Garden Route Restaurants

Perched along the shimmering shores of Lake Pleasant Living, enjoying far-reaching views and cooling breezes, Bistro on the Lake slows down the palate and conversation with delectable cuisine and breathtaking views for a lingering awe inspiring dining experience. Offering an array of seafood and contemporary dishes overlooking the lake, patrons can indulge in superb food complimented by unobtrusive service and good wine with the occasional silence broken by fish eagle. Whether enjoying a hearty breakfast, lingering lunch or romantic dinner, Bistro on the Lake seduces the senses with mouth-watering cuisine, languid dining and friendly service immersed in a tranquil setting that captures the essence of relaxation.

Bravo lounge is situated in the Garden Route Casino and is a trendy and stylish bar-lounge serving both food and drinks. This upmarket dining option caters for groups of up to 200 people and often hosts local entertainers like Elvis Blue, Heinz Winkler and Charlize Berg, just to name a few. The Bravo lounge is also a great venue to enjoy a light lunch, whilst surfing the internet utilizing their free Wi-Fi facilities.

In beautiful country surrounds, set amongst oak trees on the shores of Knysna’s famous lagoon is Caroline’s Bistro. Sustainable, locally-sourced food is used as much as possible, as are local suppliers, keeping the offerings fresh and flavourful. The menus are seasonal and therefore change regularly so the choices are kept as fresh as the ingredients that create them!

Easily located within the scenic Garden Route and famously known by locals as the place to enjoy made to order, thin crispy pizzas straight from the traditional wood-fired oven with wheat free bases available. Dine on outdoor terrace or within the large garden on balmy summer days choosing from an array of delicious pastas, potatoe bakes, salads and voluptuously filled pita breads. Leave enough space for decadent deserts and smouldering coffees for a pleasant, well-rounded day out.

Boasting versatile cuisine influenced by European / Swiss dishes, Fat Susi’s Bistro offers something new to visitors looking for authentic Bistro food. With ever- changing specials and reasonable prices, this long-standing bistro has become a hot spot with locals and tourists alike. Discover home roasted coffee, delectable cakes and mouth-watering selections of freshly made food imported and local at Fat Susi’s Bistro on Main Street.

île de païn - Island of Bread is something of an oasis, even amoungst the plethora of good eateries in Knysna. When Liezie Mulder and Markus Farbinger together with a small, young team opened the doors of île de païn in 2002, it was as though they tapped into something so treasured by the collective consciousness, that the appeal was indeed universal.They built a wood fired oven and baked large, dark loaves of Companio bread for the nearby farmers market. Soon after, Liezie put a small menu together to complement the bread. Today the bread “complements” Liezie’s food breakfast and lunch take centre stage at île de païn. She draws from her love of local ingredients and utilizes her international experience and training to create menu‘s that are thoughtful, simple and unique for everyday enjoyment. The wine list changes as often as the menu and receives equal attention and care. The desserts on display are for the finale or to take home for a postponed indulgence. On your way out you remember to take along a loaf (locals reserve one or two before sitting down) and some of the specialties as a gift to yourself or those near to your heart. Their annual gastronomic trips around the globe will ensure that île de païn will keep on going for years to come.Need to know? Tuesday till Saturday: 8am to 3pm; Breakfast 8am to 11am; Lunch 11:30am to 3pm; Sunday: 9am to 13:30 breakfast and lunch menu all day. Closed on Mondays.

The menu is fresh and flavoursome serving up sumptuous and hearty food you can relate too. From healthy homemade buffet style breakfasts and lunches to deliciously wholesome iced smoothies, this bistro has become a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike. Savour the taste of perfectly roasted chicken or a succulent piece of steak with a pile of frites and mayo alongside a refreshing glass of wine in this ‘friendly, warm and vibrant heart of Hout Bay'. The interior is smooth and elegant with rich wooden tables, contrasting orchids and chairs giving it that home away from home feel. Inspirational quotes grace the blackboards suspended from exposed beams enhancing the ambience with a touch of feel good purpose. The food is freshly prepared, seasonal and organic. La Cuccina is open from Tuesday to Sunday for early breakfast until 5pm.

Located within The Premier Hotel in Knysna surrounded by the beauty of The Garden Route, Salmon Restaurant and bar serves up contemporary swing and jazz music to the notes of bistro dining. Enjoy a delicious meal al fresco on the refreshing patio looking out onto the garden or cosy up in front of the roaring fire on a nippy winter’s day. This intimate eatery offers breakfast and lunch with flair and dinner by candlelight seduced by cool jazz in the background.

The Grand Cafe and Beach is one of the trendiest places to be seen in Cape Town. Beach cafe style meets Parisian chic with vast crystal chandeliers, Persian rugs, rich fabrics and antique furniture. This eclectic mix of style and panache is set against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean and Table Mountain, with views that are out of this world. The menu is melange of old meets new, with fabulous east meets west fusion, as well as tried and tested classics and modern contemporary dishes. Pushing the envelope with its unique style, the Grand Cafe and Beach offers patrons a unique dining experience. Open for lunch and dinner, the menu is exciting and varied, and is filled with strong flavours, fresh ingredients and fabulously innovative combinations. The Grand favourites include tempura prawns, classic Caesar salad, bouillabaisse, fillet béarnaise and an out of this world crayfish sandwich. The Grand Cafe and Beach also offers diners fabulous thin crusted gourmet pizzas, served on long wooden platters. With a sun deck and sea sand beach that is gently lapped by the ocean, fabulously opulent decor and delicious food, the Grand Cafe and Beach offers all the ingredients for a perfect meal.

Housed in the historic Great Brak River Station, this charming restaurant lingers in slow perfection and hearty food fit for weary travellers and refined palates of the day. The comfortable and casual setting embraces rustic wooden floors, panelled walls and alfresco wooden benches, beaconing a lingering drink. Delicious daily menus graced by the seasons compliment the local and international wines. Using only the best seasonal South African ingredients, a fusion of contemporary twists entice the palate with slow perfection and fall off the bone meals. Enjoy a heavenly lamb neck roulade brought to fruition in a low oven for five hours or oxtail from the bone in perfect tender pieces complimented by moist malva pudding drenched in rich creamy custard topped with redolent and apricots. Take a culinary journey back in time and dine on the platform celebrating a special moment or meal with exclusive treatment, fulfilling food and decadent wines at Transkaroo Restaurant.