South Africa · best-of list
The 6 Best Restaurants in South Africa
All 6 restaurants our route editors picked in South Africa, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
6 restaurants in South Africa, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Cape Town 2 picks
Kloof Street House
Cape Town · On our Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route
Victorian house turned restaurant with a garden terrace and a menu of steaks, seafood and cocktails.
Tip: Book for dinner; the garden tables go first.
Photo: Magdalena Reichstamm · Google
Neighbourgoods Market
Cape Town · On our Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route
Saturday food and design market inside the Old Biscuit Mill, with local producers and street food.
Tip: Arrive before 10am to beat the crowds.
Photo: Mohamed Mazroa · Google
Knysna & Plettenberg Bay 2 picks
East Head Café
Knysna & Plettenberg Bay · On our Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route
Waterside cafe at the Knysna Heads, popular for breakfast and seafood lunches on the deck.
Tip: No bookings for small groups; arrive early on weekends.
Photo: Francois Grobler · Google
Île de Pain
Knysna & Plettenberg Bay · On our Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route
Bakery-cafe on Thesen Island known for wood-fired breads and seasonal plates.
Photo: île de païn - lunch & breakfast restaurant & artisan bakery · Google
Stellenbosch & Franschhoek 2 picks
Babylonstoren
Stellenbosch & Franschhoek · On our Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route
Cape Dutch farm with a huge working fruit and vegetable garden, a farm-to-table restaurant and wine cellar.
Tip: Book Babel restaurant well ahead; the garden tour is free and runs daily.
Photo: Corena Botha · Google
Tokara
Stellenbosch & Franschhoek · On our Cape Town, Winelands & Garden Route
Estate on the Helshoogte Pass with a restaurant, deli, olive oils and modern art over the vineyards.
Photo: Tokara Wine Estate · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in South Africa?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 6 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of South Africa has the most restaurants on this list?
Cape Town, Knysna & Plettenberg Bay and Stellenbosch & Franschhoek lead with 2 each; the other picks are spread across 0 more destinations.
More lists for South Africa
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- Cape Town 2 on this list
- Knysna & Plettenberg Bay 2 on this list
- Stellenbosch & Franschhoek 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.