BEYOND CAPE TOWN

Smoking

WiFi

Take-Aways

Kid-Friendly

Winner: Best Everyday Eateries

Bookable on the Eat Out app

West Coast

CHARLIE’S BREWHOUSE

BEST FOR Casual lunch with river views, catching sport, or sundowners and tapas with friends. FOOD Look forward to a hearty fusion between British pub grub and West Coast influences at this friendly local. There’s something for every appetite. For the seriously hangry, the honey- and mustard-glazed eisbein is a no-brainer. You can’t go wrong with steak-and-ale pie with creamy mash, or the Moroccan-spiced lamb burger with tzatziki, hummus and cumin-tomato relish. The West Coast mussels (with coconut and ale or white wine sauce) are a standard order. Bar snacks go down a treat with craft beer. Think fish cakes with wasabi mayo, beer prawns, ribs or smoked snoek pâté with bokkom melba toast. For dessert, leave space for home-made ice cream. DRINKS There’s an on-site microbrewery, so it’s all about the beer. Gin cocktails, decent wines and next-level milkshakes. SERVICE Efficient and friendly. AMBIENCE Vibey and modern with big TVs and some outside seating. (EO)

1 Marina Centre, Port Owen Drive, Port Owen; 022 783 0448; avg main meal R100; lunch: Mon to Sun dinner: Mon to Sun

GAAITJIE

BEST FOR Long weekend lunches. FOOD First things first: don’t miss the superb starter of plump West Coast mussels, swimming in an aromatic broth of lime and cumin and served with warm potbrood. The grilled calamari is equally good, enlivened by a dressing of lime, smoked paprika and pickled red onion on a bed of charred sweetcorn. Alongside masala prawns on basmati rice or monkfish in danya marinade, main courses offer plenty of earthbound alternatives: ostrich with pap croquettes and chakalaka, beef sirloin with carrot purée, or mushroom linguine tossed with truffle cream. For dessert, the granadilla panna cotta with berries and brandy snaps is a perfect end to the meal. DRINKS An impressive, well-chosen wine list. SERVICE Charming, from start to finish, with chef Jaco Kruger often checking on diners. AMBIENCE Bright and breezy, with broad verandahs offering sea views from tables set just above the sand. (RH)

Off Sampson Road, Paternoster; 022 757 2242; avg main meal R190; lunch: Thu to Mon dinner: Thu to Mon

LEETO RESTAURANT

BEST FOR Weekend gourmet escapes. FOOD The deep flavours of the prawn-and-calamari risotto, built on indecently good bisque, show that chef Garth Almazan has the magic touch. Other stand-out starters include the Malay-spiced mussels, and gnocchi in gorgonzola-and-parmesan cream. For mains, the vegetarian risotto is also tempting, but the linguine of fish, mussels and calamari with slow-roasted tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms and a chilli-cream sauce, is truly a pasta dish to remember. There’s also springbok loin with a croquette of pulled bokkie shank on offer, or a no-nonsense sirloin with truffle jus. Desserts are kept simple: a light lemon posset, chocolate plate with marmalade ice cream or Kahlua-infused crème brûlée. DRINKS The wine list champions regional cellars; local craft beers are on tap. SERVICE Warm and welcoming. AMBIENCE Indoors it’s all Scandi-chic blonde wood and banquettes; summer days mean dining on the deck with glorious sea views. (RH)

Paternoster Slot, Paternoster; 060 927 0403; avg main meal R205; lunch: Mon to Sun dinner: Mon to Sun

THE NOISY OYSTER

BEST FOR Unpretentious dining with friends. FOOD The playfully worded menu belies the quality of cooking at this Paternoster institution, drawing most of its inspiration from the Mediterranean, with the occasional local flourish. Snack on the platter of toasted ciabatta with spreads while you ponder starters. The pan-seared calamari tubes tossed in lemon, basil and caperberries is superb, and caramelised kumquats top the silky duck and orange terrine. For mains, your best choices are in the seafood: whole-roasted gurnard with Moroccan spices, fish caponata on eggplant, and a Paternoster-style hake Niçoise. Desserts are Italian and French classics given a local twist; the flourless chocolate torte with grape molasses is particularly delicious. DRINKS A focused wine list of well-known brands, local craft brews, and artisan gins. SERVICE Faultless. AMBIENCE A cosy courtyard space is a cheerful wonderland of fairy lights, quirky lamps and colourful decor. (RH)

62 St Augustine Road, Paternoster; 022 752 2196; avg main meal R180; lunch: Wed to Sat dinner: Wed to Sun

WOLFGAT TOP 10

BEST FOR The bucket list. FOOD That the World Restaurant of the Year can start a tasting menu with a skillet of bokkom butter and a hessian bag of breadsticks is a testament to the assured ease of Kobus van der Merwe, who’s just doing his own thing here – and you love him for it. Give into the sorcery of the strandveld and this chef who has put it on the global map. For most dishes there are no real suppliers to speak of, with so much foraged, gathered or hunted. Spoons are shell or wood; bowls unadorned cream or plain slate. The focus is on simplicity, purity and locality. Creamed white mussel is served in its own shell with buttermilk rusk crumbs; the creamed butter beans are justifiably famous; black-mussel custard with coconut will have the table speechless; and the dessert defies convention with its savoury, citrusy and spicy notes. DRINKS Astounding unfiltered, natural-ferment wines. SERVICE Gentle and generous. AMBIENCE Calm and tranquil, overlooking the beach. Time really does stand still here at the edge of the world. (LS)

10 Sampson St, Kliprug, Paternoster; R950 for one lunch: Wed to Sun dinner: Fri to Sat

Breede River Valley

KOLE AND DEEG

BEST FOR Road-trip lunches and fresh bakes. FOOD A stop here should be mandatory for anyone road-tripping via Ceres. The menu is simple, built around superb freshly baked breads, from ciabatta and seed loaf to traditional roosterkoek. Hearty breakfasts bring eggs done your favourite way, or perhaps a roosterkoek filled with cheesy mince. Hot-press toasties are well priced, with no shortage of creative fillings. The Rogeltjie of hot-smoked pulled chicken, caramelised onions and mustard mayo is superb. The range of juicy burgers is also worth exploring, with a platter of sliders offering a taste of each, and home-baked quiche, or soup of the day, round out the hearty no-frills menu. Grab a cupcake or brownie for the road. DRINKS Soft drinks or – gasp – instant coffee. SERVICE Charming and friendly. AMBIENCE Sleek and simple décor, with long communal tables next to the prominent and ever-tempting bakery counter. (RH)

28 Voortrekker Street, Ceres; 079 489 7428; avg main meal R90; breakfast: Mon to Sat lunch: Mon to Sat

Paarl

BABEL AT BABYLONSTOREN

BEST FOR Exploring the expansive property and a farm-to-fork meal. FOOD It’s all about home-grown, seasonal produce here, with the menu dictated by the garden. Colour-themed starters might include a red salad of herby smoked trout; a yellow spiced sweet potato soup; or green deep-fried ricotta-and-kale clusters. Vegetarians and vegans are well taken care of, but meat eaters are treated to beef fillet on the bone with oyster mushrooms and red-wine sauce; lamb cutlets spiced with myrtle berry, wild garlic and kapokbos; or slow-roasted pork belly in apple-and-thyme marinade. For dessert, think cinnamon-baked apple with buchu custard or orange-and-rose geranium sago pudding. DRINKS Wines from the estate and region, plus MCC. SERVICE Friendly. AMBIENCE This former Cape Dutch barn with floor-to-ceiling glass makes for a striking location (LIB)

Babylonstoren Farm, Klapmuts-Simondium Road; 021 863 3852; avg main meal R180; breakfast: Mon to Sun lunch: Wed to Sun dinner: Mon to Sun

FABER

NOMINEE

BEST FOR A farm-to-table feast. FOOD Under chef Dale Stevens the restaurant it has finally found its place in the sun. Many ingredients are produced and harvested here, whether herbs and veg or chickens, ducks and Black Angus cattle, showcasing the estate as an inspirational pantry. A dish like the sustainable mullet with miso-glazed aubergine and ponzu is a classic example of how ingredients speak for themselves. If the treatment of fish is light and ethereal then meat dishes are robust and luxurious, especially the aged grass-fed flat-iron steak with hot-smoked bacon, charred onion and mushrooms. The vanilla panna cotta with borage flowers and orange (dried, fresh and puréed) melts in your mouth. DRINKS Avondale wines of outstanding quality. SERVICE Friendly and knowledgeable. AMBIENCE A welcoming space that feels like the extension of the tasting room. (PGW)

Avondale Wine Farm, Lustigan Road, Klein Drakenstein, Paarl; 021 202 1219; avg main meal R205 lunch: Wed to Sun dinner: Thu to Sat

GREENHOUSE AT BABYLONSTOREN

BEST FOR Light bites during a garden wander. FOOD It’s all about relaxed picnic-style dining here, and dishes arrive in wooden boxes and glass jars. It’s rustic, yet plenty of thought has gone into the light meals and fresh bakes. Fresh scones with garden preserves are a must, as is the gluten-free chocolate cake. In summer, popsicle sorbets from garden fruits will take the edge off the heat. Lunch plates are well priced and made with love. A humble boerewors roll comes with home-made tomato relish, while the open sandwiches are packed with estate ingredients: greens, home-smoked bacon and their own chutneys. DRINKS Estate wines and a wonderful choice of juices, smoothies and zingy home-made ginger beer. SERVICE Warm and friendly. AMBIENCE It’s a glorious garden setting under the oak trees, or inside the greenhouse when the weather turns. (RH)

Babylonstore Farm, Klapmuts-Simondium Road R45; 021 863 3852; avg main meal R85; lunch: Mon to Sun

JEWELL’S

WINNER

Serious food lovers. Winner of the 2019 Eat Out Retail Capital Best New Restaurant Award. Wines from the estate and nearby, craft beers and spirits. Excellent: capable and helpful. Stylish but pared down, with eye-catching views.