Cape Winelands Restaurants

Located along Dirkie Uys Street, Al Dente is your traditional trattoria. A delightful venue offering the usual Italian delights tossed with the welcoming aroma of homemade sauces and crusty pizzas. Fresh pasta takes centre stage accompanied by a small wine list and imported Italian blends too. Popular dishes such as steaming Napolitano pasta speaks volumes yet remains simple with distinctive flavours and heaps of fresh ingredients. The deli offers homemade pasta, cured meats and imported Italian ingredients.

Stellenbosch’s Kayamandi (an informal settlement area) may not scream location- location- location for restaurant venue, but is home to AmaZink Eatery. The restaurant delivers a novel African eating experience that embraces and simultaneously invests in the local Stellenbosch community. The African theme of the restaurant is seen through to every detail. The décor is bold and loud in colour and service is hearty and friendly. All the traditional fare is unpretentious and prepared on wood burning fires. Even the beer is home brewed. Expect local favourites like pap and wors, but perhaps not quite as rustic as authenticity demands. With Bertus Basson (celebrity chef and co-owner of Overture Restaurant) overseeing the menu, there is a definite contemporary take on the local delicacies. The restaurant offers a wine list that supports farmers in the immediate vicinity. With prominent businessmen investing, AmaZink Eatery forms part of the Ikhaya Trust Centre and is driven to make a contribution to the social uplifting of the area. Inline with the venture’s policy, only locals to Kayamandi are employed at AmaZink.

A visit to Bayede! may very well have its visitors shouting just that on their way out: Hail to the King! Set amongst the beauty of the Helderberg mountains with vineyards surrounding, Bayede! boasts a wine cafe that is equally suitable for families and more formal affairs. Families can enjoy a relaxing lunch out on the lawn picnic style while the children stretch their legs or entertain themselves with trout fishing at the dam. The indoor restaurant offers a more intimate setting for smaller groups that require a little more formality. The menu is wholly South African, but with original twists of brilliance. It changes weekly to make the most of fresh local produce, but guests may happily expect a variety of starters, mains and dessert. For starters delve into a classic Caesar Salad where bacon has been replaced with biltong and anchovies for snoek pate. The main courses cater more than adequately for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. And with a chef that is known for his sweet tooth, there’s no getting away without a bite into the decadent dark chocolate-espresso torte with merlot poached pears & cardamom parfait. The restaurant has a wide selection of wines, but patrons are guided with wine and food pairing suggestions on the menu.

This 100% black owned restaurant immerses the palate in custom cuisine and cultural diversity. Offering African delicacies, this establishment shows an attractive exterior and interior dressed in artistic creations collaborated by local artists. Located adjacent to Mbekweni shopping centre, Chippa’s Restaurant is a welcoming break from everyday dining.

Do not be misled by the rustic ring to De Volkskombuis’ name. There is nothing even remotely unpolished about this establishment. The restaurant has been around since 1977 and has earned its reputation as a place of fine dining. The Cape Dutch house - that is the restaurant - is a perfect puzzle piece in historic Stellenbosch with its white washed walls and front garden. The restaurant also has its Voorkamer which serves as a private dining room for special occasions, conferences and private parties. Guests will be thrilled to find that although the menu boasts a fresh interpretation of traditional South African cuisine, none of the authenticity of the old favourites like Boland Bobotie, Braised Oxtail and Malva Pudding is lost. Furthermore, the menu has wine suggestions with each dish – a treat for wine and food pairing enthusiasts. Not only does De Volkskombuis promise a gastronomic experience of note, but also an impressive, if not, wildly indulgent, wine and beverage selection that could hold one’s attention for hours. Choose from the best locally and internationally sourced wines of every blend, including sparkling wines and Champagne. A selection of cigars rounds off the restaurant’s offerings. De Volkskombuis is open daily for lunch and dinner.

An incredibly popular spot, especially for a sumptuous Sunday lunch, the Goederust Farm Kitchen is a quaint and scenic spot to relax and enjoy delicious South African cuisine. The decor matches the charming agricultural feel of the venue with tools and old lamps strewn around. Beautiful gardens surround the restaurant with lush green colours and a farm stall offers a variety of treats to take home with you. Try Goederust Farm Kitchen for a true taste of the country with warm hospitality to match.

This friendly Franschhoek family restaurant makes everyone feel right at home. Here you can sample true South African dishes (a rarity in Franschhoek's restaurants who mostly serve 'French' cuisine) and check out photos of Franschhoek in bygone days. Join them for breakfast, lunch & supper.

Le Pommier Restaurant offers the best in country cuisine filled with flavour. Think traditional South African dishes like Bobotie, Chicken Pie as well as the Golden Delicious Gourmet Burger which is Le Pommier’s specialty. Completely child friendly, the restaurant is perfect for leisurely family lunches. It’s refreshing table settings also make it ideal for intimate dinners. Le Pommier Restaurant has added a wine lounge to its list of offerings – an area where you can enjoy wine tasting while enjoying the views of Stellenbosch’s famous Banhoek Valley. This is the ideal place to sit back and watch your favourite sporting events with your friends. The best part is that the wine lounge will continue to make wines from different Banhoek Estates available to you at Cellar door prices, just like in the previous wine shop.

Wander through a souq of spices and exotically heady aromas. This adventure will take you through the Savannas of the South, along the Coasts of the East, across the Deserts of the North and into the Jungles of the West on a gastronomic journey. Your taste buds will be tempted with the sweet scent of coriander and fresh aroma of rose petals; cumin, paprika and saffron spice. Moyo offers a diverse and eclectic a la carte menu and an abundant communal set menu to inspire you to explore the sophistication of African cuisine - your invitation to the feast. A feast set to the rhythm of the music Moyo Productions searches Africa for the best of local, international and new talent. Colorful costumes, dramatic acts and the fancy footwork of dancers will ensure that each guest leaves the restaurant surprised and delighted. Through praise poetry and story telling we move to a broader understanding of African celebration, rights, rituals and memories. With a song on the lips of the Wishy-washy Ladies you will be welcomed to the age old tradition of the African hand-washing and face painting ceremony.

Pierneef a la Motte Restaurant’s name is inspired by the great South African artist Jacob Hendrik Pierneef (1886 – 1957). Along with being able to view a collection of paintings by the legend in the restaurant, patrons can embark on a reminiscent culinary journey that explores the best of traditional Cape Winelands’ cuisine. The restaurant setting is very much Cape Dutch with a contemporary spin. The emphasis on oak furnishings along with glass vases marries the beauty of the outdoor scenery perfectly, thereby creating a relaxed and subtly sophisticated ambience. The menu is nothing short of a history lesson in the development of local traditional cooking. Expect to find the best traditional fare that is unashamedly South African. Menu items include starters of Boerbok terrine or the Koningsbrood soup. Mains serve up Pomegranate glazed Smoked Pork Belly and Impala Neck. And for dessert who can resist the Brandy Chocolate Pudding? The wine list is extensive and offers a full selection of the farm’s own as well as other overseas brands. One can indulge in a food and wine pairing at the Tasting Centre. The restaurant also has a children’s menu.

The classic European style cuisine embraces simplistic dining flanked by spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and picturesque dam and vineyards. Additional dining rooms offer intimate or romantic dining choices while the menu seduces with signature favourites. Dishes include classics like Orange Cured Salmon and Chalmar Beef Fillet (succulent piece of grain-fed South African Chalmer Beef) served with a herb crust and red wine jus. Expect five star services and fine wine at Raphael’s in Stellenbosch.

Located in tranquil gardens, this small deck restaurant invites the summer breeze, alfresco, boasting home from home cooking and decadent platters in a fantastic setting. Scenic vistas lull the senses into total relaxation immersing the palate into decadent cheese platters, Asian platters, snack platters, delicious rump steaks served with mushroom sauce, salmon fish cakes served with salad, hamburgers and fresh salads. Ridgeback Wines Restaurant escapes the palate to a culinary oasis in the heart of wine country off the famous Route 62.

Located on the beautiful wine estate at Rhebokskloof, The Victorian serves superb traditional cuisine as well as delights from much further afield. Enjoy sumptuous international and traditional fare like Thai fishcakes and kudu fillet whilst relaxing in tranquil surroundings. Lush lawns, grand trees and an endearing small lake can be enjoyed from the terrace when the weather is warm. The winelist features bottles from the wine estate itself and diners are welcome to have a wine-tasting session before eating to ensure that the perfect bottle is selected to accompany the meal. Relax and enjoy true country hospitality and delicious cuisine at this scenic venue.

Franschhoek, the French pocket of the Cape Winelands, has become renowned as the culinary capital of South Africa, so it’s not surprising to find oneself in a gem of an eatery like Topsi & Co. A scrawled daily menu on paper set on an easel, the antique silver salt and pepper pots, the water jugs, the fresh flowers and the open kitchen will make one feel right at home as if in a great aunt’s kitchen. And then there is food: hearty, comforting and exciting. Expect traditional fare that has been reinvented with flair. The menu changes daily to make the most of the fresh seasonal produce. Menu items include homemade Springbok sausage with chilli jelly and Warthog loin with mustard seed onion gravy with cabbage and samp. A firm, delectable favourite remains the white mold cheese and figs stuffed with walnuts, poached in red wine with citron. The restaurant does not sell wine, but visitors are invited to bring their own. Guests are encouraged to walk into the kitchen and check out what’s cooking. Alternatively, sit back and take it all in: the delightful smells from the stove, the clatter of pots and the chatter from the parrot – just like at aunty’s house.