Restaurants in the Winelands & Cape Town
Featured below are some dining out options in Cape Town and the winelands. Unless stated to the contrary, all allow you to bring your own (BYO) wine — the corkage fee is indicated at the start of each entry. Should you wish to know about wheelchair access, please discuss with the relevant restaurant.
Camps Bay
Azure Restaurant
A spectacular setting complemented by cuisine that stirs the senses. Sea vistas from cliffside restaurant and balcony are mesmerising; dishes from executive chef Henrico Grobbelaar divert attention from ocean to plate. Fresh, organic ingredients are from hotel herb garden and local markets, fish is sustainable, and menus mouthwatering. Delight in succulent scallops and deboned springbok shank, ending lightly with rose champagne jelly and berry compote. (See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town page.)
Cape Town
Aubergine
Warmly sophisticated restaurant revolving round wine pairing. A 10,000-bottle cellar (selected for food compatibility) allows chef/patron Harald Bresselschmidt’s keen palate and culinary skills full scope. Whether fish, seafood, prime aged local meat or tasty vegetarian options, dishes accent flavour, aroma and texture, while degustation menus offer combinations like zebra with poppy-seed polenta and porcini ragout, and crayfish tail with saffron cabbage and star anise bisque. Eat Out Top 10 2010 and 3 stars Rossouw’s Restaurants 2010 and 2011.
Auslese
Wanting to match gems from your wine collection, but can’t cook? Organising anything from corporate events to a private birthday party or wine launch? Aubergine’s elegant new venue in a refurbished historic house near the restaurant, is custom-designed for functions. Owner Harald Bresselschmidt will tailor the occasion for you, creating delectable tapas-style dishes to complement wines, either your own or from his 10,000-bottle cellar.
Balducci’s Ristorante
Trendy venue offering prime waterfront views and generous helpings of ‘home-cooked’ Italian dishes, backed by slick service. Local ingredients add a fresh twist to tradition (try ostrich lasagna) and best-sellers range from gourmet wood-fired pizzas to export-quality shellfish; grain-fed aged steaks to a signature 180g grain-fed burger. As dessert, Amarula-splashed tiramisu and classic malva pudding vie in appeal with cheeseboards parading award-winning Cape cheeses. Diners Club and Wine Spectator Winelist Awards 2010. Sushi fans, join the crowd at the award-winning Balducci’s Royal Sushi Bar.
Bascule Whisky, Wine & Cocktail Bar
Over 400 world-wide whiskies and the finest Cape wines – plus a quayside setting in the international yacht marina at Cape Town’s Waterfront. By day Bascule is a lively destination, ideal for a cappuccino or light lunch. By night, the space transforms into a glamorous whisky, wine and cocktail bar, where whisky connoisseurs and social butterflies gather to enjoy a shot of Cape Town’s social energy. Eat Out/V&A Waterfront Restaurant Awards 2009 Best Pub-style and Best Service. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Belthazar Restaurant & Wine Bar
Explore a palate-pleasing world of wining and dining at this award-winning restaurant and world’s biggest wine-by-the-glass bar, where informed sommeliers serve over 200 of the Cape’s finest wines by the glass and offer knowledgeable advice on a spoilt-for-choice 600-label winelist. Pair sought-after vintages with specialities ranging from export-quality cuts of butter-tender aged and grain-fed beef to game and the freshest South African and imported shellfish. Amex Platinum Fine Dining Award 2010 and voted one of the best 2010 wine lists by Wine Spectator.
Buitenverwachting Restaurant
Pamper your palate in elegant surroundings, overlooking vineyards and mountains, or eat more casually in a vine-shaded courtyard. Menus are mouthwatering: chef/patron Edgar Osojnik believes in fresh, organic and local, lifted by superbly flavoured jus. Savour quail saltimbocca with green asparagus in truffled vinaigrette; detour to deconstructed Caesar salad; linger over beef fillet crusted in bone marrow; and allow room for alluring dessert. Flawless service. TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence (4.5 rating out of 5, best food and service in the Constantia Valley) 2011; American Express/Diners Club Platinum Fine Dining Award 2008–11; American Express 10 year Achievement Award 2008; honorary member Austrian Food Guide/BOEG since 2006.
Den Anker Restaurant
Watch basking seals from your table. Well into its teens, this buzzing quayside venue updates constantly without losing its charm. The terrace captures picture-postcard mountain views; decor is streamlined and evergreen moule & frites rubs shoulders with light, contemporary dishes and South African specialties. New is a tapas terrace menu (bitterballen are a must) with a wide selection of wines by the glass or Belgian beers.
Emily’s
Emily’s, celebrating its 10th anniversary at the V&A Waterfront in December, and its 20th since opening, remains reassuringly evergreen. Warmly welcoming, it’s ideal for lunch overlooking the harbour and romantic at night. Cuisine updates tradition with innovative touches: try the African-style revamp of bobotie, with curried wild cactus in the custard; or apricots with sea-urchin vapeur, marogo and pineapple. Vast wine list at very reasonable prices, with many rarities. Now no room on the walls for the accumulated international and local awards.
Nobu
Savour signature oriental cuisine in world-renowned Japanese master chef Nobuyuki ‘Nobu’ Matsuhisa’s first restaurant in Africa – there’s a unique contemporary South African twist to classic dishes. Enjoy cocktails at the bar, matching made-to-order, tantalising bites to the finest sakes, then move into the minimalist dining room for a sophisticated experience of fine Japanese fare. Don’t miss the palate-pleasing speciality: black cod and prawn tempura. 3 stars Rossouw’s Restaurants 2011; Diners Club Diamond Winelist Award 2010. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Reuben’s
Award-winning chef Reuben Riffel’s urban debut is true to his country roots, bringing deceptively simple cuisine to the sophisticated setting of Cape Town’s One&Only. His popular, flavour-packed bistro fare showcases the diversity of local ingredients, skillfully re-interpreting traditional recipes for today’s spoiled-for-choice taste. Whether West Coast oysters, springbok loin or Namaqua lamb, the tri-level wine loft offers food pairing with some 5,000 local and international wines. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Savoy Cabbage Restaurant & Champagne Bar
Heading for 13 years and popular as ever, this city-centre venue boasts a string of accolades, including plaudits from international critics. Expect exposed brick and high ceilings; perennial favourites as menu fixtures; and daily changing dishes offering taste treats like tropical-sauced geelbek ceviche, fennel-dusted warthog loin with red onion marmalade and sour fig syrup, and white chocolate tart crowned with ginger ice-cream. Intelligent boutique winelist.
Signal Restaurant
Delightfully soothing dining experience, cocooned in soft colours and elegant fabrics under a mirrored, chandelier-studded ceiling. Contemporary, flavour-rich dishes reflect the cultures that shaped Cape Town’s culinary heritage, backed by an excellent winelist. Both regular and vegan tasting menus offer fresh, tantalising combos like sweet potato lasagna with espresso reduction, and butter-poached crayfish with crispy chilli-salted sweetbread. Mouth-melting tea-time treats served in the hotel library. Eat Out/V&A Waterfront Awards: Best Deluxe Restaurant 2009. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Societi Bistro
Societi is a neighbourhood ‘local’; a sanctuary for Capetonians and visitors-in-the-know looking for a home from home. More than cuisine, it’s a way of life, where regulars become friends and tasty bistro fare is savoured in good company. Menus change every three months to capture seasonal flavours, but best-sellers are perennial. Favourites are fillet au poivre, mushroom risotto, and for dessert, home-made sorbets and ice-cream.
The Square Restaurant
Dine stylishly in a glass-roofed space softened by indoor trees, soothed by harp or piano. Snack at the super-fresh sushi bar; move to tables to enjoy executive chef Alex Docherty’s inventive take on the classics: try pan-roasted beef fillet with veal sweetbreads and wild mushroom ravioli; springbok and porcini suet pudding; or gorgonzola risotto with apple and pecan salad. Popular fortnightly four/five course wine-pairing evenings. Diners Club Winelist Diamond Award 2009 and 2010. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
The Towers Restaurant
Dining for all tastes and cultures, from halal-friendly to African; carnivorous (savour chalmar beef) to vegetarian (Norwegian salmon flown in daily). Just alert the chef when booking. Eating options are as versatile, from 24-hour deli (great pastries) and stunning pool deck to Towers restaurant, where choices include the intimate Alice-in-Wonderland room with high-backed chairs, and more casual area looking into the open-plan kitchen. Protea Hotels Food & Beverage Achiever Of The Year Award 2010–2011. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Constantia
Bistro Sixteen82
Flavour-packed vineyard destination, combining bistro fare with award-winning wines in a sophisticated setting with tasting bar and lounge. While tempting desserts fall under the heading ‘indulge’, this invitation applies to the whole menu, from reviving breakfasts to lunches with treats like braised sweetbreads, jus-glazed veal brisket, and chalmar beef tataki. From 4pm tuck into tapas indoors or on the terrace overlooking reflection pools and gardens.
Catharina’s at Steenberg
Cool and classy. That’s the mood at Catharina’s, where wall-to-wall glass opens up the restaurant to views and vineyards, reflecting the constantly changing contemporary food from exec chef Garth Almazan. Flavour rules: feast on fish and game specialities like caramelised king scallops or kudu fillet; end with indulgent combo brûlée. Zingingly fresh Sunday jazz buffets under oaks or in the new courtyard. Diners Club Winelist Award of Excellence 2006–2008, Diamond Award 2009-2010; American Express Platinum Fine Dining Award 2005–2010.
Constantia Uitsig Restaurant
Housed in the original Cape Dutch homestead, with beguiling vistas of surrounding mountains and vineyards, this relaxed fine-dining restaurant maintains its popularity among locals and visitors for consistency, warm service and familiar ambience. Best-sellers from head chef Clayton Bell (who has spent 15 years at Constantia Uitsig) include a tasty puff-pastry tomato tart, fresh cumin-crusted linefish, and tender rare springbok loin with caramelised honey/lemon sauce. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
La Colombe
Head chef Scot Kirton has taken over the La Colombe kitchen seamlessly, delivering the quintessentially elegant cuisine associated with the restaurant. Tempting menus retain their classic base, with innovative touches and inventive combinations of seasonal ingredients: signature veal fillet is a flavour feast of sugar-snap peas and black forest ham, buttered pomme purée, warm ballotine of sweetbreads and morel mushrooms, steamed langoustine and mustard beurre blanc. Restaurant of the Year 2008 and 2009; 12th place in the Top 50 San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2010 and number 82 in the San Pellegrino 100 Best Restaurants 2011; 3 stars in Rossouw’s Restaurants 2009–2011. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Peddlars on the Bend
Popular with both locals and visitors, this lively restaurant and pub offers warm country charm in a garden setting. Enjoy drinks in the Terraces Pub, which draws an eclectic crowd; order from an extensive menu prepared daily from fresh ingredients: specialities include roast hock of pork, chicken and leek pie, and steak tartare. The kitchen is open all day for those wanting lunch or early dinner. Diners Club Wine List of the Year, Platinum Award 2010.
River Café
Long a popular social destination for sumptuous breakfasts and affordable, café-style lunches. New head chef Dineel Terblanche brings culinary skills gained while working extensively in Europe to dishes using the freshest local ingredients and wines from Constantia Valley. Linger over appetising specialities such as crispy battered prawns; tasty fish pie; butter-tender beef fillet with potato fondant, fine beans and herb butter; and decadent open sandwiches. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
The Conservatory
Stylish restaurant, incorporating a giant 300-year-old oak, with garden vistas from both the airy indoors or sun-drenched terrace. Focus is on modern South African cuisine subtly infused with classic French flavours, but if you’re feeling nostalgic, book for Sunday lunch with traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Before your meal, relax over cocktails in the sophisticated setting of The Martini.
The Greenhouse
Take your tastebuds into new territory in a polished award-winning restaurant, now in a glass ‘greenhouse’ in the historic Hohenort building, where subtly sophisticated decor, ferns, orchids and urns offset deliciously innovative cuisine from Collection executive chef Peter Tempelhoff. Order dishes like kingklip steamed in nasturtium leaves; or springbok haunch complemented by quince, bitter chocolate, fudged onions and foie gras. Superb winelist and wine-matching choices. Accredited American Express Platinum Fine Dining Restaurant 2008–2010; Eat Out Top 10 Restaurants in South Africa 2009; Diners Club International Diamond Award for 2008 and 2009; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2009.
Durbanville
Cassia Restaurant, Bar & Function Venue
Welcoming venue on Nitida Wine Estate with wrap-around views of Durbanville Valley, against a backdrop of the Drakenstein Mountains. Decor combines comfort with style, while fresh seasonal menus offer a modern take on classic cuisine, inspired by local produce. Order highly rated Nitida wines and enjoy them with sushi, specialities like monkfish saltimbocca with crispy pap and stuffed baby peppers, or popular Sunday roasts.
Elgin
Gordon Manuel @ The Venue
Hospitable family-run, owner-operated restaurant known for country gourmet meals, set among vineyards and apple orchards. While Gordon’s wife Emma handles front of house, he mans the stoves, producing mouth-watering dishes like slow-roasted pork belly. Inspired by produce from the Overberg region, menus change every Saturday to accommodate fresh and new ingredients. Walls are alive with paintings: the restaurant has joined forces with Red! The Gallery. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Franschhoek
Bistro Allée Bleue
Friendly bistro true to its origins — though weekly changing blackboard menus don’t punt a plat du jour, and tablecloths are pristine white. Expect farm-fresh herbs and fruit: lamb crépinette takes thyme jus; fig, rocket and pine-nuts enliven Parma ham wrapped goats cheese. Heartier choices include best-selling Table Mountain inside-out burgers. Enjoy summer al fresco fare in the inviting Wine Tasting Courtyard, where dishes range from mixed grills to cheese platters. See also Kendall Cottage on Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town page.
Bread & Wine Restaurant & Farm Grocer
Spilling into a vine-shaded courtyard, this friendly venue offers gourmet flavours in a farm setting, using fresh ingredients with respect and imagination. Neil’s pasture pork charcuterie now introduces the menu (try the lamb ‘ham’); while Neil’s Nosh includes must-sample delights like porcini carpaccio, celery granita and truffle; and mouth-melting potato and fontina cheese gnocchi. Select take-home treats from home-baked bread to pâté at the Farm Grocer. American Express Fine dining 2007–2011. (See also The Common Room & The Tasting Room @ Le Quartier Français.)
cosecha Restaurant
Feast on traditional or contemporary Mexican treats. Bringing the farm-fresh flavors of the family’s southwestern roots to Cape Town, cosecha ("harvest") reflects the al fresco eatery’s location adjoining the grape crushing and sorting area. For breakfast choose traditional huevos rancheros; lunch on tequila tagliatelle or beef enchiladas. Daily specials are based on freshly picked ingredients from the farm, and tasty bites include bocaditos, small-plate morsels to share.
Dieu Donné Restaurant
Indulge in "sexy nosh" (Afro-Franco-Asian and French Huguenot cuisine) in this classy cellar-styled restaurant with glass-walled view over the valley. Whether innovative African Caeser salad, truffled prawn spaghetti, tempting venison, or irresistible desserts, the style is fresh and fun, accenting variety, affordability and quality. Treats like Brewer’s and Champagne tapas platters at bistro terrace tables; beer tastings at the first micro-brewery in the Cape winelands.
Freedom Hill Country Restaurant
The food’s the thing. Cooked with passion, and it shows. Risotto is authentic (chef/patron Adrian learned the secret from his Italian grandmother); pastry mouth-melting, and creamy cheesecake memorable. This largesse, unexpected from an unpretentious country restaurant, is backed by a warm welcome, excellent service and a well-chosen winelist — plus sweeping patio views across the Berg River Valley and a brighter, lighter, recently refurbished interior.
Fyndraai
Walk over history. The glass-floored restaurant on Solms-Delta Wine Estate is built over the foundations of the original cellar. Then explore the menu: this is ‘food of origin’, a creative tribute to the diverse cultures that contributed to South African cuisine. Syrups enliven veldkos; boerekos, with its strong Cape Malay influences, melds with plants used by Khoi nomads. There’s even a tapas selection – and helpful glossary. Eat Out 2010 Truly unique South African flavours, & rated one of the 10 best in the country for service (this for serving staff who were originally farm workers).
Grande Provence — The Restaurant
Past elegance fuses with contemporary chic in this sophisticated, girder-exposed restaurant where innovative cuisine hits all the high notes. Menus, flavoured with global influences, change weekly to highlight fresh local produce. Treat your tastebuds to specialities like truffled green pea and porcini ravioli; grilled Cape salmon, prawn and green-shell mussel nage; and a global take on Asian braised pork belly with oranges, tatsoi and apple crumble. Eat Out Top 10 SA Restaurants 2009. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Haute Cabrière Restaurant
Revel in ‘the true marriage of food and wine’ atop a working cellar on refurbished and revitalised mountainside restaurant above a working cellar, specialising in what owner/cellarmaster Achim von Arnim calls ‘the dance of food and wine’. Innovative contemporary menus are choreographed around Haute Cabrière and Pierre Jourdan wines by passionate new young head chef Ryan Shell, whose experience includes stints at Le Quarter Français, Myoga and as head chef at Ginja.
La Petite Ferme Restaurant
Evergreen lunch venue on the Franschhoek mountainside, a byword for spectacular views from the covered veranda. Freshness rules menus, rooted in rustic contemporary cuisine, though signature slow-roasted lamb and oak-smoked local trout remain fixtures – remove them and regulars would riot. Try the plat du jour, appetisingly described as ‘the chef’s daily inspiration’, and pair your food with hand-crafted wines, made with the restaurant in mind. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Mange Tout & The Country Kitchen
Elegant restaurant with spectacular valley views. Constantly changing menus with a deliciously French slant are inspired by local produce; dishes reflect the kitchen’s belief in organic and free-range farming, with imaginative vegetarian options. Choices like locally reared French guinea fowl star on the degustation menu; monthly highlights include cured foie gras. The rustic Country Kitchen specialises in tasty bistro fare, around the fireplace in winter, and celebrating summer on the terrace or with a winelands picnic in the garden. Eat Out People’s Choice awards 2008 Mange Tout: Fab Fifteen, Top 10 Hotel Dining and Top 10 Views; Eat Out awards 2010 Mange Tout: Top 10 Tasting Menu and Top 10 Best Hotel Restaurant; Great Wine Capitals: Best of Wine Tourism 2008 and 2009, Accommodation and Best Restaurant 2009; Diners Club International winelist Gold award 2009. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Pierneef à La Motte
A seamless blend of history, tradition and cuisine. Innovative menus reflect research into early Dutch recipes, updated and infused with passion by exec chef Chris Erasmus. Match estate wine to almost-forgotten flavours like Cape bokkom salad, sout ribbetjie, or pumpkin pie with mango sorbet, and dine surrounded by South African artist Jacob Hendrik Pierneef’s original linocuts, soothed by replicas of original VOC ceramics, softly chiming from the ceiling.
Reuben’s Restaurant & Bar
Relaxed eatery that has garnered a string of awards since heading Eat Out’s Top 10 list in its first year (2004). Flavour sizzles in tingling combos from seared tuna tataki, creamy shrimp tempura, jalapeno, yuzu-sace, pickles to roasted pork belly with spicy cucumber/lemongrass salad, chilli and ginger caramel. Extensive winelist with wide choice of wines by the glass, and sunny courtyard that beckons in summer. Eat Out Johnnie Walker Top 20 restaurants in the country 2009 & 2010; 3 stars Rossouw’s Restaurants 2010.
Rickety Bridge Restaurant in the Vines
Be hedonistic. Picnic (junior baskets too) at a table on the ‘floating’ deck among vines, or lazing on the lawn in the heart of the vineyards. Sip estate wine and unpack gourmet treats like fresh asparagus wrapped in smoked springbok carpaccio, or peri-peri prawns, given added zest by the mountain-ringed setting. In winter, hearty home-made soups, curries and casseroles are served in the original cellar. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
The Common Room @ Le Quartier Français
Relaunched as The Common Room (to counterpoint Le Quartier’s gourmet The Tasting Room) this convivial foodie hangout couldn’t be less commonplace. You’re encouraged to linger with friends over lip-smacking bites, served as snacks or as building blocks to a more substantial meal. Relax. Order tasty options like avocado/macadamia/grapefruit salad, satay spiced squid, and velvety cheesecake and sit back with a glass or two of wine. Diners Club International Diamond Award for winelist 2008–2010; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2008. (See also Bread & Wine and The Tasting Room @ Le Quartier Français.)
The French Connection Bistro
Recently renovated, Matthew Gordon’s welcoming bistro at the heart of Franschhoek village offers a relaxed culinary experience. Appetising specialities range from French classics like traditional moules with frites; slow-roasted crispy duck with raspberry vinegar jus; and mouth-melting fillet mignon with three-mushroom sauce, to deliciously sea-fresh fish. Friendly and informative staff ensure that French Connection remains a popular stop in the "Gourmet Capital of the Cape". American Express Platinum Fine Dining Award 2007–2011.
The Tasting Room @ Le Quartier Français
Judged one of the Top 50 Restaurants in the world for the past eight years, this award-winning venue tantalises palates with creative, cutting-edge ‘surprise’ tasting menus. Expect an African-inspired epicurean journey, richly innovative in flavour pairing, matched to local wine. Each course is introduced by smiling staff, adding a personal touch to this gourmet celebration of South Africa and its indigenous produce, people and stories. S Pellegrino Top 50 Restaurants in the World 2002, 2005–2011; Diners Club International Diamond Award for winelist 2008–2010; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2008; Best Culinary Experience – Virtuoso Best of the Best 2008. (See also Bread & Wine and The Common Room @ Le Quartier Français.)
Hermanus
La Vierge Restaurant & Champagne Verandah
Drink in vistas of Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Atlantic Ocean from this view-rich venue, while celebrity chef/author Shane Sauvage presents his eclectic brand of fusion dishes and classics with a local twist. Salmon sauvage, Aztec mushrooms and Afro-Parisian pastry share space on the menu with angel snails, strawberry and springbok carpaccio, and chocolate terrine. Or simply loiter legally on the champagne verandah, sipping méthode cap classique sparkling or champagne. International Gourmand Award 2009.
Seafood at The Marine
Stylish, relaxed restaurant where the menu emphasis is on sea-fresh fish from Walker Bay. The open kitchen with talented young chefs provides a close-up of the organised energy that goes into meals. Evergreen favourites rule: Marine seafood soup with rouille, gruyere and croutons; and bunny chow (Cape Malay seafood curry in homemade pot-bread). Accredited American Express Platinum Fine Dining Restaurant 2008-2011.
Hout Bay
Pure
Pure delight. Chef Ian Bergh pleasures palates against a soothing backdrop of creamy shades, rustic driftwood dividers and shells appropriate to the hotel’s seaside setting. Dishes burst with seasonal freshness, organic ingredients and intense, layered flavours – like gurnard, braised fennel and saffron velouté; or lamb rack, Jerusalem artichoke risotto, exotic mushrooms and garlic/thyme jus. Fascinating winelist, grouped by terroir, offers a Hout Bay wine. Diners Club Winelist Awards; Gold in 2009, Diamond in 2010. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
McGregor
Kingsriver Restaurant
If gourmet picnics in a canyon, decadent breakfasts, lazy lunches and delectable dinners tickle your tastebuds, head for Kingsriver, where 380ha of Karoo fynbos ensures your peace, and views from the à la carte restaurant extend across vineyards to distant mountains. Only the freshest farm produce is used in menus that combine comfort foods like bitterballen or lamb knuckle curry with appetising lighter options. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Montagu
Mimosa Lodge Restaurant
Award-winning restaurant that put Montagu on the fine-dining culinary map. Setting is an elegant Edwardian double-storey guest house, where chef/patron Bernhard specialises in French contemporary cuisine. Four-course, daily changing menus feature fresh local ingredients and subtle sauces: gourmet highlights could include a crayfish tail enhanced by truffled sour-cream sauce, partnered with a seared scallop and langoustine skewer; or herb-marinated springbok loin, drizzled with honey/vinegar jus. American Express Platinum Fine Dining Award 2008–2011; AA Travel Fabulous Food Award 2008.
Paarl
Babel Restaurant at Babylonstoren
No simple salads these, but nature’s bounty; bursting with herbs, fruit, and vegetables, with chicken, trout or moist biltong as optional extras. Flavour-infused starters, soups to savour and pork belly to linger over. Don’t miss the savoury dessert option. Your tastebuds will thank you. Hotel on the Conde Nast Traveller’s 2011 Hot List in the UK and USA. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Backsberg Restaurant
Relaxed, rustic setting offering great value and wholesome country fare. Lunch under shady trees in the inviting garden in summer, in winter move indoors beside a crackling fire. Seasonal menus are livened by specials focused on fresh local produce. A la carte during the week and on Saturday; on Sunday enjoy live music at a hearty buffet featuring lamb on the spit with roast potatoes.
Bistro Allegro
Sit poolside under the frangipani trees in summer; in winter move into the cosy interior. Grande Roche’s inviting bistro offers casual lunches and dinners at competitive prices, complemented by specially selected wines from the area. Order à la carte or from the special three-course menu – best sellers include slow-cooked lamb shank with crushed butter potatoes, gremolata beans and pancetta – and enjoy the informal dining experience. Diners Club Winelist Platinum Award 2008 and 2009; Diamond Award 2010. See also Grande Roche Hotel on Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town page.
Bosman’s Restaurant
Enjoy state-of-the-art fine dining in a gracious gabled manor house, where an array of menus offers culinary delights complemented by splendid wines from a superbly stocked cellar. Butter-tender herb-poached veal fillet, and glazed sweetbread with truffle jus and cauliflower tempura, are among specialities from award-winning executive chef Roland Gorgosilich, who has represented Grande Roche and South Africa at numerous gastronomic events locally and abroad. Diners Club Winelist Diamond Award for 2008 and 2009; Best Wine List in South Africa 2010. Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence 2008–2010 and in 2008, described as the restaurant with the ‘best wine experience in South Africa’, the only local restaurant to receive this Best of Award of Excellence. SA Tourism Award No. 1 Fine Dining Restaurant in SA, 2010; 4th place in Eat Out Top 10 2010. See also Grande Roche Hotel on Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town page.
Glen Carlou Restaurant
Family-friendly, glass-walled venue with panoramic views from an umbrella-shaded veranda in summer or in winter, from the fire-warmed interior flowing from the tasting room. The enlarged, updated kitchen allows for expanded menus: foie gras and mixed exotic mushrooms now share space with all-time favourites like rib-eye steak; kudu burgers with fries and salad; and for dessert, crème brûlée or a tempting selection of home-made ice-creams.
Marc’s Mediterranean Cuisine & Garden
A byword for best-selling paella, lavish Lebanese mezze, and scrumptious wood-fired pizzas, this friendly restaurant with inviting Mediterranean-style courtyard has enhanced its appeal. Try fragrant Thai green chicken and prawn curry from the wine-matching menu, or exotic foie gras crème brûlée with Maldon salt caramel and cinnamon toast. Do visit the newly opened delicatessen extension, where irresistible temptation extends from hams cut sliver-thin to must-try cheeses. Diners Club Award of Excellence 2006-2007; Diamond Award 2008-2011.
The Goatshed Restaurant
Named for Fairview’s 750-strong herd of goats, this rustic, hospitable eatery in one of the farm’s old wine cellars pulls the crowds with light and tasty lunches from locally sourced seasonal produce, spilling on to a terrace in summer. Compile individual platters from just-baked breads and a choice of some 25 different cheeses from the farm’s cheesery — best enjoyed with Fairview and Goats do Roam wines. Eat Out Top 10 Alfresco Restaurants 2010.
Robertson
Fraai Uitzicht 1798
Relaxed owner-run restaurant on a historic wine and guest farm. Indulge in the 7-course degustation menu (with legendary dessert), enjoying Sandra’s farm-fresh cooking and personal attention from her husband Karl Uwe. Or order Sandra’s speciality: steak tartare as featured in BBC chef Justin Bonello’s best-selling cookbook, Out of the Frying Pan. Extensive winelist showcasing the Roberson Valley’s best, including hand-crafted Fraai Uitzicht 1798 Merlot. American Express Platinum Fine Dining Programme 2003–2011; Rossouw’s Restaurants 2 stars. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Restaurant 1723
Lunch or dine delectably. Set four-course menus change constantly as owner/chef Camron Malherbe and assistant Susan Daniels are inspired by fresh produce from the kitchen garden. Specialities include rack of lamb, seared tuna, signature kudu fillet and aged beef; all pastas are handmade and salad ingredients picked fresh daily. Don’t miss the pecan pie with organically grown pecans from the farm, topped with homemade ice-cream. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Reuben’s at The Robertson Small Hotel
Look forward to frequently changing menus in the popular chef’s signature style, offering eclectic options to suit all palates. Focus is on the best local and seasonal produce, organic where possible; emphasis is on texture and flavour. Chilli salt squid remains entrenched as a starter; best-seller among mains is crispy duck breast with citrus-spiced jus. If available, chocoholics will rejoice in the decadent chocolate pavé. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Rosendal Restaurant
Captivating cuisine adds an extra sparkle to your spa treatment at this relaxing getaway. The kitchen team is Belgian; inviting menus fuse exotic, contemporary flavours with African touches and classic favourites to tempt your tastebuds. Enjoy hearty breakfasts, appetising light lunches and delectable dinners, served with award-winning Rosendal wines in an ambience that’s rustic by day, elegant by night. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Somerset West
Sofia’s @ Morgenster
Don’t expect a plate of pasta. There could even be a tasty tagine on chef Craig Cormack’s appetising weekly changing menus. While the name pays tribute to Sophia Loren, whose photographs grace the walls, this popular cottage restaurant offers tasty, contemporary global fare from prime local produce. The diverse, Morgenster-rich winelist is food-focused and "salt alchemist" Craig also specialises in pairing various salts with wines.
Taste Restaurant
Decor has changed, but the house rule still stands: don’t demand salt. Taste first. Flamboyant chef Anton prides himself on perfectly seasoned dishes; welcoming partner Ed handles front of house. Creative, constantly changing menus are classic in inspiration (regulars would riot should the half crispy duck disappear) but new taste-treats include home-cured pancetta and maturing cheeses. If available, order fresh tuna. It’s served superbly just-seared. Eat Out Top 300 Restaurant 2010 and 2011.
The Avontuur Estate Restaurant
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in November, this popular estate restaurant with hands-on, people-friendly chef/patrons, specialises in value-for-money, appetising food, served at shady tables with a view. Seasonal menus, centred round organic produce, add new dishes to old favourites: tender fillet and crispy duck have been joined by lighter options like preserved figs, brie and mascarpone; and smoked salmon trout with grilled prawns. End indulgently with deep-fried ice-cream. 4-star rated by the Tourism Grading Council.
The Restaurant @ Lourensford
Food rules. The successful recipe? Match the palates of an exuberant chef and equally passionate winemaker. Tullishe le Roux, who worked with Marco Pierre White, and winemaker Hannes Nel start with a given (the wine), then brainstorm which spices and ingredients will enhance it. Whether fresh fish, risotto, iconic lamburgers or dreamy cheesecake, the result is flavour bliss. Fresh menus daily and friendly, informed service.
The Restaurant at Waterkloof
Here food is art, calling for unhurried appreciation; complemented by the estate’s European-style wines and seamless service. Chef Grégory Czarnecki is from a 3-star Michelin background: close your eyes and you could be in Paris. But why close them? You’re seated in a lofty glass promontory, flowing from the slick tasting lounge and state-of-the-art gravitational cellar, overlooking the amphitheatre of Waterkloof vineyards and False Bay.
The Vergelegen Restaurant
Three culinary experiences, very different in style but all with seasonal, country-fresh menus developed to complement Vergelegen’s award-winning wines. In summer, lunch à la carte at Vergelegen Restaurant, on a patio sheltered by Liquid Amber trees beside manicured lawns; in winter reserve a table indoors in front of the fireplace. Lunch lightly al fresco at the Rose Terrace Bistro overlooking the acclaimed rose garden, or book a basket for an elegant picnic in the centuries-old camphor forest while the children amuse themselves with a treasure hunt.
Stellenbosch
96 Winery Road Restaurant
Here local is lekker; ambience rustic, and best-sellers dry-aged organic beef, duck and cherry pie and crispy pork belly. But break out: choices range from regular, degustation, and "fresh seasonal and inspired" menus to a lighter "what’s for lunch?" Hollandse pepper fillet is flamed at the table; in winter, potjies simmer over the fire, while summer brings fresh trout and pasture-fed chicken. Outstanding winelist. Diners Club Winelist Diamond Award 2006-2010 and Wine Spectator Grand Award 2006–2011.
Jakarta Rijsttafel Restaurant
Popular for authentic Indonesian rijsttafel, this refreshingly uncommercial restaurant has evolved into a functions venue with wine of your choice provided by Jakarta-born Dutch owner/patron Duncan Fransz. Book for rijsttafel for a group of friends; hire for private events or corporate functions with outside caterers. You’ll eat al fresco or amid a mix of antiques and art: everything you see is for sale – except the staff.
Barouche Restaurant
Family friendly, indoor/outdoor restaurant with tasty options and wine-pairing suggestions to suit all palates. Kick-start your day with breakfast (special kids combo available); lunch à la carte on choices from pesto-crusted linefish to grills and platters, and round-off your meal with a horse-drawn carriage ride. At dinner, savour traditional favourites like bredie, lams skilpadjie and pampoen poffertjies (glossary provided) ending with a springbokkie parfait.
Cuvée Restaurant
Simonsig’s signature restaurant captivates with a quirky mix of nostalgia and Cape Dutch modernism, blended with wine-knowledgeable service and winelands hospitality. Décor is eclectic; the locally inspired menus country-fresh. Relax over a flute of Kaapse Vonkel, study the palate-titillating combos, and treat your tastebuds to delicately spiced free-range beef tartare, or flame-grilled fillet of beef with slow-roasted vine tomatoes and Café de Paris butter. 2 stars in Rossouw’s Restaurants 2010.
Delaire Graff Restaurant
A trio of attractions: the spectacular view, the striking art-rich decor that juxtaposes happily with the mountain and vineyard panorama, and signature wine-friendly ‘bistro chic’ cuisine from exec chef Christiaan Campbell. This implies beautifully presented yet simple seasonal dishes from ‘green’ farmers and organic suppliers, combined with flair and flavour. Indulge in decadent dessert and end with tea. The selection’s wide and the ceremony delightful. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
De Oewer
Al fresco-style lunch and dinners in the inviting setting of a food and wine garden on the banks of the Eerste River, shaded by venerable oaks. Seasonal menus focus on Mediterranean-style dishes — even a juicy Med burger! — while making the most of fresh produce. All-time favourites include warm lamb salad, fresh grilled linefish and matured beef. Buffet menus for groups of over 15, by prior arrangement. See also Oak Village B&B on Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town page.
De Volkskombuis
Well-established restaurant, quintessentially Cape in setting, menus and extensive winelist. Hospitable second-generation owners Dawid and Christelle Kriel ensure that the quality and authenticity this evergreen venue, started 34 years ago, is still maintained today. Take hearty appetites and enjoy dishes like Karoo lamb rib, kerrie, richly satisfying oxtail stew and the popular ‘Cape country sampler’. Do leave room for the killer Cape brandy pudding. See also Oak Village B&B on Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town page.
Eight Restaurant
Eight symbolises infinity, harmony and plenty: all abundant at this light, airy restaurant on the Eerste River banks. Feast on fresh, tempting farm-to-table fare, with most ingredients sourced from Spier. Move from just-squeezed juices to Spier organic wine; taste the difference in biodynamic veg and pasture-fed chicken (best-seller is chicken pie) and end blissfully with flour-free chocolate cake (70% organic chocolate/30% free-range eggs).
Flavours at The Devon Valley Hotel
Friendly, relaxed restaurant, specialising in authentic contemporary Cape cuisine, that brings people together to celebrate the good things in life — in one of the winelands’ most beautiful valleys. Be guided by the wine-pairing suggestions and dine on dishes like fresh Saldanha Bay mussels in Pernot cream sauce, and basil-topped rack of Karoo lamb with pine kernels; lunch lightly or enjoy drinks on the view-rich Vineyard Terrace. Diners Club Winelist Diamond Award 2009 and 2010. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Guardian Peak Restaurant
Inviting combo of vineyard vistas, tables on a wide veranda, and menus focused on wine. Breakfasts range from light and healthy to a hearty ‘Kalahari Lion’; lunches are wine-inspired, with dishes listed under the wine labels. Try herb-crusted smoked trout or grilled beef ribeye with Malbec-Tannat; goats cheese wontons or grilled pork fillet with Guardian Peak Frontier; and duck leg confit with Merlot.
Indochine Restaurant
Asian-inspired cuisine is perfectly placed in this serene, art-studded ambience, under a flight of swallows suspended from the ceiling. Wrap-round views over Stellenbosch Valley, a focused winelist and organic ingredients from the estate greenhouse, root you in the Cape. But picture-perfect, aromatic dishes like ponzu duck salad, tamarind sirloin, and Burmese linefish, with an array of tempting side-dishes, waft your tastebuds swiftly to the East. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Joostenberg Bistro
Unpretentious, family-friendly Boland bistro, specialising in farm-reared pork and fresh local produce. A la carte menus change with the seasons: summer brings three-course set Sunday lunches on the vine-shaded stoep, overlooking lawns with space for kids to play. In winter, indoor tables beckon, warmed by a huge fireplace. Taste Joostenberg wines in the tempting deli; enjoy by the glass or bottle at the table.
Jordan Restaurant
Chef/patron George Jardine breaks barriers (his treatment of sago with barrel-smoked yellowtail banishes boarding-school memories) but admire the view before feasting your eyes on your plate. While daily changing menus capture seasonal freshness (try Saldanha Bay mussels en papillote with ginger, garlic and fragrant lemongrass), hallmarks remain faultless flavours and featherlight soufflés. New for summer is a ‘Bus Stop’ menu, to share at a communal table. Eat Out Top Ten (ranked no 3) and American Express Platinum Card Fine Dining Award 2011.
Morgenhof Restaurant
Popular year-round venue where flavour sets seasonal menus from executive chef Siraaj Allie. Enjoy signature chicken salad; pan-fried duck breast with chilli sweet-potato mash, pak choi and verjuice reduction; or a seafood platter laden with grilled linefish, black tiger prawns and pan-fried Patagonia squid, seated at garden tables in summer; under a vine canopy in winter sunshine; or banishing the chill beside log fires indoors. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Olivello Restaurant
Their hallmark is generosity. Partners Laurille and Lynne specialise in retro food of the most comforting kind — deliciously fresh and redolent of the Med — on the shores of a reed-sheltered, water lily-strewn pond. Menu must is melt-in-the-mouth fillet draped in creamy, black pepper and brandy-laced sauce; a Sunday buffet-style Mediterranean Table is a robust feast for the senses. Relax, laze on the lawns, or play boule. Selected as one of Wine Magazine’s 2009 ‘Hidden Gems for Weddings and Functions’. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Raphael’s Restaurant
Fresh, flavour-driven menus from new internationally experienced executive chef Archie Mclean (ex The Tasting Room), complement lighter decor framing spectacular views of vineyards and mountains, while summery terrace tables capitalise on the peaceful waterside setting. Relish mushrooms in marrow bones; attempt 700g of mouth-melting Nguni beef rib-eye, carved at your table (doggy bag available), and introduce your tastebuds to dessert speciality: gluten-free mielie-meal chocolate fondant. Diners Club Winelist Diamond Award 2008 and 2010; Platinum Award 2009. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Rust en Vrede Restaurant
Stylish fine dining in the original wine cellar, where decor and custom-designed tableware enhance contemporary cuisine. Four- and six-course menus (with well-chosen wine) combine freshness, flavour and prime ingredients, while new executive chef John Shuttleworth brings enticing delicacy and subtle touches to perfectly plated food-pairing. Savour smoked tuna with scallop tartare; roasted monkfish with braised oxtail; or butter-tender lamb rump and neck with fennel fondant. S Pellegrino Top 100 restaurants in the world 2009–2011; Eat Out Best Chef 2010, Best Restaurant 2010, Best Service 2009–2011; Rossouw’s Restaurants 3 stars 2009–2011.
Spier Hotel Restaurant
A softer look to the dining room, terrace tables for sunny days, and smiling, helpful service. Menus, matched to Spier wines, focus on fresh, seasonal produce from the Spier farm or neighbouring producers: organic fruit and vegetables, hand-picked herbs, pasture-fed chicken and eggs, and sustainable fish. Helpings are generous, with runaway best-sellers tasty short-rib pot pie in pastry-topped individual potjies, and pan-seared, Hollandaise-draped Franschhoek trout.
Terroir Restaurant
The terroir is decidedly Cape in flavour and setting; so are the food-friendly, highly rated Kleine Zalze wines. Though deceptively simple dishes are French-inspired, fresh seasonal ingredients are local, showcasing chef Michael Broughton’s award-winning culinary skill and impeccably judged sauces. The come-as-you-are ambience encourages lingering over chalkboard offerings such as miso glazed salmon with smoked potato, tempura tomatoes and truffled asparagus, or pork belly with braised apples and cider sauce. Eat Out Awards Top 10 2006–2007, 2009–2011.
The Big Easy Restaurant & Wine Bar
Relax and enjoy generous dishes in a laid-back ambience rich in history. Setting is a gracious gabled house with interleading rooms, service is friendly and constantly changing menus celebrate flavour, whether mixed mushrooms in an exotic truffle-creamed risotto, a speciality burger, or Belgian chocolate fondant with iced Amaretto cream. Best-sellers are prime char-grilled rump, sirloin or fillet steaks, with fries and a choice of sauces.
The Duck Pond Restaurant
Calling comfort-food fans. You’ll find slow-roasted lamb shank, roast duck with port and berry sauce, chicken and mushroom pie, plus traditional snoek pâté, in hearty helpings at Welmoed Winery, where the restaurant in the Wine Tasting centre overlooks a large duck pond. The relaxed setting (and friendly ducks) make this an ideal family venue. Indoor and lawn seating, with new enclosed veranda for weddings or functions.
Umami Restaurant
Popular mid-town food haven, enticing both locals and visitors intent on experiencing "umami" (the fifth taste). Here chefs tempt tastebuds by using local products in seasonal menus with one over-riding objective — to unlock and accentuate each dish’s "deliciousness". For maximum effect opt for wine pairing: carefully chosen wines are well priced and exclusively from the Stellenbosch region. Eat indoors or at tables in the shady courtyard.
Wild Peacock Food Emporium
This enticing French-style brasserie-cum-deli oozes temptation, whether shopping for specialities like oysters, snails, fresh duck, quail, fish, free-range poultry, artisinal cheeses and fine wine, or sitting down to eat. Breakfasts are scrumptious; lunches deliciously light or a filling, flavoursome plat de jour (pots of Ma Baker’s mussels are a must). Excellent, well-priced wine-by-the-glass selection, plus a specialised retail wine boutique focused on the Stellenbosch area.
Zevenwacht Restaurant
The setting is idyllic: a gabled manor house on the lawns of a lake. Happily, under passionate new chef Justin Pillay (ex Buitenverwachting) contemporary cuisine now matches the ambience. Wine-pairing suggestions are made with elan; sauces and foams show a deliciously delicate touch; herb-rich lamb and fillet are mouth-melting, and sinful desserts irresistible. Estate, vegetarian and braai picnic baskets available to enjoy in the garden. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
Wellington
Seasons Restaurant
Relaxed restaurant overlooking the paddocks on tranquil Diemersfontein Wine & Country Estate, long a local favourite as a hospitable meeting place with good food at good value. Breakfast beautifully on Boland eggs Benedict; enjoy the estate’s highly rated wines with Mediterranean-style tapas bites, fresh linefish and locally sourced beef steaks; and savour Diemersfontein pinotage by the glass — or in signature oxtail and chocolate mousse. See also Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town.
The Stone Kitchen on Dunstone
Hospitable café-style eateries in Dunstone wine cellar, doubling as tasting room, with stainless steel tanks as decor feature. Ideal view-rich "pitstop" when exploring Wellington wine route (especially during harvest, when you can stomp grapes). Inviting ingredient mixes on blackboard menus change as valley-proud chef/patron Johan draws on fresh produce from surrounding farms. Fun play area to occupy offspring; legendary breakfasts and best-selling wild boar burger. See also Bovlei Valley Retreat on Accommodation in the Winelands & Cape Town page.
Note: The above are paid entries. The venues supplied information on their cuisine, menus and attractions, which was then edited by Jos Baker for consistency of style. To have your restaurant featured in the guide, contact Ina de Villiers.
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