-
$$$$ | |
Set on the grounds of one of the Cape's oldest farms, Babel is a vision in white surrounded by lush fruit and vegetable gardens and a gorgeous backdrop of mountains. Everything about this farm is stylish: the restaurant is in a converted cow shed, and the menu includes inventive dishes influenced by whatever is bountiful in the garden that day. Expect bold flavors and unusual combinations.
Klapmuts Rd., Paarl, Western Cape, 7670, South Africa
Known For
- Lots of choices for vegetarians
- Bold flavors and unusual combinations
- Spectacular farm setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon. and Tues., Reservations essential
-
$$$$ | |
For a no-frills lunch on the beach, book a table at Die Strandloper. Bring your own drinks and games and expect to linger for the afternoon. The focus is on the rustic outdoor braai (barbecue), where a 10-course feast is served over a couple of hours. If you're keen on seafood, this is the place. Dishes include grilled snoek, smoked angelfish, crayfish, mussels, and bokkoms (dried salted fish). For dessert, there's koeksisters (braided pastries) and strong coffee.
Off Jon Olaffson Rd., Langebaan, Western Cape, 7357, South Africa
Known For
- Bring your own libations
- Kid-friendly atmosphere
- Rustic setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Wed., and Thurs., Reservations essential
-
$$$$ | |
As is the case for Avondale, the vineyard where the restaurant is based, Faber places a heavy focus on being sustainable. The menu changes often but always features carefully composed dishes using ethically sourced meat and fish, plus herbs and vegetables harvested from the estate garden. If the whole roasted cauliflower is on the menu, give it a try—you won't even miss eating meat. You can order à la carte or opt for a six-course feast with wine pairings from the farm.
Lustigan Road, Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa
Known For
- Excellent selection of wines
- Children's menu available
- Unpretentious fine dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner Wed. and Sun.
-
$$$$ | |
Sister restaurant to Cape Town's fêted La Colombe, the food, ambiance, wine selection and service at La Petite Colombe are simply impeccable. The decor is sleek and understated because the true work of art is the food—an 11-course banquet showcasing French cooking techniques and the finest ingredients. Also on-site is the tasting room for Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, whose red wines in particular are revered. Reservations are essential.
Dassenberg Rd, Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa
Known For
- Excellent wine list
- Elaborate tasting menu
- Vegetarians are well taken care of
-
$$$$ | |
For the true flavor of West Coast life, come to this open-air seafood restaurant on the beach south of Lambert's Bay. You'll watch fish cooked over blazing fires, snoek smoked in an old drum covered with burlap, and bread baked in a clay oven. Prepare to eat as much as you can of the fixed-price meal, using your hands or mussel shells as spoons. Be sure to try some of the local specialties like bokkoms (pungent dried fish) and waterblommetjiebredie (water-flower stew). Crayfish cost extra, but don't order them unless you have an enormous appetite. The restaurant consists of nothing more than a circular boma (enclosure) of packed muisbos (a local shrub whose name means "mouse bush") and haphazardly arranged benches and tables.
Elands Bay Rd., Elands Bay, Western Cape, 8130, South Africa
Known For
- Fish sizzles on grills and in giant pots
- You won't find a more laid-back setting
- It's all-you-can-eat
-
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
-
$$$$ | |
This restaurant here has big shoes to fill because its predecessor, Bosman's, was highly regarded. Luckily, Chef Kevin Grobler and his team will have no problem continuing to wow guests. In the opulent Grande Roche Hotel, the elegant restaurant serves beautifully presented dishes featuring innovative ingredients. The Madeira-glazed quail with salt-baked beetroot is marvelous. The wine list is similarly impressive. Lunch is a more laidback affair, and there's also a delectable high tea served every afternoon.
Plantasie St., Paarl, Western Cape, 7646, South Africa
Known For
- Award-winning wine list
- Extraordinary service
- Decadent tasting menu
-
$$$$ | |
When you arrive at this gorgeous old Dutch farmhouse, a staffer greets you and suggests a pre-dinner drink on the rose-trellised terrace. Chef Fabio Daniel serves contemporary French cuisine that also draws on his Brazilian and Italian heritage. For a real splurge, opt for the Estate Experience, with four to five hours of culinary surprises. They won't tell you what's on the menu, but you won't be disappointed. An incredibly knowledgeable sommelier, interesting wine pairings, and surprisingly reasonably priced wine list complete the picture.
Annandale Rd., Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 7600, South Africa
Known For
- Apératifs of the terrace
- Amazing tasting menu
- Exquisite service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. No dinner Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential
-
$$$$ | |
This relaxed venue is always buzzing with folk from the wine industry, locals from the area, and up-country visitors. The menu changes regularly but tempts with favorites such as Karoo lamb, the "Hollandse" pepper fillet, and the decadent crème brûlée. Dishes are served tapas style, meaning you can taste a little of everything. As you'd expect for a restaurant in this area, the selection of wine is also impressive. Inside, burgundy walls are cozy for winter, and outside terrace seating offers soothing mountain views during summer. With more than 25 years under its belt, the restaurant has become a Cape Winelands institution.
Winery Rd., Somerset West, Western Cape, 7130, South Africa
Known For
- Cozy setting
- Impressive wine list
- Local favorite
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations recommended
-
$$$$ | | South African
Reserve well in advance for the buffet lunch here at one of the Cape's most beautiful and historic wineries. A wide selection of soups, quiches, and pâtés prefaces a bewildering array of cold and hot main dishes, including pickled fish, roasts, and imaginative salads; traditional Cape dishes are well prepared. End with an excellent sampling of South African cheeses and preserves or a quintessentially Cape dessert such as malva pudding. Unobtrusive, professional, but friendly service complements the bounty, priced at R260 a head.
R310, between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, Groot Drakenstein, Mpumalanga, 7690, South Africa
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
-
$$$$ | |
This rustic restaurant on Môreson Farm has won numerous accolades for its food and is a great place to stop for lunch on the Wine Tram route. The menu changes often, and on a whim, but you can expect dishes like butter roasted kingklop with chicken wing confit and twice-cooked Boschendal Chuck with mushroom, garlic, and potato. There’s an interesting selection of starters, including Dalewood Huguenot tortellini with truffle potato and a warm salad of bonemarrow. The dessert menu is full of rich, decadent sweets, like caramelized honey parfait and upside-down pineapple cake with rum caramel. The restaurant is child-friendly, with a play area complete with books and toys and a garden outside. After lunch, you can stock up on homemade preserves, bread, and charcuterie at the Miss Molly Charcuterie Bar. If you like, you can also try a bread-making course on the farm. Owner Neil Jewell, “the Charcuterie Guru,” is the man behind the food, and he has stuck to local, seasonal produce.
Happy Valley Rd., Franschhoek, Western Cape, 7690, South Africa
Known For
- Local and seasonal produce
- Charcuterie
- Comfort food
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
-
-
$$$$ | |
Headed by former La Colombe chef Charné Sampson, Epice is inspired by a culinary adventure through India. The menu—a 10-course tasting feast—features spices from the subcontinent married with dishes from around the world, such as cumin-infused Welsh rarebit and chili-ginger Wagyu shortrib served with roti. For the slightly less famished there is a "reduced menu"—eight small courses. Reservations are recommended.
Berg and Wilhelmina Sts, Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa
Known For
- Indian-fusion food
- Beautifully presented dishes
- Unpretentious setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch Tues.–Thurs.
-
$$$$ | |
Try to reserve a window table for views across the vine-clad valley at this restaurant atop a working winery built into the mountainside. The three-course menu is distinctly South African but rooted in French techniques, with dishes like venison loin with Cape Malay jus. A lot of the produce is grown on the farm, and the aim is to get you to try different flavors with the wines to see which combinations appeal to you most. The restaurant is also open for brunch on weekends.
Lambrechts Rd., Franschhoek, Western Cape, 7690, South Africa
Known For
- Two- and three-course menus
- Delicious steak tartare
- Smart wine pairings
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed., Reservations essential
-
$$$$ | |
The setting on a golf estate and wine farm is pretty, but it's the excellent food and service that really stand out here. The menu changes regularly to make use of the fresh, local produce such as West Coast mussels, Karoo lamb, and venison, and there are tapas-sized portions as well as main meals. The wine list is small but includes several nice ones by the glass; try the barrel-fermented Chenin Blanc, one of the estate's best-kept secrets.
Strand Rd., Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 7600, South Africa
Known For
- Delicious hot and cold tapas
- Locally sourced ingredients
- Accessible fine dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Wed., Thurs., and Sun. Closed Mon. and Tues.
-
$$$$ | |
A restaurant of this caliber is a real find in small-town South Africa. The husband-and-wife team of Salvatore and Nina Branda create beautifully composed dishes combining South African produce with avant-garde Italian cooking. The menu comes as a two-, three-, or four-course option.
145 Voortrek St., Swellendam, Western Cape, South Africa
Known For
- Good local wine list
- Lovely garden setting
- Family run
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
-
$$$$ | |
Miko is a contemporary fine-dining restaurant with seating indoors and out, both offering spectacular views of the Franschhoek Valley. Many dishes have an Indian influence, such as the pork belly with biryani rice and cauliflower masala purée. The daytime menu is a simpler affair, featuring salads, burgers, and fish-and-chips. There are plenty of choices for vegans and vegetarians.
Dassenberg Rd., Franschhoek, Western Cape, 7690, South Africa
Known For
- Quirky decor
- Seasonal produce
- Inventive desserts
-
-
$$$$ | |
This long-running place is a local favorite, managing to serve delicious and delightfully plated food while remaining totally unpretentious. The menu is small and eclectic, featuring some Asian-inspired dishes, classics like steak and fries, or pan-fried catch of the day. Don't pass up hearty South African desserts such as malva pudding. Reservations are recommended on weekends.
127 Main Rd, Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa
Known For
- In a charming older building with towering windows
- Guests get a warm welcome
- Extensive wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
-
$$$$ | |
Overture has a constantly changing menu that manifests a pure love of food with distinctly South African dishes featuring local cheese, game meat, and biltong (the national snack of dried, spiced meat). The food is very good value for this level of cuisine; the menu can be ordered as a three- or five-course banquet. For an extra fee the sommelier will pair each course with excellent local wines.
Annandale Rd., Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 7600, South Africa
Known For
- Friendly service
- Excellent tasting menu
- Great value
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.–Wed., Reservations essential
-
$$$$ | |
Best known as a judge on the local edition of MasterChef, Reuben Riffel's flagship restaurant in his hometown of Franschhoek is a wonderful blend of fine dining techniques and unpretentious surroundings. Dishes marry local ingredients with French techniques, and in many cases they have a sprinkling of Asian influence. The decor is minimalist but welcoming, with exposed brick walls and large windows, and the service is impeccable and well informed.
2 Daniel Hugo St., Franschhoek, Western Cape, 7690, South Africa
Known For
- Owned by one of the region's top chefs
- Favorite destination of locals
- Globally inspired fare
-
$$$$ | |
Hidden in the center of town, Spek and Bone is a cozy restaurant with a lush courtyard whose tables and chairs are set under a canopy of vines. The menu focuses on what they call tapas, although they have an international flair rather than a strong Spanish influence. The set menu consists of seven dishes. There is an excellent wine menu to accompany the hearty dishes, featuring award-winners produced at nearby vineyards. This is one of six restaurants from South African celebrity chef and pioneering foodie, Bertus Basson, lovingly named after his two beloved pets.
84 Dorp St., Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 7600, South Africa
Known For
- One of South Africa's best-known chefs
- Asian influences
- Great wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
-
$$$$ | |
The chic and industrial decor here is a bold contrast to the old-world charm of Huguenot architecture: high-backed leather chairs, wine-bottle chandeliers, and steel doors that open onto a sculpture garden. The menu is fairly compact and yet impressively varied, featuring venison, beef, seafood, and Franschhoek trout, along with a couple of vegetarian options. You can go à la carte, but the two-course and three-course prix-fixe menus are highly recommended. Each dish is paired with the estate wines, and the unobtrusive but eagle-eyed waiters make sure your glass is never empty.
off R45, Franschhoek, Western Cape, 7690, South Africa
Known For
- Exceptional service
- Elaborately creative meals
- Striking decor
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.–Thurs., Reservations recommended
