South Africa has long been a food-lover’s mecca and now, the gourmet experiences extend well beyond the city lights of Cape Town and Johannesburg. Welcome to the Cape Winelands, a place where the glorious local produce has inspired a generation of young chefs to create their own traditions and style. The result is a host of inspiring, inventive and lip-smackingly good restaurants from fine-dining to farm-to-fork and everything in between. Enjoy!
1. Chef’s Warehouse at Maison
Set yourself up for a weekend of wine tasting with lunch (or dinner) at Maison. The estate is owned by the Weylandts family, the crew behind Cape Town’s hottest interiors emporium of the same name, and the restaurant is run by Liam Tomlin and his Chef’s Warehouse team, so expect seriously-stylish furniture to go with your seriously-delicious food. Food is served tapas-style in Tomlin’s iconic eight-course sharing menu, either in the glass-walled restaurants or under the trees in the garden. Look forward to bold flavours, from smoke-fired Franschhoek trout to suckling pig and Malay-style mussels, and picture-perfect plating.
2. The Table at De Meye
40 minutes from Cape Town in an idyllic world of its own, The Table at De Meye is an entirely seasonal, farm-to-table eatery with the kind of cooked-from-the-heart food that makes you want to return again and again. The menu changes weekly and is usually filled with traditional South African favourites like waterblommetjie salads and melt-in-the-mouth Karoo lamb. In summer, tables are laid with quirky, mismatched glassware and fresh flowers on the lawns, and in winter, it’s all about the roaring fire in the dining room. The Table is open from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch only, so book early to secure a spot and settle in for a long, languid afternoon…
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3. La Petite Colombe
What to do if you can’t secure a reservation at La Colombe, Cape Town’s celebrated fine-dining restaurant? Try La Petite Colombe. The Cape Winelands edition of the perennial favourite has taken up residence at Leeu Estates, and whilst the views of the leafy vineyards are magical, they’re still not enough to detract from the flawless menu. This is a true tasting experience with the (refined) theatrics to match: leave three or four hours at least to soak up every last morsel, from the oysters to the crayfish to the quirky dessert trolley with homemade ‘sweeties’. The expert service, presentation and wine list is just the cherry on top of a very special dining experience.
4. Babel Restaurant
A working winery with glorious gardens and a heavenly hotel, Babylonstoren is the stuff holiday dreams are made of. In the heart of it all is Babel, the equally-beautiful restaurant, housed in an old cow-shed and led entirely by the produce coming out of the organic vegetable beds and farm mere metres away. There are bountiful colour-coded salads (Chef Maranda Engelbrecht says produce that looks good together, tastes good too) of yellow, red and green, farm-reared steaks served with glistening, fat potatoes, and enormous tomatoes served with peaches, mozzarella from the resident buffaloes, and doused in house olive oil. It’s as fresh as fresh can be and perfectly complemented by the estate’s crisp rosé or a mint lemonade. Feast on lunch, and then take a wander in the prickly pear maze or roll around on the chamomile lawn. Bliss.
5. Arkeste at Chamonix
There are many good reasons to visit Chamonix Wine Farm. Firstly, the views, which, from half way up Franschhoek’s vertiginous Uitykyk Street, are outstanding. Secondly, the wine. The vines that cling to mountainside produce exceptional chardonnay and pinot noir, and they are in fact, the highest grown vines in the region. And then there’s the food. Over the years, chef Richard Carstens has helmed some of the Wineland’s most-loved restaurants and his latest, Arkeste, is a culmination of his knowledge and expertise. The menu is a clever fusion of European, classical French and Asian flavours and the food is simple, sophisticated and utterly delicious.
6. Delaire Graff Restaurant
Owned by renowned diamantaire Laurence Graff, Delaire Graff estate is immaculate in every way, starting from the vertiginous drive through the manicured gardens to the restaurant – and the best view in the entire Cape. There are actually two restaurants on the estate: Indochine, a regular on South Africa’s Top 30 Restaurants list and an explosion of fresh, tart Asian flavours, and the Delaire Graff Restaurant, the favourite for many thanks to that view. In summer, white-clothed tables are scattered in the dappled shade on the terrace, waiters flitting by with plates of Karoo lamb, zesty fish dishes and hearty pastas and risottos. It’s bistro fare but impeccable and creative – and the joy of eating alfresco, gazing over the vineyards and mountains of this corner of South Africa, is unforgettable.
7. Protégé
A light, airy space full of blonde wood, bare tables and an open kitchen, Protégé ticks all the on-trend boxes. The vibe is casual-fine dining and in a sea of uber-luxury restaurants in Franschhoek, it’s an excellent choice for something a little less formal but with a whole lot of flavour. The menu is sharp and seasonal with four small plates to choose from (usually including a take on the all-time favourite Korean fried chicken, and a tuna tataki), as well as a selection of main dishes and ‘sweet endings.’ The restaurant is part of Scott Kirton’s collection (of La Colombe and Foxcroft fame – you know you’re in good hands) but has a twist: his aim is to offer young chefs a platform to showcase their skills and talents. The result? A fresh and modern eatery that surprises you with just how good it is, every time.
8. CHORUS at Waterkloof
When the wine is as good as it is at Waterkloof, you’ve got to have a menu that works perfectly in sync. Thankfully, Bertus Basson, head chef of CHORUS, knows exactly what’s what when it comes to showcasing the produce of the Winelands alongside the grapes, and the menu is a testament to his wizardry in the kitchen. Choose from four- or six-courses that celebrate the seasons: think swordfish tartare and coal-roasted langoustines in summer and comforting braised lamb neck and Cape brandy soufflés in winter. The restaurant itself is just as special, set in a glass-walled, very-modernist dining room suspended over the vines of Waterkloof and with views all the way over to sparkling False Bay.
9. Orangerie at Le Lude
With its classic, chequered floors, cottage-pane windows, wicker chairs and idyllic setting amid the rose gardens of Franschhoek’s Le Lude estate, The Orangerie is as pretty as a picture. There’s a decidedly French twist running through the restaurant – no doubt influenced by chef Nicolene Roberts’ classical training at Le Gavroche – and the menu includes creamy duck liver parfait and buttery brioche, West Coast moules marinière, and the best twice-baked cheese souffle ever to exist outside Paris. The French influences are combined with produce from all over the Winelands, creating a cultural smorgasbord of flavours that are still refined and beautifully balanced. Start with a glass of the estate’s award-winning MCC (Methode Cap Classique, South Africa’s champagne) and you’ll be in for a thoroughly spoiling meal.
10. DUSK
When an innovative young duo of restaurateurs set out to break boundaries and bring something new to the Stellenbosch restaurant scene, what do you get? DUSK, a New York speakeasy-style eatery that plays with light and shadow, simplicity and complexity, sustainability and fine-dining. So far, so confusing – but all is forgotten when you enter the dark, moody space to embark on the thirteen-course menu of theatrics and intrigue. Every bite is crammed with flavour from unique South African produce, including Kalahari truffles and indigenous fynbos, and there are some interesting experiments with fermentation too. Apart from the focus on hyper-locality, there’s no running theme and we can’t guarantee what you will eat, but it will be big, bold and unlike anything else you’ve ever experienced.
