The 10 Best Stellenbosch Restaurants 2024

While Franschhoek may hold the title as South Africa’s culinary capital, as one of the largest Winelands towns in the country, Stellenbosch boasts more than its fair share of top-rated restaurants, renowned dining spots, and exceptional culinary gems. The fact that Stellenbosch is home to a vast range of world-renowned wine farms and wine estates, means you can enjoy an extraordinary selection of top-tier wines all while indulging in a sensational culinary feast.    

Here are the 10 best Stellenbosch Restaurants, each of which promises an unforgettable dining experience.

#1 The Table at De Meye

The Table Restaurant on the beautiful De Meye Wine Farm is undoubtedly one of the best Stellenbosch restaurants. Long considered one of the Winelands’ hidden gems, The Table at De Meye is the epitome of countryside dining. Located in the most picturesque setting, this sensational Stellenbosch restaurant is surrounded by a charming garden, with long tables shaded by trees, evoking images of the French or Italian countryside, complete with languid lunches in idyllic surrounds – Offering diners a scenic and serene escape right in the heart of the Cape winelands.

Passionate owners Leigh Williamson and Brendan Thorncroft wants dining at The Table restaurant to be so much more than a simple dining experience. But one where friends and family alike can share and enjoy simple, seasonal, and delicious cooking in its purest form. Leigh and Brendan’s love and passion for food carries through in everything they do. This includes everything from where their ingredients are sourced from, how it is prepared, how it is served and most importantly, how it is enjoyed.

While a rustic farm building serves as the dining room during the winter, diners can look forward to enjoying a three-course sharing style menu on stunning tree-shaded tables, strategically scattered around the yard to creates a pleasant yet intimate environment during Cape Town’s warm summer months.

When it comes to their cuisine, The Table at De Meye only uses locally sourced, fresh, and seasonal produce and ingredients to create their sensational dishes. They pride themselves on supporting local suppliers, small-scale farmers, and delis, as well as buying organic as far as possible. Their menu changes weekly (or sometimes more often), depending on the seasonal produce available. This means that their three-course sharing style menu is always a fresh and delicious surprise for guests and food lovers visiting the restaurant.

With so much to offer, it’s no wonder that some of the country’s top chefs have rated The Table at De Meye as their favourite Winelands restaurant. Not only is top Michelin-starred Jan Hendrik Van Der Westhuizen (Restaurant JAN in Nice, France) a longtime fan of this top Stellenbosch restaurant, but Chef Giles Edwards (La Tête) has stated that: “The Table at De Meye is casual, simple dining at its absolute best. It reminds me of the old adage: “What’s done in love is done well”. 

• Location: The Table Restaurant, De Meye Wine Farm, Muldersvlei, Stellenbosch
• Contact details: 072 696 0530 | [email protected]
• Opening times: Open for lunch Thursday – Sunday, 12pm – 5.30pm | Closed on Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays | Click here to book now.
• Website: www.thetablerestaurant.co.za

#2 Overture

Spearheaded by Eat Out San Pellegrino & Acqua Panna Chef of the Year 2019, Bertus Basson, Overture is a highly renowned and equally picturesque winelands’ restaurant that should be on every foodie’s bucket-list. Not only is Overture one of the top Stellenbosch restaurants, it has received local and global culinary praise and won countless prestigious accolades from the Eat Out guide and Rossouw’s Restaurant guide over the years.

Overture is located on the Hidden Valley Wine Farm, right at the foot of the Helderberg Mountain. Besides its magnificent Stellenbosch winelands location, notable culinary status, and exceptional selection of wines, Overture prides itself on celebrating and championing local, ethically-sourced, South African produce throughout its menu to serve diners with honest, simple, produce-centered cooking based on classical techniques. In Bertus’ words: “At Overture, you will not see any awards in the restaurant, as the cooking should speak for itself”.

• Location: Overture at Hidden Valley Wines, T4 Route, Off Annandale Road, R44, Stellenbosch
• Contact details: 021 880 2721 | 021 006 1039 | [email protected]
• Opening times: Lunch: Served Wednesday – Sunday | Dinner: Served Thursday – Saturday
• Book: Click here to make a booking

#3 Hamm & Uys Eatery at Blaauwklippen

Located on the oldest wine estate in Stellenbosch, Blaauwklippen Wine Estate, Hamm & Uys Eatery is farm-to-table elegance at its finest. Dynamic TV Chefs and creative culinary duo Johnny Hamman and Marius Uys provide diners with the perfect pairing of South African heritage food with an extravagant international spin and certain finesse, which promises to have you coming back again and again. You can look forward to enjoying everything from delicious traditional Sunday roast lunches, flavourful casual country food, and delectable Cape classics in a beautiful and tranquil environment.

This incredible country casual Stellenbosch restaurant, with modern touches and classic Winelands elegance, is all about combining “the good, honest food you grew up with” with their global culinary experiences, travels, and inspiration – And you’ll undoubtedly be savouring every single bite, trust us!

• Location: Blaauwklippen Estate, Strand Road, R44 Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch
• Contact details: 066 495 0270 | [email protected]
• Opening times: Open for lunch from Wednesday – Sunday (kitchen opens 11:30 and closes 16:00) | Open for dinner on Thursdays and Fridays (kitchen opens 11:30 and closes 20:30)
• Book: Click here to make a booking

#4 Eike by Bertus Basson

Eike is another one of legendary Chef Bertus Basson’s culinary gems. Nestled in an old historic building in the famous Dorp Street of Stellenbosch, also known as “Die Eikestad” – The Oak City – Eike celebrates traditional South African cooking to its core by drawing inspiration from nostalgic food memories. While this top Stellenbosch restaurant is renowned for its creative and unexpected take on local flavours, Eike prides itself on showcasing South Africa’s vibrant diversity of cultures, influences, and food heritage throughout its menu.

All of Eike’s dishes and culinary creations are made with fresh, locally-sourced, and seasonal ingredients and produce. Diners can expect to enjoy a 2 or 3 course menu for lunch and a 3 or 5 course menu for dinner when dining at Eike.

• Location: 50 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
• Contact details: 021 007 4231 | [email protected]
• Opening times: Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm – late | Dinner served from 6pm
• Book: Click here to make a booking | Contact the Restaurant Directly for Parties Larger than 6

#5 96 Winery Road Restaurant

96 Winery Road is a sensational country-style restaurant located in the heart of the Helderberg countryside in the beautiful Stellenbosch Winelands. At 96 Winery Road diners can expect a real and authentic culinary experience. Nothing fancy or extravagant, just simple and unpretentious cooking, big, bold, and wholesome flavors, and truly delicious food. All of 96 Winery Road’s dishes are made with only the freshest local ingredients, and cooked with the utmost care, passion, love, and generosity. The menu at 96 Winery Road typically consists of a selection of fresh seasonal meals inspired by South African-influenced international cuisine.

• Location: 96 Winery Road Restaurant, Winery Road, Zandberg Farm, Stellenbosch, Cape Town
• Contact details: 021 842 2020 | 078 924 1713 (WhatsApp) |[email protected] | 
• Opening times: Deli: Daily from 9am |Breakfast: Served until 11am (last orders in at 10:30am) | Lunch: Daily from 12h00 to 15h00 | Dinner: Monday to Saturday, 18h00 to 21h00
• Website: www.96wineryroad.co.za

#6 Indochine Restaurant at Delaire Graff

Indochine Restaurant located at the magnificent Delaire Graff Wine Estate is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in Stellenbosch and the Cape Winelands. Offering a culinary experience unlike any other, Indochine Restaurant invites diners to embark on a thrilling epicurean adventure with Indochine Head Chef Virgil Kahn. Balancing authenticity and innovation, Head Chef Virgil Kahn draws on old Cape Malay family recipes and his frequent trips to Asia to offer diners fresh, delicate food that’s every bit as light as it is satisfying, with each dish served with an imaginative touch of theatre. Kahn’s philosophy is centred around an all-sensory dining experience, combining exquisitely balanced flavours with imaginative presentation. All the ingredients from which Virgil conjures up his unique Afro-Asian cuisine are grown especially for Indochine on the Estate grounds and picked daily from the garden and biodynamic greenhouse.

Indochine’s phenomenal cuisine is perfectly paired with magnificent mountain and winelands views – What more could you possibly ask for? Ensuring a truly unforgettable, exciting, and authentic culinary experience in the heart of the captivating Cape Winelands.

• Location: Delaire Graff Estate, Helshoogte Road, Stellenbosch
• Contact details: 021 885 8160 | [email protected]
• Opening times: Lunch: Monday to Sunday 12:30pm – 2pm (last seating) | Dinner: Monday to Sunday 6pm – 8pm (7pm last seating for Signature Travel Menu) | Indochine Restaurant closes at 10pm
• Click here to find out more

#7 The Kraal Restaurant at Joostenberg Wine Estate

If you’re looking to enjoy an authentic honest-to-goodness culinary experience in the stunning Cape Winelands, dining at Joostenberg Wine Estate’s The Kraal restaurant should be right at the top of your list. Set within a stone-walled courtyard (which was once-upon-a-time the farm’s original cattle kraal), The Kraal is known for its unique and distinctive location and quirky, vibrant, and captivating character and ambiance.

On a beautiful, blue-skied Stellenbosch Winelands day, there are few things as pleasant as enjoying a deliciously prepared farm-fresh lunch with friends and family in a stunning rustic outdoor setting, in between fruit trees and wild olive groves, right next to the fresh and thriving farm werf garden.

When it comes to food, The Kraal is all about celebrating and showcasing the very best fresh, organic, seasonal, and local produce. By supporting local farmers and producers and using seasonal, organic, and fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruit from their very own farm garden, The Kraal prides itself on creating their entire flavor-filled and sensational set lunch menu on the fresh, seasonal, and local produce available and growing in the area at the time. Not to mention the magical, all-encompassing ingredient that brings it all together – DELICIOUSNESS! Despite it all, every meal The Kraal crafts, creates, and serves to diners and culinary enthusiasts should be absolutely delicious – no ifs, ands, or buts about it!

The Kraal’s three-course set menu is available to enjoy for weekend lunches only, and changes regularly, keeping things fresh and exciting every time you visit.

It goes without saying that the beyond exceptional Kraal restaurant at Joostenberg Wine Estate in Stellenbosch is the epitome of fuss-free, farm-to-table dining at it’s very best. Paired with extraordinary Joostenberg Estate vino, beautiful surrounding scenery, and a spectacular view to top it all off, enjoying an outstanding dining and culinary experience at The Kraal promises to be truly unforgettable!

**Extra information: While there is nothing quite like enjoying a spectacular farm-fresh lunch in a beautiful outdoor winelands setting, the thick-walled Cape Dutch-style wine-tasting room (a converted waenhuis (wagon house)) of the lovely Joostenberg Wine Estate offers guests and diners the perfect setting to sit back, warm-up, and relax on cold Cape Town and Stellenbosch Winelands days. Imagine enjoying a delectable The Kraal meal, next to a cosy fireplace, all while listening to the soothing sounds of old vinyl records – sounds like absolute bliss!

• Location: The Kraal, Joostenberg Wine Estate, Hoopenburg Road, Muldersvlei
• Contact details: 079 641 1320 | [email protected]
• Opening times: The Kraal is open on Saturdays & Sundays only | Bookings can be made from 12pm | A set lunch is served with the menu changing every week | Booking is essential as they only book for the number of guests who have reserved a table
• Cost: R385 per adult | R180 per child 5-12 years old | No charge 4 years & under
• Click here to find out more

#8 The Vine Bistro

The Vine Bistro is regarded as another one of Stellenbosch’s culinary hidden gems. Situated on Glenelly Estate in Ida’s Valley, The Vine Bistro is known for its flavor-packed classic bistro food with a modern twist, paired with distinctive, award-winning wines from Glenelly Estate. Headed by chef patron Christophe Dehosse, together with head chef Alex Rykaart, this sought-after Stellenbosch restaurant boasts a succinct French-inspired menu that is both exceptional and exciting. The menu changes on a regular basis, keeping the mystery alive and diners intrigued and waiting with excited anticipation. As all the dishes served at The Vine Bistro are made with the very best fresh, local ingredients available, diners can expect to enjoy a vast variety of flavorsome culinary creations.

Besides a sensational menu and exceptional wine collection, including a small selection of rare Pichon wines, The Vine Bistro boasts breathtaking views from their elegant dining room across the fynbos garden and vineyards up towards the Simonsberg foothills.

• Location: Glenelly Estate, Lelie Street, Ida’s Valley, Stellenbosch
• Contact details: 021 809 6444 | [email protected]
• Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday Lunch from 12pm – 3pm | Thursday – Saturday Dinner from 6:30pm – 8pm | Bookings are highly recommended
• Book: Click here to make a booking

#9 Rust en Vrede Restaurant

Having received several prestigious awards over the years, including a spot in San Pellegrino’s Top 100 Restaurants in the World and Elite Traveler’s Top 100 Restaurants in the World, an all-round first-class experience awaits you at this warm and welcoming restaurant located on the beautiful Rust en Vrede Estate. Besides its renowned global restaurant status, it was also rated as one of the best restaurants in the land by two of South Africa’s finest chefs, Bertus Basson and Luke Dale-Roberts.

Housed in the Estate’s original cellar (a historic monument) which has been transformed into a sophisticated yet relaxing fine-dining setting, the Restaurant at Rust en Vrede has done its best to preserve the unique charm of the building so that guests are transported back to simpler times, where good wine and food are central to the experience. 

Using only the freshest and best locally-sourced ingredients from sustainable producers, Chef Fabio Daniel serves contemporary French cuisine, adding his own unique flair by taking inspiration from his Brazilian and Italian heritage. Paired with an exceptional international wine list, overseen by sommelier James Mukosi who works closely with Chef Fabio to find the best wine pairings for each dish, the Restaurant at Rust en Vrede prides itself on combining a balanced menu with wines to enhance each dish.

• Location: Rust en Vrede, Annandale Road, Stellenbosch
• Contact details: 021 881 3757 | [email protected]
• Opening hours: Thursday – Saturday, 6pm – 11pm | Reservations essential
• Click here to find out more

#10 Gåte Restaurant at Quoin Rock

Perched on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountains, Gåte Restaurant at Quoin Rock has established itself as one of the most sought-after restaurants in Stellenbosch. Providing diners with a culinary adventure refreshingly rooted in Southern Africa, Gåte at Quoin Rock aims to capture your imagination and engage your senses. Seating only 40 people, it offers an intimate and inspiring fine dining experience in the heart of the Stellenbosch Winelands.

This remarkable wine estate restaurant’s entire menu is sustainably and locally-sourced. All the dishes include at least one ingredient grown on the Quoin Rock Wine Estate, with the rest sourced locally to ensure maximum freshness and to support the local community. Each dish served at Gåte is presented as a work of art on a plate as it strives to echoe the beauty and intricacy of the natural surroundings.

Gåte Restaurant at Quoin Rock boasts a variation of menus, ranging from two-course daytime dining (Gåte Restaurant by Day) to the full Chef’s experience of a seven-course dinner (Gåte Restaurant by Night). Regardless of which menu you choose, it promises to be an unforgettable culinary experience. Each dish is also paired with an exceptional Quoin Rock Estate wine, including the Quoin Rock Shiraz, Quoin Rock Red blend, their Black Series MCC and their Rose Bellini Namysto Festive series MCC.

• Location: Quoin Rock Wine Estate, Knorhoek Road, Stellenbosch
• Contact details: 021 888 4750 | [email protected]
• Opening hours: Daytime Experience: Wednesday – Sunday, 12pm – 3pm | Evening Experience: Thursday – Saturday, 6pm – 10pm
• Click here to make a booking & to find out more