Our top restaurants in and around Cape Town.

Restaurants seem to come and go but the really good ones endure. These are our personal favourites in no particular order..

• The Test Kitchen

  Shop 104 A, The Old Biscuit Mill,
  375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town
  021 447 2337

  www.thetestkitchen.co.za

  After 4 years as Executive chef at La Colombe, Luke Dale-Robert’s has opened a new restaurant in Woodstock, on the slopes of Table Mountain. He has already won several accolades including San Pellegrino Best Restaurant in the Middle East & Africa and ranked as the No2. in the Best restaurant of South Africa.. This is a restaurant for food aficionados who enjoy modern cuisine, with an emphasis on flavour combinations and design.

  Café Orca,

  88 Beach Road, Melkbosstrand
  021 553 4120

  www.cafeorca.co.za

  A personal favourite of Lucy's, this quaint local seafood restaurant offers unbelievable value with huge portions of fresh Atlantic Ocean fish. The star dish has to be locally caught Kingklip. In summer sit out on the deck and watch the sunset, or on cooler nights enjoy the view from inside. Booking essential for dinner, closed Sunday evenings and Mondays. Open for lunch as well but no bookings taken.

  Delaire Graff

  R310 road, Helshoogte Pass
  Stellenbosch (off the main road between Stellenbosch & Franschhoek)
  021 885 8160

  www.delaire.co.za

  Probably the most glorious restaurant setting in South Africa. This Relais & Chateau eatery comes with a stiff price tag, but spend 5 minutes sitting on the shady terrace and you won’t mind a bit. When the food arrives you will be even more delighted. This really has the ‘wow factor’ if you are celebrating a special occasion during your holiday. Wash your food down with a glass of the estate’s crisp wines.

  96 Winery Road

  Winery Road, Zandberg  (off the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West)
  021 842 2020

  www.wineryrd.co.za

  Another Wineland’s restaurant, serving rustic, wholesome food. Portions are on the large side but retain the finesse of top quality cooking and locally sourced ingredients. Choose from delights such as Steamed West Coast Mussels and Orange Scented Springbok Shank. This restaurant is partly owned by Ken Forrester and you will find a large selection of his wines on sale along with many others from the region.

  La Petite Ferme

  Franschhoek Pass Road, Franschhoek,
  021 876 3016

  www.lapetiteferme.co.za

  Set on the side of a mountain overlooking the Franschhoek Valley, this working wine estate has a lunch-only restaurant offering superb views, lovely bistro style food and a huge range of wines that are offered by the glass. The menu changes throughout the seasons and feature local produce and meats, including locally caught trout, springbok venison and west coast mussels. A lovely tranquil setting but bookings are essential, request a patio table if available.

• La Colombe

  Constantia Uitsig Estate
  Spaanschemat River Road
  Constantia
  021 794 2390

  uitsig.co.za

  Located in the Constantia Valley on the other side of Table Mountain from the city but worth the drive! La Colome restaurant is located on the Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate and is rated one of the top restaurants in the world, and rightly so. Each dish is crafted form a host of different ingredients that never cease to surprise and delight.

  Le Quartier Francais

  Corner of Berg & Whilhelmina Streets
  Franschhoek
  021 876 2151

  www.leqf.co.za

  Yet another Wineland’s restaurant, Le Quartier Francais is located on the main street of Franschhoek and is one of the reasons that the town has its reputation as the gourmet capital of South Africa. There are 2 restaurants at Le Quarter Francais, both overseen by Relais Grand Chef Margot Janse, voted Chef of the Year 2012. The Tasting Room is the signature restaurant serving a la carte or a tasting menu which can be paired with wines. For more rustic cuisine The Common Room serves international fusion food using South African ingredients, served tapas style and meant for sharing.

  Paranga

  No 1 The Promenade
  Victoria Road, Camps Bay
  021 438 0404

  www.paranga.co.za

  A top spot for sundowner cocktails and people watching, this trendy restaurant bar is on the main road through Camps Bay overlooking the ocean. This area gets busy at night as locals and tourists alike, flock to the sunset strip. The restaurant serves a wide range of dishes from seafood platters to sushi and steaks. There is a lively atmosphere and is a great place for dinner if you intend to stay in the area to frequent the bars later.

  Belthazar Grill & Steakhouse

  Shop 153 Lower Level V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
  021 421 3753 / 6

  www.belthazar.co.za

  Set on the quayside in the V&A Waterfront, with Table Mountain as a back drop,  this is one of the best settings in central Cape Town. Lovely for lunch as well as dinner, you can sit and watch the world go by, and the boats come and go. The menu has something for everyone from sushi platters through to the steaks that it is famous for. Request an outside table if booking in advance. (You can always move inside if it too chilly!)

  Sundowner spots

  Camps Bay is the top spot for enjoying a sundowner drink particularly at the Bay Hotel or Paranga. Closer to central Cape Town the bar at the Radisson is also very popular with locals, and has a large deck area with plenty of seating. Across the bay, there are a number of bars around Blouberg that face back towards table mountain with the sun setting out to sea behind Robben Island.