4 Best Restaurants in The Eastern Cape, South Africa

Laurent Chauvet and his partner Angus Park created one of the village's finest eateries (it's BYOB) as an extension of their home. Always authentic and always executed with great care, Laurent's impeccable cooking features the best possible ingredients to create an amazing internationally inspired meal from the delicious soup course right through to the homemade ice creams and his increasingly legendary baked Alaska. This is a culinary experience you won't soon forget. Cooking classes are available upon request.

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. 

Constantly busy and bustling thanks to its simple formula of good, well-presented gourmet burgers and thin-crust pizzas topped with only the freshest ingredients, combined with sharp but always friendly service. The decor and layout of the place are equally simple and effective, with heavy wooden tables and exposed brick walls and pillars, and lots of air and light, despite the tightness of the space. If the weather suits (which it generally does in these parts), you can eat outside in the courtyard. There's a good selection of South African craft beers as well as a decent wine list. The one drawback, though, is the location on a very busy road that can feel quite intense, almost industrial.

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.