This beautiful country is at the top of the ‘must see’ league of world destinations. Foodie tourists will find much to please, with a huge emphasis on local produce and seasonality, and an exceptionally vibrant restaurant scene. Dining is still relatively inexpensive too for visitors from Europe and the US.
I have visited the Cape twelve times since 2002, but the reviews here date from my visit in 2025, plus a few from 2023 where the restaurant is still open at time of writing.
- Cape town
- Constantia
- Franschhoek
- Stellenbosch / Somerset West
- Swartland
- The West Coast
- Hermanus / Hemel-en-Aarde
- The Garden Route
Cape Town
Cape Town: FYN, 5th Floor, 37 Parliament St
I am as cynical as any when it comes to the ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ lists and similar, in which FYN regularly features. But I have to say, it exceeded expectations. The superbly designed and executed 10-course tasting menu (2175 Rand per person at dinner) leans very heavily on Japanese ingredients and techniques. The first six or so courses are eaten with chopsticks and involve a deal of interactivity: cooking your own prawns on a little table-top hibachi grill, and assembling your own wagyu temaki, the beef flamed at the table with a blowtorch. But these are not so much gimmicks, as small paths and insights into what made this food so exquisite, creative and flavourful – adding Renosterbos nikiri (a sweet sauce flavoured with a local Cape plant) to the wagyu for example. Too many highlights to mention here, but the Hokkaido milk bun, perfect buttery and warm from the oven is worthy of serious attention, served with a burnt mushroom custard – basically a brulleed mushroom butter. I also loved the seared Chokka – a local squid – cut into tagliatelle-like slices and doused in a sesame sauce, topped with Madagascan caviar. Every dish was energising and just packed with flavour and texture, including the lightest dessert of an amasi (a local, yoghurt like cream) and rose pelargonium sorbet, draped with a sheet of mochi, and surrounded by tiny strawberries and dots of green tea jelly. Finishing the meal with a selection of exquisite wagashi (a Japanese take on petit fours) I honestly think this is among the best overall dining experiences I can remember. There is the option of matching wine flights at 1700R per person, but we chose to go with our own, with glasses of excellent Extra Brut MCC from Pieter Ferreira, a fine skin-contact Semillon from Tirzzane, Chardonnay from Capensis and an Elgin Pinot Noir from Moya Meaker. I’ve rarely left such a multi-course affair feeling so energised and feeling so satisfied. Finesse, flavour, texture and just the right level of theatre. Exceptional.
Cape Town: Aubergine, 39 Barnet St, Gardens
While so many of Cape Town’s trendiest restaurants that I enjoyed on my first visit more than 20 years ago have gone, Aubergine has the same chef, much of the same team, and just delivers time and time again: I never miss it. There is a multi-course tasting menu, but we chose a la carte on this occasion. Settling in with a bottle of the superb, 48-month aged ‘Ashley’ Cap Classique from Ambeloui, breads and nibbles arrived before my first course proper: loin and leg of rabbit, with slices of creamy loin meat contrasting against little strips of crackling, all on a bed of richly flavoured puy lentils. We drank the superb Ridge Chardonnay from Storm wines with this. For my main course, springbok which is always a real favourite. It is a little less gamy than venison back home, but with succulent texture and flavour. The Chamonix Pinot Noir from 2008 was one of the gems on the list here, and was superb. Dessert was based around roasted peaches, which were such a good match with the Olerasay straw wine from Mullineux, but before that we couldn’t resist sharing a selection of artisan South African cheeses, and a fascinating half bottle of tawny port made in a joint project between Dirk Neipoort and Eben Sadie. With coffees (and there was a bottle of Porseleinberg Syrah in there somewhere too) the bill came to 14,000 rand per couple. That’s expensive for South Africa at around £700, but we had gone extra large on the wines.
Cape Town: Pier, V&A Waterfront
Part of the same group as Le Colombe, this is another glamorous space high up above Cape Town’s Vicotria and Alfred waterfront, the view of which is pretty magical at night. We settled in to our comfortable table and order up some MCC from Silverthorn while looking over the tasting menu of snacks plus 10 small course for Rand 2195. Pier is another high-end restaurant mixing Asian and African flavours to very good effect, with plenty of theatre thrown in. Witness Snoek Takoyaki, small ball-like dumplings made and cooked tableside on a special portable grill, and delicious little morsels they were too. A dish of quail and langoustine was fabulous rich in flavour, with a creamy coconut sauce both soothing and mildly spicy. Another great dish was lamb, stuffed with morels. Two chops, beautifully cooked, and served with a French inspired tarragon and onion sauce. In truth, nothing missed a beat here from service to food and wines – though as you might expect in such a restaurant, mark-ups are relatively high by South African standards.
Cape Town: Belthazar, V&A Waterfront
In truth I found Belthazar’s food offering to be more or less in the same ballpark as The City Grill next door, and reviewed below. The difference is Belthazar’s 250 wine by the glass offering, and its extensive cellar that includes rare and old vintages of Cape and world wines. The glamour of the Waterfont’s twinkling lights as the sun set soon after we settled in to our terrace seats with a bottle of the fine ‘Green Man’ MCC from Silverthorn certainly made the setting quite magical. Food wise, my tomato salad was tasty but unexceptional, with slices of red onion, strips of Parmesan and good olive oil to dress. Seafood, steak and game are the mainstay here, and feeling not so hungry I went for a 250gm fillet with pepper sauce and ‘onion blossom’ – that was a highlight really, a whole onion had been intricately sliced, battered and deep fried, so it emerged like the flower of a Protea, for tearing and sharing. With starters and mains we enjoyed the Crystallum Clay Shales Chardonnay and at the sommelier’s suggestion, the peppery and very Right Bank-like Raats Cabernet Franc from 2015. Three of us had the Malva pudding dessert, each with a different glass of dessert wine from Mullineux, Groot Constantia and Klien Constantia. It’s expensive dining here, especially when drinking far up the list as we did on this occasion.
The Pot Luck Club, 375 Albert Rd.
The Old Biscuit Mill is a shopping and dining complex in the slowly gentrifying Woodstock industrial area of the city. The Pot Luck Club is part of Luke Roberts’ mini-empire, a casual and buzzing rooftop restaurant reached by a glass-walled lift. The concept is small plates, mixed and matched and served in an order determined by the kitchen. Our party of four assembled quite an array, favourites being seared tuna in a Tom Yum broth, flavoured with basil oil and served with a tamarind sambal (an Indonesian chilli sauce). Crispy squid lulled the palate into a false sense of security with a creamy sweetcorn accompaniment, then a double whammy of spicy Nduja sausage and even spicier XO sauce delivered a powerful kick. Voted best dish of the evening, was one of two specials: rock lobster, with a generous portion of steamed tail meat served in lettuce ‘parcels’, and again employing more delicate spicing and eastern flavourings. There are puddings too, ‘Eton Mess’ being predictably not your standard version, but a deconstructed plate featuring crème fraîche ice cream, fresh strawberry and lemon sorbet, dotted with burnt marshmallow, hibiscus jellies and drizzled with rosé syrup. Most of the plates cost around 150 – 200 rand, though the lobster was 600. From a good list we drank really well, with the Venus, a brut nature from Le Lude at 1900 rand, Alheit’s ‘Cartology’ at 1150, and Restless River’s ‘Ave Maria’ Chardonnay at 1300. Open seven days, lunch only on Sunday’s
Cape Town: Culture Wine Bar, 103 Bree Street
Bree Street is a buzzing restaurant and wine bar centre in the middle of Cape Town, lively and ultra sociable. Above the fine dining Grub & Vine and under the same ownership, Culture does small plates and some more substantial dishes, but come here for the fabulous wine list with extensive by the glass offering, museum wines, and both a domestic and international list of great domaines. Food wise we had a cheese platter, three Stellenbosch cheeses with pickles and a remoulade, and very good crackers. We also had the tempura broccoli with loads of tangy and spicy sauce and a smothering of grated Parmesan, and fabulous Spring rolls, filled with raw veggies, but piquant with ginger and sesame. We had a bottle of the superb Semillon from Thorne and Daughters, plus a couple more glasses of Chardonnay, for a total bill of 1700R before service. Chilled, with some easy live music from a singer/guitarist and a friendly vibe, it’s an easy recommendation.
Cape Town: City Grill, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The vast complex of the Waterfront throngs with visitors. It is a huge and upmarket shopping centre, surrounded by restaurants, bars and entertainment, buzzing day and night and all within a glorious setting overlooking the working harbour over to Table Mountain. A food court houses all the fast food brands if that’s your thing, but then there are other options ranging to very fine dining. In a row of restaurants with broad terraces opening to one of the best views, most offer standard grill fare. We stopped here for a bite to eat and the Aberdeen Angus burger caught my eye. On a roasting hot day (37ºC on my visit) a burger may seem like an odd choice, but a surfeit of fish and seafood over previous days justified the choice, as did a bottle of extremely well chilled rosé from Nederburg (at 230 Rand – £10). The burger was really good; perfectly charred and very meaty in a brioche roll, topped with onions, lettuce and cheese. Chips were chunky and good. Very satisfying and inexpensive food, with water too, 700 rand
Cape Town: Bobo’s, Two Oceans Beach, Mouille Point
Mouille Point’s landmark red and white striped lighthouse dominates the esplanade here, and just along the road Bobo’s served as a very acceptable first night dinner choice. It’s a large restaurant facing the ocean. Four of us enjoyed a bottle of De Grendel’s Cap Classique on the terrace before moving inside for dinner. Having lunched, we shared starters and desserts. To begin, a portion of large butter-basted garlic prawns with a sizzling chilli and lemon sauce piqued the appetite, then I opted for fish of the day (sea bass) with a cucumber ceviche, garlic alioli and more chilli. The shared dessert of a burnt lemon tart with Greek yoghurt ice cream was good, as was the ‘Janina’ Chardonnay from Eikendal. Two of the party enjoyed a glass of Vin de Constance with dessert, and the whole bill came out at 1800 Rand per couple including service.
Cape Town: Zest, 2nd floor Piazza Da Luz, 94 Regent Rd, Sea Point
A relatively new restaurant that occupies the top floor of a boutique hotel in Sea Point. One of its big draws is its dining room which opens to a broad rooftop terrace looking out to sea. Another is that most dishes are cooked on a wood-fired grill and can be ordered as small or large portions. Putting together a tapas-like selection is as easy as three more regular course. Four of us shared four small plates to start, with a bottle of rosé Cap Classique from Le Lude. These included a fresh and zingy citrus tea-cured linefish with a soy-lime dressing, and some smoky wood-fired roast tomatoes with ricotta and basil. My favourite was charred sweet potato served with crumbled feta and sweetly-roasted walnuts. My main course was a fairly substantial tranche of salmon, cooked on the wood-fired grill so the skin was crisp but the flesh soft. It came with a slightly pedestrian romesco purée, but grilled cauliflower was nicely cooked alongside. We also drank a bottle of Chardonnay from Capensis Silene in Stellenbosch, quite a bold and buttery style, and along with bottled water, some veggie side dishes and a couple of desserts, the bill of 1800 Rand per couple including tip was very fair.
NV-80, The Point, 76 Regent Road, Sea Point.
Do not come here for a romantic quiet dinner. On the first floor of a shopping mall, it’s a bustling restaurant and bar that is fairly clamorous. We were drawn there by the promise of seriously good steaks, and I have to say, it delivered. As soon as the food arrived I realised the quality was surprisingly good. A carpaccio of beef was as good as any I’ve had, sprinkled with crispy deep-fried shallots, parmesan and a nicely balanced truffle dressing. Chalmar aged beef is one of the highlights here, and is really very good indeed. I must have been hungry because I somehow saved room for a seriously good apple tarte tatin served with chai ice-cream. The short wine list is almost all South African and pretty good value, with an extensive by the glass selection. The bustling NV-80 wouldn’t normally be my sort of place, but the food is good. Three courses will cost around 700 rand per person.
The Food Barn, Farm Village, Noordhoek.
I was fascinated by the prospect of a visit to The Food Barn, a fairly basic but bright and welcoming restaurant just outside Noordhoek, the town at the other end of the Chapman’s Peak Drive from Cape Town. Chef/Proprietor of The Food Barn is Franck Dangereux, the man who single-handedly built the reputation for La Colombe as one of South Africa’s best. This simple, thatched and bare stone-walled restaurant serves breakfast and lunch daily, wityh a tapas dinner menu from Tuesday to Saturday. The simple cooking that retains a lot of finesse, but focuses on prime ingredients with just a few bells and whistles. My prawns with lemon butter were delicious, with basically Thai flavours running across plump, succulent, de-shelled large prawns. A chocolate marquise was suitably dense without being at all cloying, the bittersweet flavour creamy and dark. The wine list is short but sweet and BYO is possible.
Chapman’s Peak Hotel, Main Road Hout Bay.
Its broad, sea-facing terrace is a popular spot from which to enjoy some of Hout Bay’s best seafood, but on an unseasonably blowy February night with sand and spray being kicked along the roadway, we dined indoors. For 25 years this Portuguese-owned hotel and restaurant has served up uncomplicated platters of olive oil, lemon and garlic-infused fresh fish and seafood, as well as steaks and Portuguese Espadas (char-grilled meaty skewers). It also has a rather good wine list that includes pages of rare Cape wines and a Portuguese selection. I started with a plate of calamari which was just fantastic: butter-soft, lightly breaded squid rings crisply fried in plenty of salty, peppery, lemony, garlicky seasoning. My pan-fried fillet of Kingclip with a Teriyaki sauce was good too – the fish plump and well cooked. With water, coffee and a bottle of Danie de Wet’s Limestone Hills Chardonnay the bill for two came to around 1000 Rand.
Constantia
Constantia is a southern suburb of Cape Town, just 15 minutes by road or taxi from the city centre, so a very easy place to visit wineries or, many of which also serve lunch or dinner.
Cape Town: Beyond at Buitenverwachting, 37 Klein Constantia Rd
It’s something of a tradition to lunch here having arrived early morning on the flight from London. We always request a table on the courtyard terrace (our favourite spot, despite there being a second terrace facing the vines), which looks over a tinkling fountain, the air filled with birdsong and chatter from other guests. There are two- to five-course menus on offer, and we started by sharing some wagyu carpaccio with homemade focaccia served with humous and a fennel butter. The beef had been flash seared, and doused in quality oil and seasoning. My starter of tataki of yellowtail was piquant with lemon alioli, seaweed and a chirizu sauce, the gently seared fish melt in the mouth tender. For my main, a smoked sweet corn and spring pea risotto came with grilled fennel, sliced fresh fennel and a mint gremolata, the whole dish smothered with nutty, six moth gruberg cheese shavings. A lot or flavour packed into this dish, the sweet creaminess of the corn against the vibrant fennel very well thought through. We drank by the glass, Silverthorn MCC traditional method fizz, Buitenverwachting’s Sauvignon Blanc and Moya Meaker Pinot Noir, and with espressos and sparkling water the bill of 2,800 Rand was just right.
Bistro Sixteen 82 at Steenberg, Tokai Road 7945.
Bistro Sixteen 82 is Steenberg’s casual foodie choice. A large, open-fronted dining room facing sparkling fountains, vineyards and the fynbos-covered mountains beyond. Billed as an “interactive wine and food destination,” as well as more formal dining there’s a Raw Bar counter with seating and sashimi, gravadlax, ceviche, carpaccios, oysters and tartars to enjoy. We settled down and I kicked off with a superb risotto of Namibian prawns, deliciously textured with the merest trace of bite left in the rice. It had been enriched with a little crème frâiche and studded not only with succulent small prawns, but little bursts of flavour from niblets of charred corn. Pan-fried line fish of the day, in this case Santer, was absolutely delicious, firm and white fleshed but cooked to flaking perfection and served with a homely pea pancake. A terrific lunch with excellent espresso afterwards too. Steenberg’s own wines are the focus of the wine list, and three courses, before wine or service, will cost around 700 Rand per person. Open for breakfast, lunch and early evening only.
La Colombe, Silvermist Estate, Main Road, Constantia.
For many years rated as the best restaurant in Cape Town, my visit to its former location (and previous management) was a huge disappointment, but this tasting lunch was terrific (1595 Rand per person). Signature dishes are still there, like their playful tuna, served in a can, but actually a tataki served with an umami broth, avocado, lemon and shiitake mushrooms, and the tasting menu we enjoyed included highlights like a dish of sweetbreads and grass-fed beef, served with chipotle, sweetcorn, buttermilk and fragrant with coriander. As my last lunch with family in Cape Town before flying home that evening, I did not take extensive notes, but thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
Franschhoek
There’s no doubt Franschhoek, less than an hour from Cape Town, has established itself as the ultimate foodie destination and a very playground for the somewhat rich, if not necessarily famous.
La Petit Colombe, Leeu Estate.
Since I last ate here the whole operation has moved out of Franschhoek centre to the seriously manicured Leeu Estate, luxury home to hotel, restaurants and the Leeu-Passant winery. The formula is much the same, and that is the choice of a 14 course ‘Chef’s Experience’, or the reduced menu, which drops four small courses. We went large at 1,795 Rand (about £85 per person) but make no mistake, this is 3* Michelin standard, where such tasting menus in Europe or the USA now run to £300 or more. I won’t attempt to list all the courses, but suffice to say each was exquisite. The first three snack courses are taken with drinks in the lounge, and set the tone for a great meal. My favourite may have been the ‘green olives’, actually a liquid melange of olive oil capers, frozen into olive shapes, then coated with savoury cocoa butter to form a crisp shell. That shell popped in the mouth to release a tsunami of salty, peppery, fruity flavour. Of the courses then taken in the dining room, duck liver (foie) was served as a domino sized block, sandwiched between slices of guava and a Macademia nut crust. Another standout was a quail and langoustine roulade with a cauliflower cream, that had been infused with tandoori spices and flavours. Desserts were stunning – three in all – but it didn’t end there as a sweet trolly was trundled round; a pun really, as this was filled with bijoux little cones of various delicacies and playful tiny chocolate bars. There’s a great wine list, and as this is definitely special occasion dining we did not stint with the fine ‘Lyle’ Cap Classique from Stony Brook, then one of the wines of the trip, the Earthborn Chardonnay from Kevin Grant’s Ataraxia estate followed by Eben Sadie’s Palladius, the Earthborn Pinot, and a half of Delheim Edelspatz noble Riesling. With coffees, waters and service, the final bill totted up to a hefty 8,000 rand per couple (about £400) it was brilliant.
Protégé, Le Quartier Français hotel.
Here chef Jess van Dyk oversees some really good ‘fusion’ cuisine, still based around seasonality and local ingredients, but borrowing many Oriental influences. I really enjoyed the array of tapas-sized dishes on my visit, like a dish of flavour-packed Korean fried chicken, served with coriander and buttermilk, or the more substantial loin of Springbok, a beautifully cooked small tranche of melt-in-the-mouth meat, served with red cabbage, baby spinach, smoked mashed potato and slivers of sweet/sour stone fruits. The tasting menu is 1195 rand per person, but I rather enjoyed the ‘reduced tasting menu’ of slightly fewer courses. I was hosted by Mullineux wines on this visit and did not see the wine list.
Stellenbosch and Somerset West
Stellenbosch is at the heart of the wine industry. It is a substantial university town with a cosmopolitan vibe. Some of these restaurants are in town, while others are from winery restaurants just a short drive or Uber away.
In town
The Basic Bistro, 31 Church Street
I’ve a real soft spot for the Basic Bistro, which does what it says on the tin. After so much fine dining and multi-course tasting menus, come here for excellent burgers, pasta, pizzas, or a very good Malay curry. There’s a decent wine list but they also charge next to nothing for BYO. A few pavement tables are nice on a balmy evening. Maybe 300 Rand per person for a decent bite to eat and wine.
Stellenbosch: Sofia Eatery, 7 Church Street
Though Sofia does open for lunch and early dinner, it was one of our favourite breakfast spots. A pavement table lets you watch busy Church street’s comings and goings, shaded from the sun, and enjoy delicious and inventive breakfasts. Highlights for me? Undoubtedly French toast brioche with caramelised pear and ginger, and a dollop of mascarpone that melts into the toffee sauce. Yum. Healthier and still delicious was smashed avocado on ciabatta, topped with scrambled egg and slivers or Parma ham. With coffees and fresh-squeezed orange juice, two will eat breakfast for 350 rand.
De Warenmarkt, Corner Ryneveld and Plein Streets.
More restaurant and bar than market, though there is indeed a very good deli section with bakery, butchery and coffee roaster too. It’s a relaxed friendly place, bustling on my lunchtime visit when we sat at the bar to share a bottle of the Terrasse white blend from Keermont Esate and some substantial salad paltes. A summer salad involving lots of crunchy leaves and slices of strawberry was pronounced very successful, my Caprese was piled high with mozzarella, sweet and ripe tomatoes, torn basil, and drizzled with a slight gluey balsamic that didn’t do it favours. A chilled place for casual eats, snacks and a good wine selection. Around 800 Rand for two for a light lunch with wine.
Genki, De Wet Centre, Church St
Tucked into a lovely little courtyard full of boutique shops and dining off of Church Street, Genki is a Japanese/Asian restaurant that is small, but spills out to a dozen outside tables in fine weather. Sushi, dumplings and a lot more feature in a fairly extensive menu and the wine list is pretty good – we drank Ken Forrester’s Reserve Chenin for 280 rand (£12.50 at time of review). A plate of lightly steamed and seasoned edamame beans were nice to nibble while we waited for the first course of tempura calamari, puffy and crunchily-battered with Japanese mayo and ginger soy for dipping. The bao buns that came next were fabulous, stuffed with crispy pork belly, home-made kimchi, spiced and seasoned with hoisin. We finished with a mixed sushi and sashimi platter that was very good indeed. BYO allowed at 90 Rand per bottle. Very inexpensive, at around 200 rand per person.
De Eetkamer, 3 Drostdy Rd
This casual restaurant with courtyard or indoor dining offers a small plates menu, but is pretty much renowned for its quality, and it absolutely did not disappoint. It’s a ‘global’ sort of menu with influences that span far and wide, but all done cleverly and with authenticity. Take for example, Chinese citrus chicken with sushi rice – the best lightly-battered lemon chicken I’ve had for a very long time, or Pan-fried gnocchi, perfectly biteable and crisp round the edges with a yielding centre, served with red pepper, ricotta and sunflower seeds. Another couple of favourites from the dozen dishes six of us enjoyed were a tear and share, herb and garlic Japanese milk bun with whipped olive butter and Korean fried cauliflower with sweet soy dressing, studded with a dukkah-like mix of seeds. There’s a serious wine list too, and with most plates costing around 150 – 180 Rand (£6 – £8 at time of review) a meal will never be expensive for the quality on offer here.
Fat Butcher, 1 Van Riebeeck St
A real institution in town, this steak-focused (but not exclusively so) restaurant is quite expensive, always busy, and is seen very much as a special night out sort of place. Woody, clubby but not too formal, the menu features top cuts of specially reared grass fed beef, chosen by cut, size and preparation. The waiter brings all the options to the table to describe them. To be honest, this is just part of the up-sell in a restaurant that does a tad too much of that, but which does not detract from the quality on offer. After a really lovely tomato and red onion salad served with excellent sourdough to begin, I chose a 600g T-bone, cooked medium-rare. It was juicy, had clearly been marinaded in something delicious, and cooked so well over fire. Sides come separately, and the chips and onion rings were top notch. Two of my companions ordered fillet, and although pronounced as delicious, that up-sell process meant they managed to eat only half of the huge piece of beef they’d been steered to order. From a good wine list we had some of the rare Waterford Blanc de Blanc, and a fine’Cinq’, a Bordeaux blend, from Van Biljon.
Stellenbosch winelands
Stellenbosch: Good to Gather or Rozendal Farm
Sited in the biodynamic Rozendal winery and vinagrier, Good to Gather is an intimate restaurant where you dine en famille under the shade of the courtyard oak trees. It is run by husband-and-wife team Luke Grant, who takes care of service, with wife Jess Shepherd in the kitchen. We were a party of six, with two other larger groups and one or two couples – maybe 24 or 30 maximum covers. Warning: it books out months in advance so get in early and keep your fingers crossed. They only open Friday evening and Saturday and Sunday lunch. The concept here is hyper-local, with many fruits, vegetables and herbs supplied from their own garden, and meats, breads and other items sourced from local artisan producers. The menu changes weekly, sometimes daily depending on produce, and is served as three no-choice courses. Appearing first, several platters featuring excellent sourdough, a smokey baba ganoush, warmed kalamata olives from Tokara estate, a fabulous heirloom tomato galette with sourcream pastry, and a salad that included goats cheese, parmesan, toasted pine nuts and watercress salad. Every item was packed with flavour and presented beautifully. The main event of the evening was a dish laden with thick-cut slices from a whole roast beef tenderloin, melt in the mouth tender, with garden carrots, barley orzotto, courgette and fennel with preserved lemon, and green beans topped with crispy shallots. At dessert there is a choice: I opted for an apple and hazelnut tart served with ice cream, which was delicious. There is a short and rather good wine list, but corkage at 85 rand (£4) per bottle can be arranged. The dinner itself costs only 450 rand per person.
Stellenbosch: Delaire Graff, R310, Helshoogte Pass
Conspicuous luxury is the order of the day at the mind-blowing Delaire Graff wine estate, complete with Relais & Chateaux hotel and top-end restaurant. I have eaten here numerous times and enjoyed every one of them, including the astonishing collection of artworks and architectural beauty of the building. All that can perhaps be explained when one knows that it is owned by Laurence Graff, Chairman of Graff Diamonds International, who purchased it in 2003 and has spent untold millions to transform it into one of the winelands’ top destinations. There is a broad terrace for lunch, and a well-padded, art-filled main dining room. On a sunny Sunday lunch we settled in on the terrace with the estate’s own Cap Classique fizz (a crisp and refreshing Chenin-based blend) and some warm focaccia. For my first course from a short menu with around four choices per course, I chose wild garlic cappelletti, perfect-cooked pasta with apple, sorghum, nasturtium and pesto ricotta, topped with shards of oak-smoked stanford cheese. With this we drank the exquisite Cartology 2023 from Chris Alheit. Selecting a main course presented a tough choice, but finally I homed-in on wood-fired Bonsmara beef, cut into delectable slices of thick fillet. Do not miss the truffled chips as a side order. We drank Rustenberg’s Peter Barlow Columella 2022 with that at a fairly hefty 3,500 Rand per bottle, whereas we’d enjoyed the same wine at Bartholomues Klip for 2,100 Rand. Dessert was delightful, a coconut and lime ‘Mojito’, with white chocolate mousse, sponge cake, meringues and malibu jellies, a mint and coconut sorbet cleansing the palate. The menu is a la carte, but three courses will come in around 1200R per person (around £50 at time of review).
Stellenbosch: 96 Winery Road
The name of the restaurant and the address of this winelands pioneering restaurant off the R44 between Somerset West & Stellenbosch. It has always been a place for substantial and honest food served in a very convivial atmosphere. Owned by winemakers Ken Forrester and Martin Meinert, steaks are taken very seriously here, dry-aged in-house and lovingly explained to diners before you are invited to choose cut, weight and cooking preference. If your waistline can stand it, the “grand dessert” platter is a must-have: half a dozen perfect little desserts including a gorgeously creamy crème brûlée – always the test of a good kitchen. Since my last visit a small plates menu has been added, offering plenty of choice for lighter eaters. Excellent wine list and BYOB, and prices are moderate.
Stellenbosch: Postcard Café, Stark Conde winery
Set within the immaculate grounds of Stark-Conde, 10 minutes from Stellenbosch town, there is a tasting room, restaurant, and more casual café for light bites, cakes & coffee, and of course, wine. All are arranged around a beautiful lake, with swathes of colourful gardens all around. We had a very simple lunch in the café, which is only open until 4pm each day. Sharing a plate of three local cheeses – hard, soft rind and blue – with melba toasts and figs with a glass of the pleasant field blend white, then coffees with over-sized canalé, the Bordeaux cakes that are a traditional way to use up the egg yolks from the ‘fining’ of wines in barrel. Not exceptional, but thoroughly pleasant, and 350 rand all-in for two.
Stellenbosch: Clos Malverne winery restaurant, Devon Valley Road
Fabulous vistas from the broad terrace here, worth the price of the meal alone. There are various themed options including an ice-cream and wine pairing session, but a simple (or more elaborate) lunch (or dinner on Fridays and Saturdays only). We lunched and wanted to keep things light, so enjoyed a starter course and dessert, skipping mains. A complimentary glass of house fizz is a nice way to settle in, then my tempura tiger prawns were lovely with lots of shaved fennel and pepper and a nutty sesame dressing. My partner’s seared tuna was pronounced as ‘good’ rather than great. My dessert, however, was a triumph: baked hazelnut praline cheesecake, drizzled in toffee with little studs of light-as-a-feather cocoa meringues and candied orange peel. Very yummy. With two glasses of house Chardonnay, water and coffee, the bill of 600 rand for two was excellent value.
Somerset West:The Stables at Vergelegen Estate, Lourensford Rd.
What a surprise to drive into the Vergelegen estate, which I haven’t visited for some time to find it is now a vast tourism destination with a small charge just to enter the grounds, then purpose built complex of restaurants, gardens, shops and visitor facilities. The Stables is a big open and airy space with terrace seating too and views to the formal gardens and mountains beyond. From a casual menu of grills and fairly simple dishes I chose the burger, as one being ferried past me by a passing waitress looked so good. Indeed it was, with a brioche bun filled with a succulent ground beef burger of fantastic quality, served with a mushroom ketchup and relishes and a side of very good beer-battered onion rings. With generous glasses of Vergelegen red to wash the burgers down, the bill came to just 350 rand for a substantial and high quality casual lunch.
Somerset West: Chorus at Waterkloof, Sir Lowry’s Pass.
Another of my very favourite dining experiences is to take lunch in this remarkable, towering glass box (air-conditioned) that sits amid the vineyards high above the towns of Somerset West and Strand, with outstanding views to Gordon’s Bay. Food has always been excellent, but in October 2022, well-known chef, Bertus Basson, added the restaurant to his empire and renamed it ‘Chorus’. Food was really good, though I would say not quite matching the best meals I have had there over the years. No formal notes were taken at this lunch, but I wouldn’t hestitate to go: the experience is fabulous because of those views and the building, and the food will certainly be good. Waterkloof’s own wines feature, but not exclusively. Menus start at 895 rand per person.
Stellenbosch: Rust en Vrede Estate, Annandale Rd. Tel: +27 (0)21 881 3757
Arguably my best meal in a three week tour back in 2010 came at Rust en Vrede and I’d long wanted to return. Unfortunately my more recent visit was disappointing – the food lacked distinction, but the main issue was the pretentious attitude from all the staff with whom I interacted, especially the sommelier: I love Champagne, but in South Africa I much prefer to drink the local ‘MCC’ traditional method sparkling wines. With no list in front of me for pre-dinner drinks I requested to know which MCCs were on offer. To say the sommelier was sniffy is an understatement, as he informed me that “At Rust en Vrede we only list Champagne.” The tone, the attitude, the intention was, unmistakably a put down. Long, low and chic, the restaurant is formed from the old cellars, with the kitchen quite literally taking centre stage. The food, billed as “a contemporary take on the classics,” was good, but as I say, unexceptional and unfortunately our waitress for the evening turned out to be every bit as unwelcoming as the sommelier. We would not return. The set menu is 990 Rand per person.
Stellenbosch: Jordan Estate, Kloof Road. Tel: +27 (0)21 881 3441
A wood-fired oven and custom-built chargrill are at the heart of the kitchen, and a walk-in cheese store is a highlight: those who choose it are invited in to sample the home-grown and imported produce before making up their own cheese plate. From a short menu I commenced with barrel-smoked yellowtail. The fish itself was deliciously moist and flaked into delicate chunks, but a tangy shallot and garlic shoot dressing added a decisive, but not overpowering bite. I continued the fishy theme with butter-roasted hake, scented profusely with thyme, served with potatoes and fennel and rich bouillabaisse sauce. The food was relatively simple, allowing full focus on the ingredients and immaculate cooking. Jordan’s wines are available at modest mark-ups, including older vintages, but so too are a broad selection of the Cape’s best estates. A fine lunch spot this and modestly priced.
The West Coast (Paternoster) and Swartland
The beautiful, peaceful West Coast, just 90 minutes north of Cape Town.
Hermon: Bartholomeus Klip
This is a truly magical guest house on a working farm and game reserve, not too far from the town of Riebeek Kasteel. It’s close to the heart of the Swartland vineyards, but pretty isolated from everything by the miles of dirt road. Since my first visit over 20 years ago, I have stayed every time I have returned to the Cape. Though you may be able to book for dinner, priority in the conservatory dining room is for the guests staying in one of their five rooms and self-catering cottage. It is an absolutely beautiful destination and offers hearty but quite sophisticated food. Kick off with with a lightly-grilled carpaccio of beef with lots of pecorino shavings, a pile of deep-fried, crispy battered onion slivers and a creamy, tangy mustard dressing. This was a dish of heroic proportions, but after a day of travelling and a pre-dinner game drive, it went down very well. An inventive and delicious salad always follows, before a main course that might be caramelised duck breast with braised red cabbage and a potato rosti, the duck moistened with an orange jus. Roasted peach with vanilla yoghurt and peach chips was a thankfully lighter end to the meal, allowing us to linger over coffee in one of the Klip’s comfortable lounges before bed. The wine list is very nicely chosen, and majoring on local producers so top names like Eben Sadie, AA Badenhorst, David & Nadia and Mullineux are prominent. Bartholomeus Klip is expensive, but a real treat.
Riebeek Kasteel: The Royal Hotel.
The Royal is a 150-year-old Colonial hotel that dominates the small village of Riebeek Kasteel in the heart of the Swartland wine route. For this sleepy town it offers surprisingly upmarket and luxurious accommodation, and a pretty good restaurant too that is open to non-residents. I had dinner with some of the Swartland winemakers, that began with a carpaccio of ostrich with a pepperdew and orange dressing and baby leaves. There was plenty of meat on the plate, though in truth it was not particularly full flavoured, the sprinkling of Parmesan shavings really were needed. To follow, I choose Kingklip, pan fried and served with pickled ginger and basil mash, and a lemon and parsley butter sauce. The generous portion of fish was fresh and well cooked. To finish, a frozen berry and vanilla terrine was really nice, just about cuttable in its fairly frozen state, to melt creamily in the mouth. This was not hugely refined cooking, but it was good and modern, and showed a kitchen with skill. I drank my hosts’ wines, but they tell me the wine list is a very good one.
Paternoster: Ah! Guest House, 1 Mosselbank St
Arnold and Annalise run this five-bedroom guesthouse steps from the beach in the white-washed, seaside town of Paternoster where the endless white sands of the beach are the main attraction. Another is Ah! Rooms are chic and simple, with the artistic flair of Analise in evidence, and food here is of the highest order. Breakfast is a delight, cooked as you sit around the large kitchen table with other guests, always a three course affair finishing with one of Arnold’s legendary breakfast ice creams. But you should always try to be there for one of the nights when he cooks (about once per week). We began with a carrot wrapped in pancetta, then double-wrapped in shredded filo before baking. The carrot was sweet, yielding and delicious. An Ah! Classic of a three cheese salad followed, then on to a raviolo of crayfish. The single parcel of pasta generously filled and doused in a delicious bisque before being sprinkled with nutty cheese. The main event (but a thankfully moderate portion) was 18-hour sous-vide fillet of beef, finished on the grill and served with the creamiest of sweet potato puree. This meal ended on a high with a with a Valrhona Blonde ‘pebble’, akin to a panacotta for a meal as good as (arguably better) than any offered by one of the town’s restaurants. A small selection of wines is available by the glass and bottle, and BYO is allowed. Prices are moderate – but a bargain for this quality.
Paternoster: Gaaijtie, off Sampson Street.
Gaaitjie (pronounced Hai-tee) was once a humble two-room shack on the beach known for its excellent Cape cuisine, where I had not eaten for a decade. Since then a large outdoor covered terrace has been added, directly facing the ocean, so a lovely spot. Food is kept fairly simple, but beautifully cooked and presented on my return visit in 2025. With a bottle of Raar White Grenache at 280R from a very reasonably-priced list, we were after only a light lunch, so ordered just a starter portion each. Before that, a delicious warm-from-the oven bread and butter was perfect for nibbling, then a delicious dish of calamari, deep fried in a light tempura, was just perfectly cooked and served with an Asian slaw comprising fresh and zingy spring onion, chilli, pickled ginger and sesame seeds, doused with a lightly creamy garlic emulsion. At just 110R (£5 at time of review) it was an absolute spot-hitter. Gaaijtie is good, authentic, and friendly.
Paternoster: Leeto, Strandloper Hotel
I’ve now eaten in three different manifestations of the restaurant at the Strandloper hotel over the years, the first two not terribly good. However the local word on the street was that now re-opened as Leeto, it was very good. I have to say that apart from a slightly shambolic edge to service, the food certainly delivered. I’d eaten Chef Garth Almazan’s food before when he ran the kitchen at Catherina’s on the Steenberg Estate in Constantia. Our waitress warned us immediately that there would be a wait for the food as the kitchen was over-stretched, so we settled back with La Lude’s excellent Brut Rose (700R per bottle) and some warm focaccia. The delay wasn’t too long really, and my first course of a sustainable fish tartare was a delicious little cake of cured fish with sesame, pickled ginger and aioli, the Asian flavours added to by the addition of salmon caviar and a micro herb salad. I’m a sucker for Cape ‘venison’, always a cut of game meat, so next up ordered the marinated kudu loin (kudu is a large local antelope). Two lovely, tender fillets came with a sweet potato croquette to one side and a kudu shank tart to the other, with a rich jus and steamed vegetables, given added interest by the addition of fresh blueberries – not so out of place when you consider the fruit sauces that often accompany game back home. We did not have dessert, but did enjoy the de Wetshof Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir from Creation from a reasonably priced list. For four, the bill barely reached the equivalent of £200.
Paternoster: The Noisy Oyster, 62 St Augustine Rd
80% of the charm of the Noisy Oyster, where we always eat on a visit to Paternoster, is the setting: all tables are in a twinkling outdoor courtyard, festooned with fairy lights and with wood-burning fireplaces dotted throughout to take the chill off of the evening if necessary. Food is very good, in a comfort food style, without hitting the gastro-heights. On this visit I started with pan-seared baby calamari, that had been tossed in a lemony basil pesto with caperberries and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs to add texture. Following up, hake was simply but very nicely roasted, a nutty, buttery exterior concealing beautifully flaky fish. The wine list is short and to the point, and not particularly local (we are close to Swartland here), but the pink from Waterkloof at 240 rand (£12) and unusual Chardonnay/Pinot Noir white from Haut-Cabriere at 260 rand hit the spot. With desserts, water and coffee, the bill for four came to 2,100 rand.
Paternoster: The Waffle Wharf, 25 St Augustine Rd, Bek Bay
So, throwing this in as an extra rather than a full recommendation, as all we had was a beer and a shared portion of tempura hake ‘fish fingers’ with homemade tartare sauce. Delicious they were too, the batter crisp and the fish moistly melting in the mouth. It’s part of a development of the old fish canning factory into galleries, shopping and eating at one end of town, and a visit makes for a pleasant few hours.
Paternoster: Voorstrand, Strandloper Street, 7381
To describe Voorstrand as a ‘beach hut’ would be a little romantic/disingenuous: though the bright red wooden building is built right on the beach (and thus its terrace is a very popular place for sundowners). I could see into its busy, well-staffed and well-equipped kitchen and waiting staff work with practised efficiency. Still the beach-hut vibe is played up with very simple decor, tables and chairs, oil lamps providing the only light after dark. I really enjoyed my meal here because it has a very nice atmosphere and the food was tasty and cheap (just what was needed after a week of conspicuous gourmet consumption) but if truth be told it is basically pub food done well: my ‘tempura prawns’ were not tempura at all, but simply dressed in breadcrumbs and, I suspect, had come prepared by another industrial kitchen. With my fish (very good, fried with a lemon butter sauce) were some obviously not hand-cut catering chips, and cheese cake for dessert was very good. With a bottle of the top priced white wine on the list (Sauvignon Blanc at 120 Rand) and coffees the meal cost less than 700 Rand. Definitely not haute cuisine, but recommendable.
Hermanus / Hemel-en-Aarde
Hermanus: The Fisherman’s Cottage
An institution in Hermanus, in an 1800s building tucked away from the seafront, copious dishes of the best fish and seafood (plus a selection of meat and vegetarian options) are served in a very informal atmosphere, in the building or outside under canvas. The wine list is short but well chosen (we drank wines from both Chris Alheit and Crystallum) and BYO is allowed for a modest corkage fee. Before taking over Fisherman’s Cottage in 2013, chef/owner Anton cooked at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Netherlands for several years, then at such revered foodie destinations as Rust en Vrede and Overture in the Cape winelands. I kicked off this dinner with a lobster roll, a brioche bun filled with lobster tail in a spicy mayonnaise, with slivers of red onion. It was deliciously well done, the sweet bread and flesh of the charred lobster playing against sweet and spice flavours. For my main course, a crayfish thermidor was fabulous too I must say: the whole butterflied crayfish filled with chunks of meltingly soft meat that had been scooped out and mixed with a creamy ragu laced with brandy and topped with Gruyere cheese before grilling. Four of us shared two portions of very good cheesecake for dessert. A meal here won’t be too expensive, main courses running from just 165 Rand (around £7 at time of review) to 500 Rand, depending on the fanciness of the ingredients.
Hermanus: The Pavilion at the Marine Hotel, Marine Drive
Twenty-odd years ago I had one of the best meals of my first South African trip at the grand Marine hotel. But that fine dining restaurant closed and was replaced by one that disappointed on two subsequent visits, so it was struck off the list. However I’d heard that there had been another regime change and the food was much simpler, but back on track, so we gave it a go – and I’m glad I did. Don’t get me wrong; this is no longer a destination restaurant that demands a visit, but the food, service and atmosphere were all really good – and it offers BYO at 100 rand. I’m a sucker for a soufflé, and was doubly blessed with a starter twice-baked version with a cheese foundue sauce and slivers of brandy caramelised apple. It was good, but the dessert version: passion fruit curd soufflé with frozen white chocolate ice cream and ginger biscuit was better, especially with a chocolate caramel sauce. In between I went for Bontebok, as we’d taken along a mature Syrah from Seven Springs to drink. Three chunky discs of loin meat were served with crispy potatoes, grilled zucchini, and a rich onion marmalade, though the pool of butternut purée it all sat in was perhaps a step too far. Still, it was a fine evening and such a modest bill for these surroundings running to around 1200 Rand for two, including corkage.
Hermanus: Spookfontein, 33 Hemel en Aarde Rd
Housed within the Spookfontein winery, the emphasis is on organic and locally produced ingredients. It is a beautiful space, perched high on the hill with lovely views of the valley through a wall of windows, the exposed brick interior and lofty, beamed ceiling give a barn-like vibe. A large open kitchen and tasting bar sit along one wall. The food is casual, including a wood-fired pizza oven. Only Spookfontein’s own wines featured on the short lunchtime list, at close to cellar door prices. We tried the Chardonnay at 300 rand which was fine, but relatively unexciting. We really only wanted a one course light lunch, so I had some hake fillets served with ‘mushy peas’ and a piquant aioli, my partner chose gnocchi, served with purees of carrot, butternut squash and goat’s cheese. Load-shedding kicked in just as we were about to order coffee, so we departed with a modest bill of 550 rand for two, including wine, water and service. Open lunchtimes only.
Creation, Hemel en Aarde Rd.
Further out of town on the main winery road, this hilltop winery and restaurant had only just opened when I first visited about a decade ago. On my return the tasting room, restaurant and terrace were packed, it obviously having become a major tourist draw – bookings are more or less essential. As well as Creation’s wines, visitors come here for fantastic small plates of food and, in particular, the food and wine pairings devised by owner Carolyn Martin. Food and matched wine lunches are offered Monday to Saturday, open from 11am to 5pm. You can opt for wine and chocolate pairings, wine and charcuterie pairings and a number of others, or go for a more a la carte selection. The food is really very good, the first of several courses being three little bowls of different soups, the final course being an identical presentation with the three bowls this time filled with different ice creams. It’s playful, thought-provoking, and educational, but more than that, it’s delicious. The wine and food matched small course tasting menu costs around 1300 Rand per person.
Newton Johnson, Hemel en Aarde Rd.
This review from 2019. The restaurant at the excellent Pinot, Chardonnay and Syrah specialist Newton Johnson is perched high on the side of the Galpin Peak mountain, with sweeping views down the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The estate’s wines are featured of course, but so too is a selection of other wines from the Cape. When I ate here, Chef/Patron Eric Bulpitt was in charge with his hearty fare, but since a new chef is in place, Rickey Broekhoven, whose food I have not eaten. Simply but attractively furnished to frame the best of those views, and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner on some evenings (check), it has consistently provided some of best meals of the region from the central open kitchen.
The Garden Route
Knysna: East Head Café, 25 George Rex Drive.
The Knysna Heads is perched above the Knysna lagoon, and a short drive or taxi from the town centre. We stayed in the area and were delighted to discover this fabulous café, much more than a café really, as it serves a full range of meals in the large dining room, but preferably, on the outdoor terrace with views over the lagoon. Seated at rustic picnic tables, chilled water and our bottle of Badenhorst’s ‘Secateurs’ Chenin arrived promptly while we enjoyed the sun and the view and perused the short menu. Fish and chips seemed to be what 9 out of 10 people were having, and it did look delicious, but we went for the fat, juicy, prawn tempura, the batter puffy and crisp, and served with sticky coconut rice and three little bowls of Asian dipping sauces, the whole thing a delight. Sharing a baked vanilla cheescake to finish with coffees, the bill was less than 900 Rand.
Knysna: 2 Stories at the Mount Knysna Hotel, 5 Glen View Rd.
Within a very smart 5* guesthouse on the Kynsna Heads, sundowner drinks are taken on the terrace with glorious views out to the lagoon. Moving inside, it’s a fairly extensive menu, served around the open-plan kitchen in the centre of the room. The wine list here is worthy of note too: it’s a reasonable main list, but ask to visit the cellar to choose from a selection of mature Cape bottlings. BYO is also allowed with 100R (£5) corkage. I kicked off with a copious Roquefort and pear salad, the pears roasted in a saffron sauce, the dish studded with toasted walnuts and nicely dressed in a honey-mustard. Steaks are one of the specialities here, though the menu spans serious burgers, fish and seafood and a selection of game meats. I kept it simple with a pepper steak: a delectable 250g fillet, flambeed to perfection and smothered in a really very good, creamy pink and green peppercorn sauce. A trip up to the Kynsna Heads from the town itself takes around 15 minutes by car or taxi, with a twisting climb to the top, but the food, special wine list and views here are all pretty much spot-on. My salad cost 95 Rand and my steak 300 Rand – a bit under £17 in total at time of review.
Knysna: Freshline Fisheries, Corner Long & Waterfront Dr
Wind your way around from Long Street into a clutch of fishing sheds, and tucked away (but sign-posted) is the institution that is Freshline: fish market restaurant and gallery. But don’t expect the Ritz: dinner is taken on the sand, seated at picnic tables, with a canvas stretched overhead. Believe it or not there are some meat choices, but fish and seafood are really what it is all about, kept extremely simple. There are various starters, from which I chose Madagascar prawns, panko-breadcrumbed and served with a piri-piri sauce. Two huge prawns were plenty, and the flesh sweet and soft. There are seafood platters and combos, and some pre-formed dishes like paella, but most people go for the fresh fish: choose species, weight and cooking method – fried, grilled or braai’d – and any accompaniments and wait for the fresh fish to be cooked. My Dorada was absolutely beautifully cooked on the braai, charry flesh (skin removed) and yielding, meaty flesh inside. Chips were excellent. One of the other beauties is that Freshline is not licensed and BYO is encouraged with no corkage charge, but glasses, ice buckets and plenty of ice are provided. It is very inexpensive: four of us ate two courses and shared two desserts, for little over 1,000 Rand – less than £45 at time of review.
Knysna: 34 South, The Waterfront.
God, this place was disappointing. Right on the waterfront in Knysna, a bustling town on the garden route, 34 South is a delicatessen, wine shop, wine bar and restaurant complex where I’d eaten an excellent ‘Pacific Rim’ style light and fresh meal a decade before. Returning in 2021, its tables still spill onto a wharfside terrace, but developement of the region makes it feel crammed, touristy and over-commercial. Unfortunately that rings true on the food on my return visit: the foodie ambience and menus and blackboards still promise a gastronomic experience, but nothing could be further from the truth, with poor and lacklustre food and very inattentive and chaotic service. Sadly, today 34 South’s cooking doesn’t really elevate it above others on the touristy Knysna’s waterfront.
Plettenberg: The Lookout, Lookout Beach
A beach-side restaurant with a totally relaxed vibe, a large deck done out with picnic-style trestle tables where you may well be sharing with others. It’s absolutely not fine dining, but is buzzing and has fabulous views out to sea. I had a plate of very good tempura prawns, served with a spiced rice and chilli dipping sauce, washed down with a chilled glass of Buitenverwachting white blend. 200 Rand for the prawns, R50 for the wine, about £11 all-in. Can’t complain.
Wilderness: Serendipity, Freesia Avenue
Since opening in 2001, Lizelle and Rudolf are a husband and wife team who have propelled Serendipity into all of South Africa’s restaurant guides. It operates as a stand-alone entity within Lizelle’s parent’s beautiful guesthouse home on the shore of the Lagoon at Wilderness. Despite the domestic setting this is a professional operation, with leather-bound menus, beautifully dressed tables and a small army of staff. Dinner is either a five-course affair with a choice of two dishes at most courses, or an eight-course version where you get basically everything. We began with a caprese salad of really tasty heirloom tomatoes from a local grower, enlivened by pecan and pancetta. Next, pigeon was served as a brochette, with a risotto of local grains and a mustard mayo, that was really delicious, meaty and rich, but the modest portion not over-powering. From the remaining courses, I’d highlight the yellowtail, glistening with a sour fig glaze and served with a gently Indian spiced creamy sauce. Also the loin of Springbok, very well cooked and served with fire-roasted beets and an intriguing brandy and coffee sauce. Dessert was a symphony of local blueberries: a blueberry sponge cake, blueberry ice cream and blueberry meringues, with the unusual twist of a sour four-day fermented blueberry gel. BYO is allowed, but in fact the very good wine list also has low mark-ups, meaning there is very good value drinking here. I have to mention that the experience here is slightly too regimented for my taste. A long address is given by Rudolf on the menu for the evening, which took around 20 minutes on this visit, and each group of diners is ushered from sitting room, to patio (for the address), then to our tables at set intervals, making the evening feel slightly less relaxed than in might be. Menus at 900 or 1200 rand.