The Western Cape and Winelands Restaurants

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.

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  • 1. Babel

    $$$$

    Set on the grounds of one of the Cape's oldest farms, Babel is a vision in white surrounded by lush fruit and vegetable gardens and a gorgeous backdrop of mountains. Everything about this farm is stylish: the restaurant is in a converted cow shed, and the menu includes inventive dishes influenced by whatever is bountiful in the garden that day. Expect bold flavors and unusual combinations. 

    Klapmuts Rd., Paarl, Western Cape, 7670, South Africa
    021-863–3852

    Known For

    • Lots of choices for vegetarians
    • Bold flavors and unusual combinations
    • Spectacular farm setting

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Mon. and Tues., Reservations essential
  • 2. Die Strandloper Seafood Restaurant

    $$$$

    For a no-frills lunch on the beach, book a table at Die Strandloper. Bring your own drinks and games and expect to linger for the afternoon. The focus is on the rustic outdoor braai (barbecue), where a 10-course feast is served over a couple of hours. If you're keen on seafood, this is the place. Dishes include grilled snoek, smoked angelfish, crayfish, mussels, and bokkoms (dried salted fish). For dessert, there's koeksisters (braided pastries) and strong coffee.

    Off Jon Olaffson Rd., Langebaan, Western Cape, 7357, South Africa
    022-772–2490

    Known For

    • Bring your own libations
    • Kid-friendly atmosphere
    • Rustic setting

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Wed., and Thurs., Reservations essential
  • 3. Faber

    $$$$

    As is the case for Avondale, the vineyard where the restaurant is based, Faber places a heavy focus on being sustainable. The menu changes often but always features carefully composed dishes using ethically sourced meat and fish, plus herbs and vegetables harvested from the estate garden. If the whole roasted cauliflower is on the menu, give it a try—you won't even miss eating meat. You can order à la carte or opt for a six-course feast with wine pairings from the farm.

    Lustigan Road, Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa
    021-202–1219

    Known For

    • Excellent selection of wines
    • Children's menu available
    • Unpretentious fine dining

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner Wed. and Sun.
  • 4. Ficks

    $$

    This popular restaurant and bar boasts a truly incomparable setting, right on the rocks on the edge of a natural rock pool in the Atlantic Ocean. Dine on the deck and you'll hear the crashing of the waves and maybe spot some whales swimming by. On the menu are classic tapas dishes like spicy lamb meatballs and crispy shrimp, all served with something from the extensive wine list or the superb cocktail selection. It's an absolute must while you're in Hermanus.

    8 Marine Dr., Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa
    028-312–4082

    Known For

    • Idea spot for sundowners
    • Wonderful ocean views
    • Laid-back atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.–Thurs.
  • 5. Helena's

    $$$

    In the Coopmanhuijs Boutique Hotel, this small restaurant exudes the elegance of a French bistro with its white tablecloths and pretty wrought iron patio furniture. The menu combines classical French cuisine with uniquely South African ingredients in dishes like twice-baked cheese and biltong soufflé. As well as à la carte dinners, a three-course set menu is available. Bring along that bottle of wine you bought—the staff is happy to cork it for you.

    33 Church St., Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
    021-883–8207

    Known For

    • Al fresco dining
    • Decadent desserts
    • Tender lamb neck
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  • 6. La Petite Colombe

    $$$$

    Sister restaurant to Cape Town's fêted La Colombe, the food, ambiance, 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.

    Dassenberg Rd, Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa
    021-202–3395

    Known For

    • Excellent wine list
    • Elaborate tasting menu
    • Vegetarians are well taken care of
  • 7. Marianas

    $$$

    Mariana and Peter Esterhuizen started out selling organic vegetables at the Hermanus farmers' market before converting a house in the little village of Stanford, just 25 minutes away, into a restaurant. Produce from the garden dictates the menu, and ingredients are sourced from local producers, with dishes that lean toward a Mediterranean style with a strong element of Cape cooking present. The Gruyère soufflé is a sublimely light, cheesy concoction served in a pool of tomato cream. Starters like springbok rillettes and fresh broad-bean salad are served in season, and main courses such as the confit duck with preserved clementine and slow-cooked falling-off-the-bone shoulder of Overberg lamb have a firm following. Last orders are taken at 1:30 pm, so don't be late. Capetonians regularly make the trip here for the excellent food, local wines, relaxed setting, friendly hosts, and seasonal organic produce grown behind the restaurant.

    12 du Toit St., Stanford, Western Cape, 7200, South Africa
    028-341–0272

    Known For

    • Gruyère soufflé
    • Overberg lamb
    • Decadent lunch

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No dinner, No credit cards, Reservations essential
  • 8. Mogg's Country Cookhouse

    $$

    Don't be put off by the bumpy dirt road heading up the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley—this restaurant on an orchard at the top of the valley is worth the dusty trip. The seasonal menu is scribbled on a chalkboard, with dishes like caramelized pear, Gorgonzola, avocado, and walnut salad, or smoked trout and sautéed prawns with a lime-wasabi vinaigrette. The converted laborer's cottage is as pretty as a picture in a tumbledown, overgrown kind of way.

    Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Rd., Hermanus, Western Cape, 7200, South Africa
    076-314–0671

    Known For

    • Relaxed and friendly setting
    • Tucked-away location
    • Housemade desserts

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner, Reservations essential
  • 9. Muisbosskerm

    $$$$

    For the true flavor of West Coast life, come to this open-air seafood restaurant on the beach south of Lambert's Bay. You'll watch fish cooked over blazing fires, snoek smoked in an old drum covered with burlap, and bread baked in a clay oven. Prepare to eat as much as you can of the fixed-price meal, using your hands or mussel shells as spoons. Be sure to try some of the local specialties like bokkoms (pungent dried fish) and waterblommetjiebredie (water-flower stew). Crayfish cost extra, but don't order them unless you have an enormous appetite. The restaurant consists of nothing more than a circular boma (enclosure) of packed muisbos (a local shrub whose name means "mouse bush") and haphazardly arranged benches and tables.

    Elands Bay Rd., Elands Bay, Western Cape, 8130, South Africa
    027-432–1017

    Known For

    • Fish sizzles on grills and in giant pots
    • You won't find a more laid-back setting
    • It's all-you-can-eat
  • 10. Restaurant at Grande Roche Hotel

    $$$$

    This restaurant here has big shoes to fill because its predecessor, Bosman's, was highly regarded. Luckily, Chef Kevin Grobler and his team will have no problem continuing to wow guests. In the opulent Grande Roche Hotel, the elegant restaurant serves beautifully presented dishes featuring innovative ingredients. The Madeira-glazed quail with salt-baked beetroot is marvelous. The wine list is similarly impressive. Lunch is a more laidback affair, and there's also a delectable high tea served every afternoon.

    Plantasie St., Paarl, Western Cape, 7646, South Africa
    021-863–5100

    Known For

    • Award-winning wine list
    • Extraordinary service
    • Decadent tasting menu
  • 11. Rust en Vrede

    $$$$

    When you arrive at this gorgeous old Dutch farmhouse, a staffer greets you and suggests a pre-dinner drink on the rose-trellised terrace. Chef Fabio Daniel serves contemporary French cuisine that also draws on his Brazilian and Italian heritage. For a real splurge, opt for the Estate Experience, with four to five hours of culinary surprises. They won't tell you what's on the menu, but you won't be disappointed. An incredibly knowledgeable sommelier, interesting wine pairings, and surprisingly reasonably priced wine list complete the picture.

    Annandale Rd., Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 7600, South Africa
    021-881–3881

    Known For

    • Apératifs of the terrace
    • Amazing tasting menu
    • Exquisite service

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch. No dinner Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
  • 12. 96 Winery Road

    $$$$

    This relaxed venue is always buzzing with folk from the wine industry, locals from the area, and up-country visitors. The menu changes regularly but tempts with favorites such as Karoo lamb, the "Hollandse" pepper fillet, and the decadent crème brûlée. Dishes are served tapas style, meaning you can taste a little of everything. As you'd expect for a restaurant in this area, the selection of wine is also impressive. Inside, burgundy walls are cozy for winter, and outside terrace seating offers soothing mountain views during summer. With more than 25 years under its belt, the restaurant has become a Cape Winelands institution.

    Winery Rd., Somerset West, Western Cape, 7130, South Africa
    021-842–2020

    Known For

    • Cozy setting
    • Impressive wine list
    • Local favorite

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations recommended
  • 13. @ Four Cousins Restaurant

    $$$

    Right at the entrance to the town, this laid-back eatery is a great lunch stop, especially if you're traveling with kids. It serves pizza, pasta, and hearty meat dishes at tables in a shady, tree-lined garden. There's an excellent play area for kids. The attached tasting room offers juice and candy pairings, wine pairings, and tastings from the on-site craft brewery.

    54 Voortrekker Ave., Robertson, Western Cape, South Africa
    023-615–1505

    Known For

    • Wide-ranging menu
    • Hearty breakfasts
    • Family-friendly atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
  • 14. Bar Bar Black Sheep

    $$ | Eclectic

    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.

    Short St., Unit 7, Riebeek Kasteel, Western Cape, 7306, South Africa
    022-448–1031

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
  • 15. Boschendal Restaurant

    $$$$ | South African

    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.

    R310, between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, Groot Drakenstein, Mpumalanga, 7690, South Africa
    021-870–4272

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 16. Bread & Wine Vineyard Restaurant

    $$$$

    This rustic restaurant on Môreson Farm has won numerous accolades for its food and is a great place to stop for lunch on the Wine Tram route. The menu changes often, and on a whim, but you can expect dishes like butter roasted kingklop with chicken wing confit and twice-cooked Boschendal Chuck with mushroom, garlic, and potato. There’s an interesting selection of starters, including Dalewood Huguenot tortellini with truffle potato and a warm salad of bonemarrow. The dessert menu is full of rich, decadent sweets, like caramelized honey parfait and upside-down pineapple cake with rum caramel. The restaurant is child-friendly, with a play area complete with books and toys and a garden outside. After lunch, you can stock up on homemade preserves, bread, and charcuterie at the Miss Molly Charcuterie Bar. If you like, you can also try a bread-making course on the farm. Owner Neil Jewell, “the Charcuterie Guru,” is the man behind the food, and he has stuck to local, seasonal produce.

    Happy Valley Rd., Franschhoek, Western Cape, 7690, South Africa
    021-876–3692

    Known For

    • Local and seasonal produce
    • Charcuterie
    • Comfort food

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 17. Burgundy

    $$$

    In one of the village's original stone fishing cottages, Burgundy is one of the town's oldest and best-loved restaurants. Unsurprisingly, there's plenty of seafood on the extensive menu—try the creamy abalone with fresh sage—as well as a large choice of grilled meat dishes. The real reason for its popularity though, is the outdoor terrace with ocean views. It's not unheard of to spot whales right from your table.

    Marine Dr., Hermanus, Western Cape, 7200, South Africa
    028-312–2800

    Known For

    • Good vegetarian selection
    • Bustling atmopshere
    • Al fresco dining
  • 18. Café des Arts

    $$ | Eclectic

    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.

    7 Reservoir West St., Franschhoek, Western Cape, 7690, South Africa
    021-876–2952
  • 19. Epice

    $$$$

    Headed by former La Colombe chef Charné Sampson, Epice is inspired by a culinary adventure through India. The menu—a 10-course tasting feast—features spices from the subcontinent married with dishes from around the world, such as cumin-infused Welsh rarebit and chili-ginger Wagyu shortrib served with roti. For the slightly less famished there is a "reduced menu"—eight small courses. Reservations are recommended.

    Berg and Wilhelmina Sts, Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa
    021-492–4044

    Known For

    • Indian-fusion food
    • Beautifully presented dishes
    • Unpretentious setting

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch Tues.–Thurs.
  • 20. Fraai Uitzicht

    $$ | Eclectic

    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.

    Off the R60, Klaas Voogds East, Robertson, Western Cape, 6705, South Africa
    023-626–6156

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed to nonguests May–Sept., No lunch Mon.–Sat., No dinner Mon.–Tues.

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