The 30 best restaurants in Cape Town

Galjoen, Cape Town  - best restaurants in cape town
If you love seafood don’t miss Galjoen, one of the best restaurants in Cape Town - Claire Gunn/CGUNN

Cape Town’s cuisine is all about fresh, locally sourced ingredients rather than a particular style of cooking (though cooking meat over coals is a national pastime) – and why not, when it is surrounded by fertile farmlands, and pounded by a bracing Atlantic. Some say we eat with our eyes, and here too the city offers a feast – vineyard-clad mountains, craggy peaks and a sparkling sea. It is no wonder that the city attracts the most talented chefs, and that Cape Town is regularly ranked one of the top culinary capitals of the world. As such, this selection focuses predominantly on the fine dining to be had, peppered with a few stalwarts favoured by locals. And the piece de resistance? Regardless of where you book, this city still offers excellent value.

For further Cape Town inspiration, see our guide to the city and its best hotels, shoppingnightlife and things to do. For further inspiration, read our expert's ultimate two-week holiday in South Africa.


Find a restaurant by area


City Bowl

FYN

Fyn means fine, an adjectival understatement of the evening (or afternoon) ahead. Under an arresting installation of floating wooden discs, Peter Tempelhoff’s team work in an open-plan kitchen preparing tasting menus inspired by Japanese culinary techniques and including endemic South African ingredients. Newly minted as a Relais & Chateaux restaurant (indicating two- to three-star Michelin standard), the pleasure is not just what’s presented on each plate but the tasting menu as a whole is perfectly balanced and expertly paired. Working with Jan De Vynck, director at the African Centre for Coastal Paleoscience, Tempelhoff incorporates ingredients believed to have been foraged on the Cape coast millenia ago, and contributed to the cognitive development of homo sapiens. High-brow stuff, partly why FYN won the Flor de Cana Sustainability Award at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023. As one astute voter noted, “Table Mountain may offer the view, but what happens on the table is far more inspiring”.

Contact: fynrestaurant.com
Prices: £££
Reservations: Essential

Hemelhuijs

Don't be put off by this restaurant's unprepossessing location – this is one of the best luncheons you’ll have in the city, and the all-day breakfasts part of what makes for a difficult decision – everything sounds (and is) delicious! Self-effacing chef Jacques Erasmus dabbles in illustration, furniture and ceramics, and his décor touches are as inventive and unpredicatable as his flavours. Naturally his ‘heaven-house’ (direct translation) changes look and menu regularly: prawns could be served in a coconut broth with garden peas, ginger, coriander and lychees; aubergine roasted with ginger is served with whipped goats cheese, pomegranate seeds, zahtar and mint. Thankfully his naked ravioli is perennial: succulent dumplings of ricotta and green leaf rolled in truffled butter, parmesan and fresh tomato. If only they also opened for dinner.

Contact: hemelhuijs.co.za
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended

Belly of the Beast

An intimate experience in the Belly, with Chefs Anouchka Horn and Neil Swart doing everything themselves, from preparing dishes to serving diners. As such there are fixed arrival times for both lunch and dinner, a maximum of 24 diners, and very little flexibility when it comes to their innovative tasting menu, which is presented only once guests arrive (given 24-hour advance notice, vegetarians and pescatarians are provided with an alternative menu; regrettably vegans cannot be accommodated). The duo are proponents of the usual ‘nose to tail’ and ‘locally sourced’ mantras, sourcing from small-scale fishers and farmers, but their ‘eg’ [authentic] South African roots evident throughout. Alongside Chef’s Warehouse Beau Constantia, this remains one of the city’s best-value fine dining experiences, particularly at lunchtime, when the R650 three-course set meal becomes a Biblical five (dinner is R850). Small wonder they are almost always fully booked.

Contact: bellyofthebeast.co.za
Prices: £
Reservations: Essential. Reservations open every month on the 1st for the following month at 10am SAST

Blondie

Slap bang in the middle of the trendiest part of Kloof street, this street-food-style restaurant – presided over by a large artwork of Princess Diana – opened in December 2021, but it’s archly styled to look like it’s been here since the blonde icon once dominated headlines. A small, simple menu: start with seared Romaine lettuce, liberally dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, or slivers of charred beetroot served on crème fraiche. The ‘Fire Aubergine’ – a whole roasted aubergine spread on crisp flatbread – is delicious, as is the tender slow-cooked short-rib served on a harissa-spiced tomato base. ‘Chips’ are crispy roast potatoes, served with a bowl of crème fraiche topped with chilli oil. Be gone by 3.30pm, unless you want to be jostled by young hipsters in what – come evening – is a see-and-be-seen bar.

Contact: blondie.bar
Prices: £
Reservations: No bookings

Black Sheep

This trendy yet unpretentious bistro-style restaurant has been a rip-roaring success since it opened, and has stood the test of trying times. It’s partly due to an excellent location on bustling Kloof street, with a long bar ledge that runs the length of large windows that open to the street, and frame large views of Table Mountain, and partly due achieving that difficult combination of consistent quality and an ever-changing menu.  Knowledgeable waiters are only too happy to guide your choice from the chalkboard menu, but fresh pappardelle with braised springbok in red wine and mushrooms, and sticky five-spice hoisin pork belly with sweet potato purée Pok Choi and sprouts are winners. 

Contact: blacksheeprestaurant.co.za
Prices: £
Reservations: Recommended for dinner

Black Sheep, Cape Town
Black Sheep is a trendy spot

ëlgr

With black, clean-lined Scandi furniture in a charcoal and sage palette that is soothing and cosy, this handsome-looking restaurant offers excellent service and an a la carte menu of sharing dishes that delivers plenty of inventive flavours. Chef Jesper Nilsson has a Nordic background but is not limited to a particular region or style, though he celebrates vegetables more than most – Radicchio could be served with orange, date, red onion and Belnori Kilimanjaro (a delicious local goats cheese); Beetroot with coriander, curry, sultana, cashew, chilli; Courgette with prune, almond, caper, parsley … Menu changes regularly but there are always two pizzas, and dang, these are good – order one to share. If the weather is good, reserve a table in the leafy courtyard as acoustics can be an issue when the restaurant is full.

Contact: elgr.co.za
Prices: £
Reservations: Essential

Ouzeri

Greek cuisine is an integral part of South Africa’s eclectic dining scene – the first Greeks settled here in the 1860s – but Ouzeri steps beyond the predictable staples to present more region-specific Greek and Cypriot dishes. It’s more-than-the-sum-of-its parts cooking, using quality local ingredients presented with minimal fuss by talented owner-chef Nic Charalambous. Drawing predominantly on recipes learnt from his Cypriot grandmother, to which he adds his own contemporary twist, Charalambous has devised a tight menu that will have your mouth watering – view the choice online (with luck his beef-shin youvetsi, with roasted bone marrow and chunks of a great local crottin is there), or just book a table and let the waiter take you through the choice; service is as excellent as the food.

Contact: ouzeri.co.za
Prices: £
Reservations: Recommended

Dorp

The trickiest part of dining here is deciding who gets to face the windows: located at the very top of Signal Hill – the city spread below like a dinky toytown, dwarfed by Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak – this offers hands down the best view of the city. Printed on brown paper, the menu offers simple classics – an excellent fillet prego, delicious salmon latkes, a great Caesar salad; the focus here is on consistency and it pays. The ambience too is top-notch – decadent pink sofas and enough plants to fill a greenhouse, vintage tables piled high with books and candles, and several fireplaces in a grand double-volume space with arched windows and doors framing those postcard views. In deference to the Muslim neighbourhood, Dorp does not sell liquor; bringing your own makes for an extremely good-value lunch or evening out. Seating is limited, and hotel guests get first dibs, so booking ahead is essential.

Contact: dorp.co.za
Prices: £
Reservations: Essential

Maria's Greek Café & Restaurant

This tiny restaurant already attracts a loyal local following, which makes any last-minute bookings tricky, especially on those balmy summer evenings when tables spill out onto Dunkley square, but if you’re in the mood for traditional Greek fare, this is it. If you’re lucky the charming owners Cleon and Kate will be in attendance; regardless, the atmosphere is always friendly and the square vibe festive. The menu is ideally ordered to share: you can’t go wrong with the calamari stuffed with feta and herbs, mucver (balls of courgette and feta, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried) or the slow-cooked lamb. Quite a few vegan choices too. Dogs are expressly welcome, so don’t come if you have an aversion to four-legged patrons.

Contact: 00 27 21 461 3333; facebook.com/MariasGreekCafe
Prices: £
Opening times: Tues-Sat, 12pm-2pm and from 6.30pm
Reservations: Advised

Maria's, Cape Town
Maria's Greek Cafe is a local favourite

Carne

One of those old-school restauranteurs who likes to greet every guest and ask you if you enjoyed your meal, Chef Giorgio Nava has been selecting, maturing and preparing meat sourced from a handful of farms in the Western and Eastern Cape for close to two decades. A choice of two venues (as well as a stall at the new Time Out Market) but I’d opt for the original Keerom venue, a classic sub-terranean space in the city’s historic heart. The beef is the top pick but the ‘Safari’ is understandably popular – fillet of ostrich, kudu, black wildebeest, impala and blesbok. Several sauces on the menu but Nava prefers you really taste the flavour of his meat – order it with a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper, and see what the fuss is all about. There are vegetarian options but given the platter of raw meet presented prior to ordering, probably not the best place.

Contact: carne-sa.com
Prices: £
Reservations: Advised

Galjoen

If you love seafood don’t miss this latest venture from Anouchka Horn and Neil Swart, the duo behind Belly of the Beast. Similarly this is a set tasting menu, with set start time, and strictly limited guest numbers to 24, albeit in a more industrial space and up a flight of stairs.  Sustainably-caught seafood supplied by https://abalobi.org/ is what’s on offer, but wowzer this is more than just fresh fish caught by local fishermen. Chef Isca Scholtz is at the helm of a kitchen producing innovative lip-smackers that taste even better than they look (and every plate is a beaut): balanced flavours and textures, not overly fussy, and just the right amount on every plate, leaving you sated and satisfied without feeling stuffed. And a bargain: R650 for lunch (seasonal); R850 for dinner. (Note: Galjoen, South Africa’s national fish, is on the masthead, but will never – being endangered – be on the menu.)

Contact: galjoencpt.co.za
Prices: £
Reservations: Essential

Galjoen
Galjoen offers a set tasting menu - Claire Gunn/CGUNN

Woodstock

Pot Luck Club

There are surprisingly few restaurants with views in the city, which is just one of several excellent reasons to book here well in advance. It's located in the silo of the original Woodstock Biscuit Mill; inside, chef Jason Kosmas and executive chef Luke Dale Roberts serves his signature-style tapas menu along with fabulous city and mountain views. There are two seatings; I’d opt for the earlier to enjoy the change from sunset to city lights. Sharing plates change regularly but are divided into five basic tastes; salty, sour, sweet, umami and bitter. All are excellent but do try my current favourites: sashimi salad with fermented Nuac Chom, avocado, lime, grapefruit pearls and mint oil, and any of his ssam combinations (lettuce wraps).

Contact: thepotluckclub.co.za
Prices: £££
Reservations: Essential

Pot Luck Club, Cape Town
Pot Luck Club has views of the city

Salon

Excitement in local foodie circles when Chef Luke Dale Roberts – who closed his world-class restaurant The Test Kitchen in 2021 – announced the opening of Salon in 2023. Décor has always been important to Dale Roberts, and Salon is no exception: you enter a cosy, womb-like space, with pools of light from tassled lamps in semi-private nooks, and brass domes over marble-topped bistro tables. Guests can choose between the nine-course Journey dinner (from R1650) or the seven-course Explorer lunch (from R895). Both are presented as a map, with a signature dish created from each country that the globetrotting Dale Roberts has worked in … a kind of edible autobiography if you will, and what a deliciously varied life! Every dish a sensation (some of the most popular from The Test Kitchen oeuvre); top-notch cocktails too.

Contact:  salonct.co.za
Prices: ££
Reservations: Essential

Salon, Cape Town
Every dish is a sensation at Salon

Il Leone Mastrantonio

Sea Point & Green Point

This is one of a handful of traditional, small, family-run Italian restaurants in Cape Town (the other recommendations being Osteria Tarantino in Green Point, Mama Roma in Newlands and Magica Roma in Pinelands. The pastas are all homemade – simple, delicious, and good value – but if you’re watching your waistline, the courgette ‘pasta’ topped with chunky prawns in a simple, flavourful passata is a carb-free winner (if it’s not on the menu, ask for it). For the rest it's an old-fashioned Italian experience, with tables draped in white, and napkins spread on the lap. Acoustics can be a problem when it’s full.

Contact: mastrantonio.com
Prices: £
Reservations: Advised

La Perla

A Cape Town institution, La Perla’s professional-career waitstaff has been welcoming the city’s well-heeled since 1957, with an older clientele of regulars returning as much for the low-key glamour vibe as the classic Italian / Mediterranean menu. Large contemporary artworks (the owner, a significant collector, is curator and owner of SMAC gallery) add to the atmosphere, and the shaded seaview terrace is fabulous for an al fresco lunch on a sunny day. Slightly pricey by South African standards, but no one can argue that the location, service and ambience are top notch. (And the La Perla salad is what all green salads aspire to be.)

Contact: laperla.co.za
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended

V&A waterfront

Time Out Market

The first Time Out Market in Africa opened towards the end of 2023; it follows the original Lisbon model closely but in some respects is even better version. Located in the old power station in the V&A Waterfront, with two interleading dining halls that flow to al fresco terraces that form part of the pedestrianised docks, the historic venue makes the most of the weather and the views. The food choice – a curated selection of 13 of the city’s most acclaimed and up-and-coming chefs – is varied, and good: stand outs are Chef John van Zyl’s The Melting Pot (do try the West Coast mussels topped with fennel salad), and slivers of perfectly grilled steak from Chef Giorgio’s Carne. Or dig into some great Cape Malay from Chefs Anwar and Yolandi (Ou Mense Onder Die Kombers are cabbage parcels filled with slow-braised nutmeg-and-clove-infused ossobuco); melt-in-the-mouth bao buns from Chefs Matt and Carla; Chef Peter Tempelhoff’s ramen or Chef Bertus Basson’s legendary burgers. Live events include 7 to 9pm jazz on a Wednesday.

Contact: timeoutmarket.com/capetown

Prices: £

Willoughby & Co

Willoughby & Co is known for its excellent sushi and Japanese dishes. It's extremely popular, so there is always a queue (they take no reservations), but several open kitchens pump out orders to keep tables turning, and a waitress trawls the queue with glasses and complimentary wine. By the time you’re seated you are happy to be here, and the happiness barometer just keeps going up. Their ratio of ingredients in each sushi dish is near perfect: order the '4x4' (four rainbow rolls and four creamy rock shrimp rolls), and drive straight to heaven. Even the simple fish and chips is excellent. The only drawback is that it is located in a shopping mall with no view.

Contact: willoughbyandco.co.za
Prices: ££

Willoughby & Co, Cape Town
Willoughby & Co serves sushi - LOOPFILMS/Warren Rasmussen

Pier & Waterside

Latest openings from the La Colombe stable, Pier (upstairs; two stars from Eat Out) and Waterside (downstairs; one star from Eat Out) have significantly upped the ante in the Waterfront’s dining scene. First off is the location: the Pierhead building is located on the lip of Victoria basin, bustling with small boats. Pier is billed as the more fine dining option, with a multi-course set tasting menu (with a separate menu for vegetarians) created by John Norris-Rogers – at both you’re very much committing to a set tasting menu, working your way through delicious edible art. Waterside is supposedly more casual but under the helm of Roxy Mudie dishes are every bit as artsy, and this too is a set menu tasting experience albeit priced slightly lower. Pricey for South Africans but more excellent fine dining options as the city gets busier can only be welcomed.

Contact: pier.restaurant/food; thewaterside.restaurant
Prices: £££
Reservations: Recommended

Den Anker

This low-key Belgian restaurant has been here since the Waterfront was first developed; time has sloughed away the early pioneers but this remains, in every sense, an anchor. It’s partly the location – a low-slung bungalow with tables spilling out onto the quayside, with a great view of Table Mountain – but also consistency. In a world of change, Den Anker’s menu stays the course. The pepper steak is famously good, and the Wagyu burger gets rave reviews, but it is the 1kg pot of mussels that always hits the spot: big juicy critters in a herby broth, served with frites and a mustard-flavoured mayonnaise.

Contact: denanker.co.za
Prices: ££ 
Reservations: Advised

Camps Bay and Atlantic Seaboard

Salsify at The Round House

Tucked into a leafy glen halfway up Lion's Head, with tree-fringed views of the Twelve Apostles and sparkling Atlantic, this is not only the city’s best located fine dining restaurant, but the most atmospheric. Located in an 18th century guard house, the plush, central heart is cosy, but the better room, at least in daylight, curves around the view – worth requesting this section when making your booking. The set menu is excellent: modern classic haute cuisine, with intricate flavours and textures reflected in the delicate presentation. And if the views and food aren’t enough to transport you, the Gem pairing –with award-winning sommelier Victor Okollo pouring the last remaining bottles of exceptional cellar wines – will ensure you leave on another plane. 

Contact: salsify.co.za
Prices: ££
Reservations: Essential

Salsify at The Round House, Cape Town
Salsify at The Round House is one of the best located fine dining restaurants

Bilboa

Camps Bay visitors ten to flock to nearby Codfather, but if you want a view served up with your fare, Bilboa is the better choice. Aside from the glorious setting perched above palm-lined Camps Bay beach, the décor is sophisticated without being stuck up, and the service is flawless. Café-style tables are arranged along an L-shaped tiled patio that wraps around a raised platform with a slightly more fine-dining vibe under modern geometric brass lamps. It’s a combination that hits the spot as does the simple Mediterranean-Middle Eastern inspired menu – lamb cutlets are spiced with cumin, chilli, garlic, coriander and mint; seared tuna in tahini crust is served with tart citrus salsa; fillet skewer is served with flatbread, spicy chimichurri and yoghurt.

Contact: bilboa.co.za
Prices: ££
Reservations: Advised

Bilboa, Cape Town
Bilboa comes with views of the bay - Hein van Tonder/Hein van Tonder

Chefs Warehouse Tintswalo Atlantic

This is an unbeatable combination: an exclusive seaside location; swish yet relaxed atmosphere; top-notch nosh – book as soon as you can. Located at the base of Chapman’s Peak within the Table Mountain nature reserve, you are seated on a deck that cantilevers over the granite beach, almost within reach of the restless Atlantic. The view is spectacular, and you won’t be disappointed by the food either. Executive Chef’s Liam Tomlin’s signature offering is ‘tapas for 2’– eight to 10 dishes served in four to five courses. At Tintswalo he works with Cameron Smith (each of the four Chef’s Warehouse restaurants has its own head chef, with whom Tomlin creates a totally unique menu); in keeping with the setting here seafood features predominantly though not exclusively (R1050pp). Vegans and vegetarians are also well catered for – just alert the team when making your booking.

Contact: chefswarehouse.co.za
Prices: ££
Reservations: Essential

Constantia

La Colombe

Wow. That's the involuntary response every time the waiter places a new creation in front of you. For visual artistry, La Colombe (alongside sister restaurant in Franschhoek La Petite Colombe) takes pole position. Chef Proprietor Scot Kirton has also ensured that La Colombe takes its place, year after year, in the world’s top 100 restaurants (San Pellegrino’s ‘World’s Best Restaurant’); alongside Peter Tempelhoff from FYN he and his team are definitely the brightest stars in the city’s culinary firmament. The venue is unremarkable – an unpretentious space on stilts amidst the trees near Constantia Nek – so this is doubly more about what’s on the plate. If you have the stamina, go for the full ‘Chef’s Experience’ but despite its name, the ‘Reduced Menu’ is anything but – 12 courses, visually each an edible artwork. Up there with the best, La Colombe is another must for foodies.

Contact: lacolombe.co.za
Price: £££
Reservations: Essential, book as soon as your dates are firm

La Colombe, Cape Town
La Colombe frequently makes top restaurants lists

Chef’s Warehouse Beau Constantia

The same Chef’s Warehouse recipe – a stunning location, this time with the most spectacular view of Cape Town’s Constantia valley sprawled below, and delicious food – in fact this is the only Chef’s Warehouse to have garnered a three-star rating in the recent Eat Out awards, with an unfortunate jump in the per person rate (though still relatively excellent value at only now R900pp). Like all three Chef’s Warehouses, you are served eight dishes in four courses, but here infused by chefs Tomlin and Ivor Jones’ strong South East Asia influence. In addition to the anything-but-standard ‘tapas for two’ there is a Pescatarian ‘tapas for two’ and a ‘Vegan menu for one’. The dessert menu (a choice of four) is separate, ideal if you don’t have a sweet tooth, or just too full.

Contact: chefswarehouse.co.za
Prices: ££
Reservations: Essential

Chef’s Warehouse Beau Constantia, Cape Town
Chef’s Warehouse Beau Constantia has a stunning location

Bistro Sixteen82

The double-volume barn architecture here creates a rustic-chic setting that opens onto a cool water feature and beautiful vineyard views. It’s romantic yet child-friendly; a place where cross-generational Capetonians come to celebrate special occasions over casual lunch. Chef Kerry Kilpin loves Asian flavours – tempura prawns are served with kimchi noodle salad, gochujang mayo, pineapple syrup, soy and sesame; sirloin salad is tossed with tender greens, red cabbage, sprouts and coriander in a chilli, soy and ginger vinaigrette – but she’s equally adept at comfort food such as roast pork belly or braised ricotta-stuffed lamb neck. There's also a separate vegetarian menu as well as a vegan menu available at lunch. From 5pm the Evening Tapas menu kicks in – at R515 the ‘Chef’s Selection tapas for 2’ for five tapas is very good value indeed. Evening Tapas ends at 8.30pm.

Contact: steenberg-vineyards.co.za
Prices: £
Reservations: Advised

Bistro Sixteen82, Cape Town
Bistro Sixteen82 is romantic yet child-friendly

Kalk Bay and Southern Peninsula

Harbour House & Live Bait

The fish is always fresh and succulent, tablecloths clean, and waiters friendly, but it’s the location on the Kalk Bay harbour breakwater, with sea views across False Bay to the mountainous Kogelberg backdrop, and seals at play in the water below, that make this restaurant a must. Downstairs is the more informal sister establishment Live Bait – the menu is more limited and overall cheaper but it comes from the same kitchen. Both offer a good selection of sushi too. Note that the Harbour House on the Waterfront serves similar fare and is a good choice if you’re trawling that harbour for grub.

Contact: harbourhouse.co.za
Prices: ££
Reservations: Advised

Harbour House & Live Bait, Cape Town
Expect the freshest fish at Harbour House

Kalky’s

If all you want is a classic fish and chips at a bargain price, step in line at Kalky’s. On a summer weekend the long queues into this small shack on the edge of Kalk Bay harbour (opposite Harbour House) attest to its popularity amongst all walks of life. Arrive before 12 or after 2.30pm and you’ll avoid the wait; order at the till, then grab a table to join Cape Town’s most varied cast of characters, all here for the best and biggest plate of crispy hake and chips, devoured with fingers or plastic cutlery. Note that cards are accepted only when the temperamental machine is working, so bring cash as a back up. (Tip: If you’re happy with just fish and chips takeaways, which you can enjoy while you park off anywhere along the scenic False Bay coast, Fish Hoek Fisheries on Fish Hoek’s main street is my top fish and chips pick in the city.)

Contact: 00 27 21 788 1726; facebook.com/kalkys.seafood
Prices: £
Opening times: Daily, 10am-8pm
Reservations: Walk-ins only 

Winelands

Spek en Bone

Berthus Basson is one of our best, most authentically South African chefs, able to weave in aspects of nostalgia into contemporary trends, and combine fresh produce – much of it home grown – with cooking traditions that are typical, from cooking on fire to pickling and preserving. He also excels at nurturing talent; at Spek en Bone (named after the Basson’s pet pig and our puppy) this is Chef Michael Fuller, who brings a great Asian influence into this tapas-style eatery (the Korean chicken is a stand out; steamed Asian vegetables with chili peanut sprinkle more than the sum of its parts). The venue is unassuming, tucked behind Oom Samie se winkel; the value is unbelievable, even for South Africans. (Worth noting that Clara’s Barn, located en route to Stellenbosch and Chorus, near Somerset West, are also brilliant. In fact you can’t go wrong with a Basson restaurant, so it’s well worth checking out his website and seeing if any of them suit your schedule and location.)

Contact: bertusbasson.com
Prices: £
Reservations: Advised

La Petite Colombe

Generally considered the best restaurant in Franschhoek, self-proclaimed culinary capital of the Cape, (though worth noting that Chef Richard Carsten’s Arkeste, located on Chamonix Wine Estate, was also awarded three stars in the recent Eat Out Awards). La Petite Colombe is the younger sister of La Colombe; each with a completely different menu, both a must on any serious foodie’s list. Located in luxuriously appointed and meticulously groomed Leeu Estate, La Petite Colombe has the better venue: interiors are cool and uncluttered; a perfect foil for the lush, manicured grounds and vineyard views beyond. Sublime setting aside, the dining experience is eye-popping, with fabulous reveals and creative plating, every element carefully chosen to become a visually splendid whole. The full Chef’s Experience is quite a marathon but well worth it – not one dish disappoints. When are the Michelin judges going to get their act together and come on down to give an establishment like this its deserved international star rating?!

Contact: lapetitecolombe.restaurant
Prices: £££
Reservations: Essential

West Coast

Wolfgat

Kobus Van derMerwe is South Africa's most innovative forager chef, producing a totally unique West Coast Strandveld cuisine. Try it at his restaurant where he serves a seven-course tasting menu for a limited number of people (24 maximum) each day. Each morsel is unlike anything you have ever tasted – finely diced watermelon and fennel blossoms are presented in an edible succulent; local mussels are served with papaja and presented with bonsai-like branches of burning wild sage. It’s open for dinner twice a week but book for lunch: the views of Paternoster beach are mesmerising. If you’re an adventurous foodie it’s worth making the trip to overnight in Paternoster just to eat here.

Contact: wolfgat.co.za
Prices: £££