6 Best Restaurants in The Eastern Cape, South Africa

Roasted wild garlic ice cream pretty much sums up the experimental nature of the entirely new cuisine that is evolving at this low-key gourmet-with-a-difference restaurant attached to The Ibis guesthouse. Barbara Weitz has been inspired by the abundance of little-known and underhyped medicinal plants that grow wild in the Karoo, and while she makes all kinds of teas with some of what she forages in the veld and grows in her garden, she has been inspired to go one step further and create never-tried-before dishes using ingredients you will never have come across anywhere and will probably never taste again. Barbara even mills her own flour for the various breads she bakes and serves with homemade jams and preserves. You can sit in the courtyard under the stars, or find shelter from the cold inside, but as you work your way through the one-of-a-kind tasting menu (a vegetarian version is possible), you will marvel at the variety of new tastes that Barbara has coaxed from the seemingly strange produce—she harvests such herbs as wild mint, lemon verbena, African wormwood, kankerbos (cancer bush), and olive leaf, many of which she uses for teas, but which also find their way into recipes, for which she's always experimenting. If you've never heard of thistle and dandelion pasta or want to find out what a pickled agave blossom tastes like, you'll want to look for this experience. The restaurant also offers a reduced a la carte menu for lunch, with a few similarly unimaginable dishes. Whatever you do, though, don't pass up the garlic ice cream.

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.

An East London institution, Buccaneers has been open since 1992, and not a lot has changed here in the last 20 years or so. There's hearty, unpretentious pub fare and atmosphere, lots of seafood, sports, draft beer aplenty, live music, raucous student nights, and spectacular sea views from the big sun-soaked wooden deck. The food and service aren't great, and neither is the decor inside, but there's usually plenty of atmosphere and on a hot, sunny Sunday afternoon it's an absolute must, at least for a drink or two, especially if you're staying at Sugarshack Backpackers next door. It's also a favorite with families and it has a kids menu.

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.

Accessed by the back entrance of Port Elizabeth's oldest hotel, the Stage Door is one of the city's best-kept secrets and has long been a favorite with locals in the know for its cheap and cheerful menu, good range of beers, and an eccentric and old-fashioned pub feel. Although it can get very busy here, the service remains excellent, as do the steaks. The menu offers advice such as "Want great service—we suggest you try somewhere else," and the walls are adorned with an eclectic mix of retro bric-a-brac. The hotel bar just across the hall from the restaurant is equally interesting, as much for the characters it attracts as for the original, dark-wood furnishings.