Cape Town
Occupying an enormous warehouse space, one part decorated with an organ salvaged from an old church, Gold offers an Africa-wide safari of tastes, from…
Must-see restaurants in South Africa
North West Province
On a sunny afternoon join Rustenburg locals and Gauteng weekenders at this cavernous restaurant with a large deck overlooking the Olifants Nek Dam. German…
Johannesburg
Get an honest-to-goodness Jozi steakhouse experience at this New York–style institution. Rub elbows with other red-meat lovers and choose your cut: prime…
Cape Town
Appealing to students and lovers of grunge and shabby chic, this artfully crafted dive bar amps up its hipster cred with sticky BBQ pork ribs and Kentucky…
Durban
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all a hit at this hip Durban restaurant. Imaginative dishes include the likes of calamari, quinoa, feta, red pesto and…
Sea Point to Hout Bay
A touristy complex of seafood restaurants, souvenir shops, and fish and chips stands beside sandy Hout Bay Beach. The Wharfette Bistro & Takeaway (mains…
Drakensberg Escarpment
Half pub, half restaurant, the Woodsman offers great food with a Greek twist. Moussaka, stifado stew, grilled calamari, mezedhes (starter plates) and…
Gauteng
A surprisingly hip restaurant with a sleek, design-led interior, this cool culinary outpost demonstrates Soweto's changing sensibilities. Serving up…
Cape Town
Eziko offers good, simple food in a pleasant setting. Try the chef’s special fried chicken and, if you’re feeling adventurous, the ‘delectable’ tripe…
Pretoria
Open to outside guests of the Menlyn Boutique Hotel from breakfast through to dinner, Black Bamboo is an elegant and secluded spot for a meal. The menu…
Cape Town
Bookings are essential for this chic Italian restaurant, with an olive tree the centrepiece of the 1st floor. Chef-patron Giorgio Nava lays on the Italian…
Nelspruit (Mbombela)
This lounge-style steakhouse has a long menu offering steaks in global styles, including French (with sun-dried tomato butter) and Spanish (with smoked…
Johannesburg
The Whippet Coffee's bright interior, with a view of the leafy patio area outside, provides a pleasing backdrop for a leisurely brunch. Meals feature…
Sea Point to Hout Bay
Book for the Sunday jazz brunch (11am to 2pm; R320), where live music and a glass of bubbly will greet you in the century-old Winchester Mansions Hotel's…
KwaZulu-Natal
Ask for a restaurant recommendation in the area and the answer is overwhelmingly this Italian option. It has a popular meaty and pasta-heavy menu,…
Durban
A seafood encounter of the most novel kind. On the Phantom Ship in uShaka Marine World, your dining companions are fish with very large teeth – the…
Pretoria
Offering style and substance, Pacha's is looking good in its new digs at the spiffy Club Centre. It's a pleasant modern restaurant with a small aquarium…
Highlander Restaurant & Scotch Bar
Free State
A solid choice in town with longer hours than most other establishments, this high-spirited pub serves delicious wood-fired pizzas, burgers and sandwiches…
Drakensberg Escarpment
This nicely restored general dealer's shop, decorated with local animal art, serves traditional dishes such as bobotie and ostrich-neck potjie stew…
Cape Town
With decades of experience in Canada and the UK, chef Steve Duke has opened an easygoing eatery in the back of a secondhand book shop in his native Cape…
Cape Town
Hallelujah! Table Mountain finally gets the café it so deserves. This self-serve place offers tasty deli items and meals, compostable plates and…
Drakensberg Escarpment
Locals rate this all-rounder with an expansive menu featuring hearty dinner mains such as surf and turf, ribs and wings, and flame-grilled steaks. There's…
Cape Town
You'll receive a hospitable welcome from Yusuf and Nazli and their staff at this spectacularly located restaurant, high up in the Bo-Kaap. The panoramic…
Cape Town
This building dates from 1862, which has been sensitively adapted into a pleasant restaurant and bar with a broad balcony, atrium and plenty of potted…
Sea Point to Hout Bay
Sip excellent coffee at this rustic cafe-roastery, occupying an 18th-century extension to the original 17th-century woodcutters' cottage at Hout Bay. The…
Pretoria
Not only a large and comfy cafe with great atmosphere, but also a decent secondhand bookshop and interior design store. The menu has some interesting…
Drakensberg & uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
Yep, there really is a tower, where very good wood-fired pizza is prepared. Grab a table on the outside decking and enjoy the clean air and mountain views…
Cape Town
This casual brasserie-style restaurant on the grounds of Groot Constantia has a pleasant, vine-shaded courtyard and tables looking onto the manor house…
Green Point & Waterfront
Muffins that could feed a small family and other delectable baked goods and desserts are the forte of this luxe-design cafe – a hit concept from Jo'burg…
Cape Town
Part of the vibrant new Salt Orchard quarter, Sepial's offers authentic, home-style Korean cooking in a simple, four-table dining room. The menu changes…
Cape Town
Occupying the top floor of the Victorian Speaker's Corner building, Fyn offers great views of Table Mountain and Lion's Head from its bright and…
Nelspruit (Mbombela)
With staggered terraces amid large lawns, this rambling ‘outback style’ pub serves pub fare including salads, wood-fired pizzas, burgers, Mozambique-style…
Sunshine Coast
Many locals and tourists rave about this funky place in an imaginatively converted space on the main drag, and we share their unbridled enthusiasm. The…
Eastern Cape
The Armagh Country Lodge’s restaurant has a cosy dining room with an open fire and patio seating. Cape Malay specialities, including ostrich bobotie …
Cape Town
If you can drag your eyes away from the panoramic view of Table Mountain for a second, the upmarket bistro food served on this historic wine estate at the…
Cape Town
This bistro and bakery in front of the Alphen Hotel hotel is appealing both inside and out – for breakfast, lunch or a snack. Treat yourself to buttermilk…
Durban
Temporarily located in the garden of the Bel-Aire Suites Hotel, this funky space is the spot for a post-dip coffee, fruit crush or breakfast, or just to…
Gauteng
Brimming with good cheer, Sakhumzi is firmly on the tourist trail and bus parties regularly pass through for the excellent-value daily lunch buffets…
Nelspruit (Mbombela)
Using fresh lowveld ingredients, this bustling cafe is an excellent choice for breakfast or lunch among its glass, wood, steel, exposed brick and…
KwaZulu-Natal
One of the nicest cafes in the area. Located in a small complex with a garden, this homely, funky place is decked out in a melange of retro decor. You’ll…
