The best restaurants South Africa

An Asian food chain is present in several areas of Cape Town. An expensive option to restore without passing through the hamburger box. The dishes are tasty and the quantities are very satisfactory. In the menu of duck, noodles and Thai specialities. Also to take or get delivered.

A must in Kalk Bay. At high tide, the waves lick the foundations of this restaurant and pub, sometimes even drenching the first tables. At the entrance to the town, The Brass Bell is a popular spot for counter-top sailors and Cape Towners at weekends. On the terrace, you can look out at the sea and re-watch the world go by. But above all, you can savor the sea. Our plates are full of iodine: fish from the day's catch, prawns, squid, delicious lobster and fresh oysters.

Saigon is surely the best Asian restaurant in the Riviona area of northern Johannesburg. The setting is beautiful, but above all the food is absolutely delicious. If you want our advice, order the angry duck, if you like spicy dishes, and the chocolate mousse... We are still salivating. But also soups, curries with multiple flavours, pork, beef, chicken with all the sauces, as well as many vegetarian dishes, shrimps or a traditional caramelized fish.

This restaurant racks up awards in the food world. The highlight in 2016 when it was voted "Best Restaurant in Africa" by The World's 50 Best Restaurants and Restaurant of the Year by Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards. There is no shortage of superlatives to describe young British chef Luke Dale-Roberts. The cuisine is inventive and creative, an explosion of flavours that will remain on your palate. An unforgettable culinary experience if you are lucky enough to find a table... Reservations are required several months in advance.

In the centre of George, La Capannina can't be missed under its wide green roof. Here you will find Italian-inspired cuisine, but also some regional specialties. The menu ranges from baked pizza to the very local and tasty ostrich steak, a mushroom risotto, and of course a good fresh fish - let's not forget that we are by the sea. In this restaurant, the dishes are absolutely delicious and the service is attentive. Everything is done to make the customer feel at home.

On Cliff Street, facing the sea, Coffee on the Rocks is a friendly family restaurant with a superb balcony overlooking the ocean. While sipping a coffee or reveling in your breakfast, you can see the whales in season. On the menu: fresh salads, sandwiches filled with homemade bread and local delicacies. The coffee is very good. Inside, the decoration seems to be frozen in time, an old wooden piano on one side, soft and chequered period armchairs, dishes from yesteryear, like the framed photos on the wall.

Superbly located on the seafront with a beautiful terrace overlooking the Knysna lagoon, Sirocco offers some great seafood dishes served in a trendy, modern setting. Shrimps marinated in garlic, fresh oysters with shallot sauce, colorful sushi platters fresh from the catch of the day, or seafood pizzas. The Sirocco restaurant is a popular spot at sunset for its delicious cocktails, making it the ideal place to enjoy a romantic aperitif by the water.

At the entrance to Plettenberg Bay, near the Goose Valley Golf Course, Emily's Moon is set in an enchanting and exotic setting, with a lovely pool deck overlooking a beautiful little river and wetlands with the mountains in the background. This restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Plettenberg. The cuisine is refined, with tender meats and fresh fish on the menu, as well as a good wine list to satisfy gourmets and lovers of fine wines. Reservations are strongly recommended as the address is highly rated.

Charming little trendy café on the ground floor of the imposing Woodstock Exchange, a former factory converted into an art centre. The owners of the neighbouring Neighbourgoods Market recently opened this place. With its yellow chairs and white tile flooring, the decor is more reminiscent of school canteens than mini-markets, serving good sandwiches, bagels, brunch plates and salads, as well as some daily specials and excellent fruit juices, all prepared with care and using fresh, organic ingredients!

La Cuccina is the ideal place to have breakfast in the morning or to take a break for lunch. A cosy and pleasant place where fresh, organic and seasonal food is served. The concept is simple and attractive, as there is a huge buffet with fresh products, homemade quiches and a wide choice of meat dishes or appetizing mixed salads. Just like a large canteen opened by our grandmother, everything is delicious and we appreciate the attention to service.

On Church Street, The Lazy Lizard is a very cosy cafe to linger a while. Its shaded terrace is a great place to come and have breakfast. In this very cute white house, we also come to eat on the go or nibble a bit in the afternoon. A charming table where we serve small dishes and sandwiches as well as excellent pastries, the crumble is a delight, at very soft prices. Caryn the cook will also make you a homemade lemonade to fall down! Free wi-fi, but no alcohol.

Want to vary the pleasures? This restaurant is renowned throughout the neighborhood for its authentic and generous Thai cuisine. Installed on the floor on cushions, in the light of candles, or on the terrace, the service is very attentive during the whole meal. The menu is limited and you will soon make your choice between curries, poultry or fish dishes. The spice content is indicated, which avoids bad surprises. Arrive early or make a reservation, the restaurant is often crowded with locals.

In Kloof, the aptly named bar-restaurant The Moveable Feast translates as "Paris is a party". The Parisian bistro-style establishment invites France into the decor and into the plate! On the menu: escargots, onion soup and beef tartare. The atmosphere is pleasant, both hushed and bright. As for the service, it is very attentive. Start with dinner in the restaurant and continue your evening with a good cocktail in the bar. Every week, DJs are invited to the party.

Nineteen 89 is a gourmet restaurant in the South African style, that is to say beautiful plates but with quite copious portions. The Nineteen 89 restaurant is a family story. The dishes are tasty and cooked with passion. It's a great dining experience, whether you want to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner in a spacious restaurant decorated with 80's pop culture art and works of local artists displayed on the walls of the restaurant.

At Sea Point, the hip and arty spot, with good groovy music, a few tables and an open counter on the street, offers a Japanese-inspired menu, some classic sushi and rāmen, those famous Japanese noodles, as well as kushiyaki "on the grill." We come mostly for the rāmen. A choice of two with beef and one with mushrooms. The vegetarian then: the shitake dashi & miso broth is good, the sushi correct without more. It is not the Japanese authenticity but more the Capetonian trendiness that we come here to look for.

A trendy Mexican-inspired decor, the taqueria offers delicious gourmet tapas. We order several dishes and we share, to taste everything. Some tacos beef, chicken or pork, but if we opt for the goat: goat meat, cloves, almond, cumin, cinnamon, chili salsa. Quesadillas vegetarian salads... You can accompany your tapas with interesting Mexican tequila cocktails like the Mexican Mule (tequila, ginger ale, squeezed lime juice), a Mexican beer or even a little mezcal for the amateurs.

The Goatshed is the restaurant at Fairview Estate. As with the winery, the philosophy is "it's better when it's fresh and homemade", a phrase that reigns supreme here too. A bright and colourful room, bordered by high arched windows. On each small wooden table is a bouquet of flowers. On the slate, the products change according to the arrivals from Fairview Farm, which specializes in award-winning, artisanal cheeses, which are also washed down with artisanal wines. This is a comforting meal!

Open since 2012, this restaurant is among the best in Paarl, and it is frankly affordable. A good address to try, for example, a slowly roasted lamb mouse with its sweet potato confit, simmered in red wine, garlic, rosemary juice and small vegetables, or for the seafood-loving palate, the delicious pan-roasted fish covered with its lemon and caper white butter and accompanied by its seasonal greens and homemade fries. A treat on excellent plates.

At the Basic Bistro, you have to feel at home. Here we serve very creative formulas with names that are a nod to France at breakfast: Napoleon or Marie-Antoinette croissants, French toast and omelettes to customize. For lunch and dinner, "gourmet" burgers, "Italian" wraps, or hearty Malaysian curry dishes. A young, greedy and affordable address where you can come with friends to eat a burger and drink homemade beers, or as a lover to sip a white wine cocktail.

It's hard to find a decent restaurant on the Waterfront. But this one has a nice terrace right on the water. It offers classic dishes such as fish, seafood and grilled meats and on Friday afternoons, you may be tempted to try the sushi at half price. It's not the best on the coast, but it's priced low and the fish is very fresh. At the Drydock you can also try the famous Knysna oysters. However, they only serve cultured oysters, you won't find any wild ones.

In the heart of the Groot Constantia domain, the restaurant enjoys a privileged setting, between the vineyards and the mountains. On the terrace during the summer months or inside by the fireplace on winter evenings, you will enjoy refined dishes prepared with quality products. Let yourself be tempted by the grilled meats served with fresh vegetables, the pan-fried Norwegian salmon and its wasabi sauce, or by the gourmet hamburgers. All of this to be washed down with a delicate wine produced in Groot Constantia. The perfect combination!

La Brasserie de Paris is a French gastronomic restaurant that will offer you an unforgettable culinary experience. Located in the Karl Jooste house, the atmosphere here is elegant, intimate and contemporary. Onion soup, wild mushroom and truffle pasta, salmon vol-au-vent, beef fillet or duck breast glazed with rhubarb... The dishes on the menu make you salivate. The menu and its dishes of all times will inevitably put all your senses on the alert, as well as the beautiful selection of wines.

Highly aerobatic cuisine! Founded in 2007 by Tufan Yerebakan, Kream has established itself and grown to become a trendy and unique experience. Serving delicious modern cuisine in an artistic environment, Kream combines the two to offer a great sensory experience. The dishes on offer are out of the ordinary, from poached pear salad with goat cheese filling to braised rabbit wrapped in Parma ham, from salmon and squid creations to sushi plates and wine selection.

This restaurant wants to become completely autonomous. The building has grown "organically", the local soil has been used to build adobe walls, creating a "farmhouse" atmosphere. All dishes, tables and chairs have been designed and handcrafted by Karoo artisans. Elza made the crockery for her pottery workshop and the carpenter, Dawie, made the tables and chairs. The idea is to bridge the gap between the product, the farm and the final product. A greedy, fresh and exciting initiative.

From the terrace of Ohana Cafe in Kalk Bay, you have a beautiful view of the ocean. Simple but well cooked dishes. But to tell the truth, it is above all the ideal place to have a coffee, a good breakfast, to nibble for lunch or to stop for a snack break, and to opt for the magic formula "Cake and Coffee". From the comfortable bench, you can listen to the sound of the ocean, watch the surfers ride the waves over the kelp forest and, depending on your luck and the season, spot an orca, a whale or a dolphin on the horizon.

On a farm in Hout Bay, the restaurant Quentin at Oakhurst and its cellar follow in the footsteps of several generations of family farming and culinary traditions. The barn showcases its heritage and associates its gastronomic knowledge with it. The gurgling of the water, the flight of guinea fowl and the crackling of acorns underfoot, embraced by the freshness of the majestic and powerful oak canopy, create magnificent arrangements that serve as inspiration for the Chef. A refined setting, large tables, oak chairs, and on the plate: a pure delight.

On the main street of Hout Bay, Cheyne's restaurant is a chic Asian brasserie! Wood, black-painted walls, a subdued atmosphere and candles on every table... Make yourself comfortable on the sofas with their large cushions or on the high table that looks like a bar on the terrace, or on the coffee tables around the central fountain, and treat yourself to perfectly cooked Asian flavours. The plates are divine, often topped with a small edible flower to brightly colour your dish.

If there's one thing you eat all the time and everywhere in the region, it's fish & chips. Any roadside stall or pub will serve you some. Then there are the real, fresh, very good fish & chips served by Lucky Fish and Chips for example. Extra-fresh fish and French fries that are both crispy and soft. We choose our favorite classic, the combo hake, a kind of local cod, and the calamari, or the snoek, the ultra-local fish. Treat yourself in a nice setting and for a good price.

The kitchen is run by husband and wife team Candy and Daniel Bradley, hence Cand's Kitchen. They are both chefs and passionate about what they do. We discover their selection of freshly baked quiches, cakes and salads that are purely and simply divine. A few dishes on the slate for lunch, a buffet for those who wish to take their meal away or an excellent breakfast for the early birds. Inside, it's cosy and the walls are powder pink. A truly simple and gourmet stopover that is a real treat.

A little cocoon of nature. As soon as you walk through the door of Thyme at Rosemary, the setting is soothing. In the back is a beautiful flowered garden with a shaded patio, where it is nice to eat in the cool. Inside, there are two rooms, a dark front room and a bright back room with a large bay window overlooking the lush garden. The tables are nicely set with beige lace doilies. The menu is local and refined, the plates are fresh and colorful. As for the welcome, it is discreet and warm. A delicious moment.

In the Parkwood neighborhood, it's a little piece of Argentique that you'll find in Joburg. Oscar and Bernardo, one from Uruguay the other from Argentina, share their love for good meat. The pieces are hearty, tender, cut and cooked before your eyes, on the grill, if you sit at the bar. It's up to you to choose your side dish: grilled vegetables, sweet potatoes, garlic-fried potatoes... The room is huge, airy and decorated with industrial elements, obviously, that's where the soul of Parkwood lies.

In a hangar, many small stands with delicious food. There is something for every taste, of every flavour and from every country. Sweet treats, savoury treats and tangy drinks. Take your pick from the various stalls and sit down on the pleasant outdoor terrace to enjoy your booty. At weekends, the food market regularly hosts artists, so you can enjoy live music on the waterfront.

The area is moderately well frequented at night but come by taxi and everything will be fine! This table is really worth it. The concept is simple, original and unique in Cape Town: you share a table with the other customers. The challenge is to "socialize", to discuss and exchange around a meal. There are tourists and locals, it's cosmopolitan and conducive to encounters. Surprise menu, the young chef Julia explains in detail the contents of each plate and the glass of wine that accompanies it. A delicate, intoxicating and succulent cuisine.

Like most of the restaurants in Camps Bay, the Bilboa has a beautiful terrace overlooking the beach. The decoration is both chic and sober: comfortable beige leather seats, wood, especially on the shaded terrace... At the Bilboa, the service is attentive and the cuisine delicate. The menu is in the colours of the view with its beautiful and wide selection of seafood and other fish specialities. But also grilled meats, just as appetizing. As for the cocktails, they will make you envious under the sun!

A very frenchy creperie run by Jessica. Swan Café is a little piece of France, from Brittany more precisely, in Cape Town. You will hear French spoken from all sides, in a few months it has already become the expatriates' den, and for good reason, it is the only real pancake shop in the city. Traditional pancakes and crepes, but made with local products. There is cider and French variety in the background, the waiters are dressed in red and white marinières and you will hear "bonjour" and "au revoir" singing.

It's Ephraim who greets you and settles you into the sober, elegant room in shades of gray and white. The fire crackles in the fireplace in the middle of the room. Soft lighting, French variety... A voluptuous moment. The kitchen, open to the dining room, is a feast for the taste buds. A glass of local champagne is offered. And when the plates are placed on the table, it's a feast for the eyes. The senses are awakened. A mix of colors, flavors and textures. An explosion in the mouth from starter to dessert. Discreet service and an upscale atmosphere.

Another excellent restaurant in the beautiful and gourmet town of Stellenbosch. At the Jardine Restaurant, the decoration is simple and refined and the dishes are meticulously prepared and delicious. The room is set in a paved courtyard with a fire crackling in the fireplace in winter, well that is when it is 20°C sometimes. For the winemaker's lunch, as it is called here, the Sunday brunch or even for a special event if you wish, enjoy a subtle and delicate cuisine at affordable prices.

One of the city's finest restaurants, La Petite Colombe has nothing to envy the starred establishments. High-flying cuisine, beautiful to look at and exquisite to taste. Seated in the pleasant dining room, with its large picture windows offering a backdrop of mountains and greenery, you'll succumb to the culinary delights of the chefs working in the kitchen to offer you refined dishes and extraordinary flavors, always on the cutting edge. Don't forget to book in advance, as the restaurant is almost always full.

Wonderful address that welcomes you in its historic building in winter around its wood stove and on its freshly mowed lawn in summer! Each table is placed under a tree and gives you a feeling of intimacy. A feeling of freedom, that of having lunch in the shade of a beautiful garden. Ideal for a romantic lunch. The cooked products come from the vegetable garden and are combined with other local ingredients. The menu, renewed according to seasonal products, is composed of 3 courses. A family cuisine, generous and sophisticated.

The adventure of this restaurant began in the 2000s, it was one of the best restaurants in Swellendam. The chefs, Nina and Salvatore, aim to make La Sosta an even better restaurant than it was. The three menus, one meat-based, one fish-based and one vegetarian, change with the seasons. To complete these dishes, the establishment offers a complete wine list based on local selections, but also imported wines from Italy that go perfectly with dishes with Italian flavours.

On Leviser Street, a room with a relaxed decoration, frescoes on the walls, and above all a very beautiful terrace nestled under the sails to find a little shade. On the kitchen side, tempting and appetizing plates. A warm establishment to have a hearty breakfast, eat a fresh salad, nibble on a sandwich or enjoy good Asian cuisine. It is also a place for exhibitions of young artists. Here, at 59 Plenty, art is in the spotlight on the walls and on your plates!

The specialty here at Longhorn Grill is the grilled meats! By the way, they are absolutely delicious. Meat, of course, for the carnivores, in all styles: beef, pork or grilled chicken. For the others, don't worry, a wide selection of grilled fish and seafood are also on the menu. Opposite the Stirling Small, the restaurant's decor is rather soothing, all wood and light colors. The staff is very helpful and the service is efficient and very pleasant.

The restaurant is hidden in the basement! From the street, the entrance is directly by a staircase that goes down to the basement. Already the delicious smell of grilled meat will make you succumb. Downstairs, the wooden bar, a small table under the vaults for a more intimate or romantic dinner. At the Tauren Steak Ranch, as its name suggests, we are rather carnivorous and generous, the dishes are generally very hearty. The welcome is warm and it's a place where you feel good, ideal to share a good time with friends.

An excellent address and a restaurant that bears his name well. It's a doll's house with a lot of old trinkets in decoration: suitcases, hats, bottles... On the tables, lace doilies from our grandmothers and old vinyl as placemats. What nostalgia! The dishes are simple and tasty and the quality/price ratio is unbeatable. And of course, the ostrich is in the spotlight on your plates! Fantasy in your mouth and around you for this tasty leap in time.

This is the restaurant of the Boutique Hotel Fusion, a highly refined establishment frequented by the city's wealthy class. Immaculate white tablecloths and napkins and chic, elegant decor in a cosy, discreet setting. On your plate: almost gastronomic cuisine. Here, dishes are first tasted with the eyes, worked like works of art, with the colors of seasonal edible flowers dominating the delicious decor. In the cellar, you'll find excellent bottles of wine to enjoy.

This is the new spot for afternoon parties in Cape Town: a rooftop with plant walls and refreshing wine buckets, DJ programme for sound and festive afternoons from Thursday to Saturday. A trendy atmosphere, a dancefloor andlots of cold beers. In the mornings and the rest of the week, the bar on the ground floor is more classic, offering salads, burgers, wraps and other snacks filled with vegetables. A good breakfast plan, as this bar is part of the Once Youth Hostel and offers affordable and delicious food.

There's nothing extraordinary about the restaurant, which has a simple, relaxed, old-school pub feel, with its brown wooden bar and panelled walls. In any case, the food at the Occidental Bar & Restaurant is very good: fish and chips, burgers, calamari, fish fritters... There's a wide choice of dishes and also craft beers to accompany your meal. Sometimes there's even live music.

Fascinated by the city, its style and especially by surfing, the Smith family arrives at J-Bay. The establishment is named after their first daughter, Nina, who left at a very young age. Since then they have been blessed with three beautiful surfers who work in the family business when they are not competing or on the water. A la carte, hearty dishes: ostrich steak, bowls of poké with sliced pork nachos, roast lamb, crispy Mediterranean salad or hamburgers. Whether you are gluten-free, vegetarian, gourmet, carnivore... you will be won over!

At Grazia Fine Food, Italy comes first on the plates. Here you can enjoy fresh pasta made with delicious and fresh seafood, hand-made ravioli filled with meat and parmesan. You can taste the Cajun chicken pasta with feta cheese, sundried tomatoes and creamy sauce with piri-piri, the local chilli pepper. A pleasant restaurant inside, and what a beautiful and large terrace! It offers a magnificent view of the sea. A great place to enjoy a good meal and drink a cocktail at sunset.

Simone and Allan, the owners of the establishment, offer a refined cuisine, reinventing and modernizing classics. Here the products are carefully selected: wild fennel from the kloof, beach salicornia and sea salt, homemade fermented vinegar and flavoured cheeses on site. The meat is supplied by a small local butcher and all fresh produce comes from small independent suppliers, all of whom are organic. Allan is proud to say that he doesn't freeze anything, except when absolutely necessary!