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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
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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.
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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
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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
Known For
- Gruyère soufflé
- Overberg lamb
- Decadent lunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No dinner, No credit cards, Reservations essential
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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
Known For
- Relaxed and friendly setting
- Tucked-away location
- Housemade desserts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner, Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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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
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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
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$$ | | 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
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed to nonguests May–Sept., No lunch Mon.–Sat., No dinner Mon.–Tues.
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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
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If you're keen to escape the crush in Hermanus, head to Heaven, situated on Newton Johnson Family Vineyards. It's up the picturesque Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Road, where vines and fynbos cover the slopes and where you may wish you owned a country home. The view is wonderful, the service is attentive, and there's a good selection of local wines. The menu, which changes often, always emphasizes the best seasonal produce. Starters could include hot-smoked yellowtail and slow-braised beef tongue. Mains, served with hand-cut chips or a green salad with mature Gruyère, include winter root vegetables with cheese and hazelnuts, cashew-crusted hake, and pork loin with braised lentils. The restaurant is big on foraging. Michelin-star chef Eric Bulpitt heads the team and sends them out into the garden for fresh herbs and the fields for wild greens and waterblommetjies (literally translated from Afrikaans, this means "water flowers").
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Rd. (R320), Hermanus, Western Cape, 7200, South Africa
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner Mon.–Thurs. No lunch Sat.
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Housed in a Victorian building is a restaurant with French colonial decor—with rich plummy colors, lots of candles, and dark wood—and pictures of the Staffordshire bull terrier for which the place is named. The crab and shrimp cakes, served with a creamy lime dressing, are a standout item on the starter menu, but you'll also be blown away by Thai prawns, marinated in lime, chili, ginger and garlic, served on a Thai green curry risotto. Follow that with the Karoo lamb noisettes with a rich cabernet and rosemary sauce.Classic highlights are the famous crispy duck and satiny lavender-infused crème brûlée. In good weather, ask to sit in the garden.
47 Bath St., Montagu, Western Cape, 6720, South Africa
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Tues. May–Sept., Dec., and Jan. No lunch, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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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.
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With a panoramic view of Walker Bay, La Pentola specializes in international cuisine with South African flavors. Drawing on French, Italian, and Mediterranean influences, executive chef Shane Sauvage uses the best local ingredients to create delectable dishes. The extensive menu includes fresh seafood, duck, ostrich, prime cuts of beef, pastas, salads, and exotic game dishes. For starters order one of the house specialties: basil and pork livers or Spanish snails wrapped in bacon and steamed in Chardonnay. Entrees include line fish basted in butter and cooked with red onion and tomato, and beef fillet served with a KWV brandy, dijon mustard, and cream sauce. If you're in the mood for something exotic, try the warthog loin fried with butter, brandy, honey, and mustard, or cubed crocodile tail and curry sauce in pastry. Wine connoisseurs will be delighted with the award-winning wine list, which is as varied as the menu.
Ocean View, 87 Marine Dr., Shop 4, Hermanus, Western Cape, 7200, South Africa
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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.
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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
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$$ | | Eclectic
The busy road and the swaths of invasive nonnative trees that need to be chopped down give absolutely no indication of the gem that lies beyond the entrance to Vergenoegd wine farm. Pomegranate chef Mike Israel is known for his fresh, contemporary cuisine, but you'll be hard-pressed to concentrate on the menu—the views are fantastic and the historic manor house has been wonderfully restored. Luckily, the menu is dead simple. Mike has gone for the less-is-more approach and simply lists fish, lamb, game, poultry, and vegetarian. This gives him plenty of scope to play with the fresh ingredients he has available. You could start with the famous Pomegranate tomato tart or opt for the beetroot carpaccio starter with goat cheese. There are field mushrooms served with rosemary and Gorgonzola in a poppy-seed crepe. Mains come with Mike's classic, flavor-filled sauces. The wine list is clever and has an excellent selection of good wines divided into three price categories, the cheapest cheekily referred to as Bank Manager's Choice.
Vergenoegd Wine Estate, Baden Powell Dr. (R310), off the N2, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 7600, South Africa
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon. No dinner in winter; no dinner in summer Sat.–Mon.
