Loosen your belt buckle! The Cape Winelands has always been an enticing food destination. The landscape abounds with farms and vineyards, translating to a culture of foodies and sommeliers. Now, perhaps it’s even more exciting as chefs tilt the dining landscape toward hyper-local ingredients, traditional techniques and fusion fare. When it comes to unique eats, the Winelands has got all the bases covered. Below, bookmark these five must-try food experiences.
Editor’s pick: Geuwels
The ultimate dining experience that marries culture with flavour. Geuwels at Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate is by storied chef Bertus Basson and head chef Drikus Brink, deftly drawing on their heritage to provide an exciting expression of South African cuisine. You’ll love the interiors – a welcoming homeliness with natural-toned furnishings, trailing greenery, and open shelving lined with hand-picked vases and ceramics – but you’ll love the outside space even more. With front-row access to the famous Indian Runner ducks, you can watch them waddle across the farm daily at 09h00 and 12h00, keeping pests away in the vineyards. They work alongside Dexter cattle to naturally manage the crops. Lunches are rarely more idyllic, especially in the spring. Geuwels has a refined, shareable menu featuring an all-star cast of South African dishes. We all have one dish that’s an instant order, sight unseen, whenever it’s on a menu. Our kryptonite? Probably roosterkoek. So, we’re glad we immediately pulled the trigger on the dense and doughy roosterkoek, served hot with Huguenot cheese Catalan and biltong powder. The squid comes in a simple white bowl, but there’s nothing basic about the taste. A sprightly mix of grilled squid, smashed cucumber, capers, chilli and mint, it sets the bar high. Comfort food is redefined with creamed African grains, where heavenly roasted cauliflower and chives pile up. They’re both a good time with the lively, citrusy Vergenoegd Löw Sauvignon Blanc 2023. But the menu’s strength lies in its meats. The Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants dry-aged beef truly encapsulates the essence of Geuwels. The rump steak, glistening in blush pink, has the perfect balance of charred softness with full-on earthy flavours, enhanced by sharp hits of parsnip and mushroom. Steaming sides – such as a jumble of crispy roast potatoes, garlic emulsion and green onion – are so moreish it’s impossible to not have a mouthful in between steak bites. This dish has serious big-bowl energy. You really don’t need to order much more – although, we suggest you do. Hake, its flesh flaky and sweet, is encased in a crunchy Diesel & Dust beer batter and served with chunky tartar sauce. Don’t ignore the old-school puddings – especially the ones drowning in homemade ice cream. Ordering the Peppermint Crisp waffle is a non-negotiable. It’s so mighty rich, it brings much contentment for your finale and leaves you with a smile slapped across your face. Lip-smackingly, eye-rollingly, hand-claspingly yummy. Geuwels is a go-to spot for anyone wanting a classic South African meal with class, character and charm.
Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate, 1 Faure Village Road, Croydon
021 202 4373
GlenWood Gourmet Sushi Restaurant
GlenWood Vineyards provides many applause-worthy moments. Some cheer this winery for revolutionising chardonnay in South Africa. Others appreciate the bucolic setting, the indigenous fynbos, and the surrounding flora and fauna that spirit you away to a better place. The hour-long drive from the CBD is packed with eye candy, too. But it’s the restaurant that’s at the heart of the experience. Distinctly different from Franschhoek’s fine-dining restaurants and farm-to-table experiences, the simply furnished GlenWood Gourmet Sushi Restaurant is charmingly chilled. The main dining space looks straight into the winery, where the team is hard at work. It aims to be more laidback with teak furniture, and more modern in terms of the menu with artful sushi on offer. Outside, there’s seating for sunny weekend gatherings. The sushi selection is extensive with maki, nigiri, sashimi, roses, hand rolls, tempura rolls, signature dishes and sushi platters. Whether you’re a purist who cherishes time-honoured traditions or someone who prefers the creative approach, each sushi piece is meticulously prepared using the finest ingredients. Prepare yourself for deep-fried prawn rolls topped with spicy tuna crumbs; Rainbow Reloaded enhanced with sesame oil and seven spice; spicy tuna and avocado rolls, drizzled with sweet soy sauce and garnished with spring onion; and Lobster Crunch filled with lobster, avocado and cucumber, complemented by spicy mayo and crispy tempura bits. As you might expect, there are also small plates including salted edamame beans, fried calamari and tempura prawns – a great foil for chardonnay. Round off a lazy lunch with a tasting for a rural afternoon done right.
GlenWood Vineyards, Robertsvlei Road, Franschhoek
(021) 8762044
Ernie Els Restaurant
A day trip to this Instagram-ready cellar-door restaurant remains one of the Winelands’ finest lunch dates. Ernie Els Restaurant is back and better than ever with relaxed regional dining, stellar crew and a minor facelift worthy of its prestigious location within the Golden Triangle of Stellenbosch. Best of all, it’s an excursion that can be enjoyed by all – golf enthusiasts and non-golfers, young and old, omnivore or vegetarian – as demonstrated by the diverse crowd that brings this dining room to life. Alfresco dining is also a drawcard, with an expansive terrace, while interiors are all contemporary aesthetic and tactile materials. This isn’t the place to book if you want out-there combinations. Instead, local ingredients cast in comforting, largely European-style dishes are the kitchen’s calling cards. Scene-setting starters might include elegant Chalmar beef tartare, delivered with such compelling flair with mustard, gherkins, capers and toasted sourdough. The sweet, succulent West Coast mussels, complete with ‘nduja cream and spring onion flatbread, will cause a riot – the good kind – at your table. There’s more, of course. Pumpkin risotto shares billing with sustainably caught yellowtail. Mooiberge Bovelder dry-aged beef sirloin with garlic confit, onion ketchup, potato pavé and creamed Swiss chard topped with a rich bone marrow crumb make the familiar dazzle anew. Desserts in the vein of Jan Ellis pudding with white chocolate crémeux, pistachio crumble and honeycomb exemplify Ernie Els Restaurant’s amicable style of hospitality – as do the chipper staff, beaut views and easy-drinking wines. The obvious choice is a bottle of Ernie Els Wines’ superb Signature red blend.
Ernie Els Wines, Annandale Road, Stellenbosch
021 881 3588
Terra del Capo Antipasti Bar
Whispers of long lunches under olive trees greet you at Terra del Capo Antipasti Bar. On a balmy spring day, well-groomed guests gather to dine alfresco surrounded by magnificent trees and the sage-green countryside. Terra del Capo Antipasti Bar is recognisable for its Italian flair, featuring fresh pasta galore, fine charcuterie, mature cheeses and antipasti as a form of art – all of which are accompanied by Anthonij Rupert wines. Add a gorgeous room with a view of the cellar’s bottling line, several glasses of L’Ormarins Vintage Brut Rosé and the perfect amount of bustle, and you’ll be planning a return visit before you’ve finished this one. Culinary standards are reliably high. (Hint: it’s all about the ingredients.) Burrata is glossily textured, thrown in with basil, tomato and bright cuts of nectarine. Mushroom arancini stuffed with fontina cheese is served with garlicky aioli. Textbook smoked potato gnocchi bonds beautifully with basil pesto. Salt and pepper squid – crispy, tender and perfectly seasoned – delivers the comforting joy of something simple done well. Proteins are excellent, from beef tagliata with porcini cream to supple lamb ravioli in a rosemary cream sauce. Don’t even think of skipping one of the Altima truffle dishes. The Périgord black truffles are cultivated at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Altima Estate, just north of Villiersdorp. Order the truffle tagliatelle: Strands of fresh pasta loll fat and happy in Parmesan cream, flecked with just the right amount of truffle shavings. The Italian cheese board constitutes a lightly balanced end to the afternoon – unless you extend it with a wine tasting at the adjacent Terra del Capo Tasting Room, where the same sense of hospitality prevails.
Anthonij Rupert Wyne, R45 Main Road, Franschhoek
021 874 9041
Stables at Vergelegen
Despite its impressive entrance, manicured lawns and carpets of sunflowers, it’s all very relaxed at Vergelegen Wine Estate. Once you’ve settled into the thoroughly modern trappings of Stables at Vergelegen – with its foolproof combo of watchful service and unpretentious, well-executed food – you might find yourself so comfortable that you momentarily forget to take in the natural beauty just outside. The large space in the former stables has a cosy feel with emerald green subway tiles, wooden tables and chairs, botanical prints and floor-to-ceiling windows. Here, even the simplest things demand your attention: Classic French onion soup, say, or smoked salmon atop potato röstis with baby spinach, avocado and lime dressing. The cooking pops with big flavours and gorgeous balance, indicating a kitchen operating with skill and confidence. Think impeccable short rib bourguignon, lemon and herb petit poussin, slow-roasted pork belly and Cape Malay bobotie, best enjoyed with the Vergelegen DNA – a red blend that’s dominated by cabernet franc. Chargrilled sirloin steak contains magnitudes of flavour, needing no more than a dab of Bordelaise sauce for emphasis. Grilled kingklip, meanwhile, is a sensual mouthful with West Coast mussels, braised baby leeks, luxe mashed potato and Pernod cream sauce pooling alongside. Leave plenty of room for dessert – you’ll be dreaming of the hot chocolate malva pudding with crème brûlée cream and a dusting of powdered sugar for weeks after your visit. Invested service and spectacular views will keep you pinned to your seat, but a roam around the grounds encapsulates the whole experience – a much welcome breath of fresh air.
Vergelegen Wine Estate, Lourensford Road, Somerset West
021 847 2156
