4 Best Restaurants in The Eastern Cape, South Africa

Former hotel chefs Allan and Simone Bezuidenhout have brought a touch of true class to Gqeberha's traditionally mediocre dining scene with this intimate, handsome restaurant adorned with leather seats and Allan's own artwork. The menu focuses on imaginative versions of classic dishes like a traditional lamb rump with dry ice infused with fynbos to bring the scent of the Karoo (where the lamb comes from) onto the plate, as well as beautiful pizzas, aromatic curries, light meals, and pastas. The imaginative menu changes a couple of times a year so the chef can work with seasonal ingredients, but one constant is the caramel fondant with ganache and popcorn, which is certainly worth a taste. 

Apart from the fabulous breakfast spread that's laid out for guests staying at The Drostdy, the hotel's restaurant is also the best lunch and dinner venue in town, catering to a range of tastes and dietary preferences. It offers cool dishes (like gazpacho) when it's hot under the Karoo sun, and lots of nourishment and warming comfort food when winter bares its teeth. From pizzas and burgers made with ground venison, to Karoo lamb curry and tasty venison loin, you can expect plenty of rewarding flavors. Seating is either outside under umbrellas on the terrace at the edge of a lawn garden, or inside, where there's an old-school clubby atmosphere and the walls are decorated with a prized collection of original bird illustrations. Servers are generally part of the town's hospitality training program which the hotel has a huge stake in, so while always extremely friendly and well-meaning, it's not necessarily always the sharpest.

With huge portions of hearty food made with extra-large servings of love, Hogsback's old faithful is located in heart of the town's main drag. The restaurant got a new injection of energy in mid-2024, and locals and visitors continue to come for the great-value menu which features something to satisfy every possible taste, especially the popular Sunday lunchtime roasts. Pop in for coffee or a beer, arrive early for breakfast, order a steak, or tuck into the tastiest vegetarian dishes in town. There's sometimes live music on weekends and it's also a popular spot to watch sport on the weekends, particularly when South Africa's beloved Springboks rugby team is playing. 

The creators of what was East London's first discernibly "trendy" eating spot (Sanook Cafe), have added a few new venues to their small empire, including Sanook Eatery. Situated a way out of the maelstrom of the city, you can breathe a bit easier while you tuck into the usual selection of excellent pizzas, gourmet burgers, and Buddha bowls, or summon something more sophisticated such as dukkah-crusted fillet, a stack of ostrich, or a marvelous sirloin steak rubbed with traditional biltong spice. Although this venue is good for a night out, the light-filled venue is also wonderful for any of their scrumptious breakfasts.