Free State
The food at this souped-up country kitchen tastes just as good as it looks on the gourmet international menu, featuring everything from rainbow trout with…
Must-see restaurants in South Africa
Free State
In this stylish, thoroughly satisfying restaurant down by the river, have some deep-fried calamari strips followed by peri peri steak, or fillet flambé…
Cape Town
Far from your average curry house, the Taj Hotel’s main restaurant, hung with glittering chandeliers and mirrors, is darkly luxurious. Chef Harpreet…
Cape Town
There are several dining options at the Mount Nelson Hotel, but for a real treat book one of the four tables with a front-row view onto the drama and…
Hermanus
One of the town's top restaurants is an intimate venue decorated in bodega style – all bare brick and wine bottles. The small menu features delights like…
Knysna
Ile de Pain is a wildly popular bakery and cafe that's as much a hit with locals as it is with tourists. There's an excellent breakfast menu, lots of…
Stellenbosch
A vibrant bakery and bistro priding itself on locally sourced ingredients. The menu features salads, sandwiches and mezze-style platters, as well as fresh…
Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula
Setting a high standard for relaxed rustic cafes by the sea, Olympia bakes its own breads and pastries. It’s great for breakfast, and its Mediterranean…
Cape Town
A quirky yet elegantly decorated space – think deer heads with broken crockery and contemporary art – showcases the art and culinary creations of Jacques…
Garden Route
Readers and locals all recommend this elegant restaurant with a deck overlooking the lagoon. The South African–inspired menu changes monthly but always…
Garden Route
Whether you're after freshly baked bread and good coffee to start the day, inventive tapas plates to share at lunchtime or heavier evening fare like…
KwaZulu-Natal
Enjoy seafood and bistro fare in unpretentious surroundings at this excellent coastal restaurant, where traditional recipes have a modern twist. For a…
Winelands
The food at this stylish winery is on a par with the views: magnificent. Dishes, such as pan-roasted sea bass, Parmesan mousse and lamb shoulder with…
Bloemfontein
Set in an old house with inside and outside dining options, Seven on Kellner offers an informal, intimate atmosphere. Poultry, meat and seafood dishes are…
Winelands
Well known for its gourmet cuisine and attentive service, this is one of the Western Cape's best small-town restaurants. The menu changes regularly but…
Western Cape
This smokehouse has quickly gained a huge following for its slow-cooked and perfectly seasoned meats and Texan-inspired sides like corn salad, baked beans…
Cape Town
Beechwood furnishings and subtle lighting lend a calm, Zen-like air to this superior Japanese restaurant with an expert chef turning out sushi and sashimi…
Franschhoek
The award-winning Cape Town restaurant has opened a breezy sister branch here. The French-inspired menu comes in seven- or 12-course versions and you can…
Stellenbosch
Expect innovative dishes like rabbit-leg wontons or beetroot chocolate fondant at this stylish winery restaurant. Book ahead.
Cape Town
As gourmet as it gets in Khayelitsha with the lovely Abigail Mbalo, a self-taught cook and former contestant on SA's MasterChef TV show, in charge. Expect…
Drakensberg Escarpment
Attracting local couples, families and tourists, this classy set-up is renowned for its red meat, such as the recommended Mayfly rump topped with red wine…
Cape Town
With just one long wooden table seating up to 18, and the charming chef and host Julia Hattingh in charge, it's easy to see why this place is called…
Northern Cape
Specialising in traditional cuisine like oxtail, snoek (a type of mackerel), tripe and trotters and chicken's feet, Fusion offers a welcome break from…
Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula
This breezy, Aegean-style fish restaurant, set within arm’s reach of the crashing waves and the bustle of Kalk Bay Harbour, is one of the best options…
Cape Town
Hiding in plain sight along a sketchy stretch of Victoria Rd is this little gem of a place. Started in 2016 by a group of friends from Morocco, this is…
Sunshine Coast
Eavesdrop on faculty gossip at Grahamstown’s best place to eat, which is simultaneously a relaxed courtyard cafe and refined restaurant. The menu drips…
InFood Deli Bakery & Deli Restaurant
Sunshine Coast
The sandwiches, burgers and other food at this cafe, bakery and deli are far from ordinary. This is not surprising, considering the owner-chef’s…
Eastern Cape
The charming garden restaurant at the Edge serves French toast with local berries and Hogsback's best coffee for breakfast, recommended wood-fired pizzas…
Nelspruit (Mbombela)
Nelspruit's youth come here to drink draught craft beers in the industrial interiors and on the large open terrace. Music pumps out and there's football…
Sunshine Coast
Most locals recommend vibey Nina's, with its quirky decor of surfboards and coastal scenes around a paper-disc chandelier. Seafood abounds on the wide…
Green Point & Waterfront
Although the menu covers quite a bit of crowd-pleasing culinary ground, it's the Indian dishes that form the bulk and should not be missed – from crispy…
Winelands
The only downside to this fabulous tea garden is that it's only open for half the year. Based on an organic fruit farm, it's a wonderful place to sit…
Sea Point to Hout Bay
There's pasta and spuntini (tapas-style small plates) on offer, but the wood-fired thin-crust pizzas are Massimo’s speciality – and very good they are,…
Cape Town
Fish straight from Kalk Bay Harbour is served at this seafood cafe and fishmonger that supports the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI)…
Winelands
The coffee machine here is manned by Joseph Matheatau, South Africa's first blind barista. The cafe is owned by Kaleidoscope, previously known as the…
Cape Town
The barn-like contemporary restaurant at Nitida winery is a pleasant spot to enjoy delightful dishes ranging from burgers to pasta, as well as cheese and…
Pretoria
As part of the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary, Blue Crane is famous to ornithologists worldwide (and anyone else who enjoys a cold Castle lager at sunset),…
Northern Cape
Meat-lovers rejoice: Tauren serves steaks weighing up to a kilogram, with a host of delectable sauces. The menu also features burgers, a few vegetarian…
Green Point & Waterfront
This popular seaview cafe has a pleasingly contemporary design and atmosphere that sways from buzzy (at meal times) to laid-back – it's great for a late…
West Coast & Swartland
It doesn't look much from the road, but this farm stall at the top of Piekenierskloof Pass serves some delightful cuisine. The imaginative dishes include…
