The Best Fine Dining Restaurants in South Africa

 

South Africa is a country full of culture that goes back nearly to the beginning of recorded time. If you’re not busy hiking beautiful waterfalls or snorkeling off the coast, you’ll want to taste the variety of dishes served at the historic country’s fine dining locales. Their unique location provides a variety of ingredients that are used to put fresh new spins on classic favorites or create new dishes altogether. Take a bite of some top picks for the best fine dining restaurants in South Africa for the next time you head to Mzansi.

Situated on top of Schapenberg mountain, The Restaurant at Waterkloof is an internationally-renowned and multiple award-winning eatery that turns a meal into a whole experience. Revered chef Gregory Czarnecki has gained global recognition for his gift of creating elegance and luxury in simplistic but artistic ways.

An elaborate and extraordinary menu, along with world-class service, has put The Test Kitchen on the map for fine dining. Owner and head chef Luke Dale-Roberts knows how to surprise and excite diners with some of the most inventive and creative food in the country.

La Colombe serves as one of South Africa’s most recognizable names in the fine dining circuit and continually ends up near the top of every list of the world’s best restaurants. Located on the grounds of the picturesque Silvermist Organic Wine Estate, La Colombe serves a mix of classical French and Asian cuisine that pairs perfectly with anything off of the wine menu and the breathtaking views.

Restaurant Mosaic, inside the famous Orient hotel, has quickly risen to fame along with its head chef. Chantal Dartnell, who recently won the award for ‘Best Female Chef in the World.’ She crafts an ever-changing but always top-tier menu that leaves guests’ jaws on the floor. From your first arrival to final departure, not a single detail is missed.

Wolfgat rests inside an unpretentious, white-washed fisherman’s cottage that only seats 20, making it tough to get reservations during peak travel months. Chef Kobus van der Merwe works miracles in the kitchen, creating ethereal dishes from ingredients that can be found right outside the restaurant. Some of the dishes at Wolfgat take months to prepare, which shows the dedication to perfection that comes from van der Merwe and his team.

This South African signature restaurant takes its name from the ancient giant Camphor trees planted in 1700 that sit at the front of the property. The restaurant’s seating overlooks these beautiful trees and the rest of the expansive lawn, adding something special to your dining experience. Their seasonal menu is crafted around their signature wine list in order to complement the wine, and not the other way around like you may be used to seeing. Although The Camphors is quite a highly-awarded eatery, the experience is genuine and the staff does a wonderful job at educating their guests about the wines and foods offered.

Discover the complexities of South African cuisine in this modern conservatory that offers breathtaking views of the historic Cellars-Hohenort Hotel. Chef Farrel Hirsch serves up high-end but playful dishes that complement the local ingredients of South Africa like none before him.