic beef, paella, or free-range duck breast with a fruity salsa. Children are also well looked after—there's spaghetti with tomato sauce, a choice of burgers with fries, and vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce as part of the deal for a very reasonable R50. Marc also serves as sommelier, so the wine list is comprehensive and he can help you with food-and-wine pairings.
The busy road and the swaths of invasive nonnative trees that need to be chopped down give absolutely no indication of the gem that lies beyond the entrance to Vergenoegd wine farm. Pomegranate chef Mike Israel is known for his fresh, contemporary cuisine, but you'll be hard-pressed to concentrate on the menu—the views are fantastic and the historic manor house has been wonderfully restored. Luckily, the menu is dead simple. Mike has gone for the less-is-more approach and simply lists fish, lamb, game, poultry, and vegetarian. This gives him plenty of scope to play with the fresh ingredients he has available. You could start with the famous Pomegranate tomato tart or opt for the beetroot carpaccio starter with goat cheese. There are field mushrooms served with rosemary and Gorgonzola in a poppy-seed crepe. Mains come with Mike's classic, flavor-filled sauces. The wine list is clever and has an excellent selection of good wines divided into three price categories, the cheapest cheekily referred to as Bank Manager's Choice.
