Sip, sip, hooray: The best of South Africa

Eight days of sips and sights in South Africa

Exploring South Africa’s famous wine region originally drew me to the country, and with good reason. South Africa’s Cape Winelands offer incredible wines, the opportunity to try new ones (hello, chenin blanc and pinotage!), and are only a 30-40 minute drive from downtown Cape Town. However, there is so much to explore (and eat) in Cape Town and a day trip to the Cape of Good Hope should absolutely be on your itinerary.

South Africa Itinerary Overview

Days 1 – 4: Cape Town

Days 5 – 7: Stellenbosch

Day 8: Franschhoek

Day 1: Cape Town

Stay at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Cape Town

Walk around the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront: The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is a mixed-use destination located in the oldest working harbor in Cape Town, with a gorgeous view of Table Mountain. It’s home to a variety of shops, business, restaurants, museums, and other fun historical landmarks, and it’s a great place to get lost in for an afternoon. Don’t forget to grab an ice cream and watch the dolphins play right off the coast!

Cocktails at Fable: Every drink on the menu is inspired by a different fable. They change their menu every so often but one standout was “The Flying Dutchman,” which was served in a spray paint can.
 
Dinner at The Potluck Club: A must-not-miss! Potluck Club is located at the top of an old biscuit mill and has great views of Table Mountain. Highlights were the umami-rich pork belly with pecan butter, rustic rabbit terrine with crispy pancetta, and ceviche “fish tacos” with black bean puree. The Thai green curry martini was also amazing.

Day 2: Cape Town

Hike Lion’s Head Trail: The summit offers incredible views of all of Cape Town, including Table Mountain and Robben Island. It’s a relatively short trail (only 3.2 miles) and an amazing place to watch the sunrise or sunset (just be sure to bring a headlamp since it gets quite dark).

Drinks at the Art of Duplicity: A sneaky hidden bar in an old Victorian warehouse in central Cape Town. To gain entry, you have to obtain the password and locate the secret venue (or find their Prohibition era-dressed bouncer who carries a baseball bat and hangs out on the street corner). Their Tom Yum soup cocktail was one of the coolest drinks I’ve ever had.

Dinner at Salsify at the Roundhouse: This was – hands down – my favorite meal in Cape Town. It was a bit off the beaten path (make sure to get your Uber driver’s contact information since it’s very difficult to find a ride back to town after dinner), but well worth the trip. While their chef’s menu changes seasonally, they had an incredible variety of vegetables, fish, and meat that were prepared so creatively. And for ~$95 a person, it was one of the best value tasting menus.

Day 3: Cape Town

Hike up to Table Mountain: Table Mountain is another must-do outdoor venture when visiting Cape Town. The top boasts breathtaking panoramic views of the city and the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike Lion’s Head, which can only be hiked, Table Mountain does have cable cars that will take people straight to the top if hiking isn’t your jam. However, be warned – the line for the cable cars on a pretty day can be ridiculously long. 

Lunch at La Colombe: Probably one of Cape Town’s more famous prix fixe restaurants. Located in Constantia, one of wine regions closest to Cape Town, La Colombe definitely wins the most points for artistic flair. Every dish was aesthetically beautiful (and delicious).

Drinks at Cause Effect: They self describe as “kinda classy, kinda hood.” A fun spot for an easy afternoon drink (especially if you’re into Legos).

Day 4: Cape of Good Hope

Drive to Cape of Good Hope: The drive along the famous Cape Peninsula road was one of the highlights of our time in Cape Town. You can rent a car and drive yourself to the Cape of Good Hope, but we opted to hire a driver (mostly because we wanted to stare out the window and enjoy the scenery the whole time). The trip was full of stunning views of the coastline, fierce cliffs, and sandy beaches. Make sure to stop at the Cape of Good Hope sign before making your way to the parking lot at the base of Cape Point. It’s also worth it to climb up to the old lighthouse, a now-defunct tower with a sweeping ocean view.

Drive to Boulder’s Beach for Penguins: If you know me, there is nothing I love more than adorable wildlife. Seeing the penguins at Boulder’s Beach was a top priority. It was so fun to watch them waddle around and tussle with the local baboons from the observation deck.

Drinks at the Gin Bar: Gin is my spirit of choice for cocktails, so hitting a bar that specializes in those was definitely on my list. They also recently opened the Bubbly Bar, which serves several crafters of the South African version of champagne (called Cap Classique).

Dinner at Fyn: By now, you have probably figured out that food experiences are my big splurge in this stage of my life. Dining at restaurants on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is something fun I look forward to whenever I go to a new city. Pronounced ‘fain,’ Fyn opened in 2018 and picked up the Best Restaurant in Africa award in 2022. The menu is Japanese at its core, using fish, poultry and meat from the best Cape Town farms and fisheries.

South Africa Winelands

This is the part of the blog where I add a number of caveats. #1: there are many incredible wine regions in South Africa. In addition to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, there’s also Constantia, Swartland, Paarl, and many others in just the Coastal Region alone (here is a more comprehensive map of South Africa wine regions). Since I was a newbie to South Africa wine, I wanted to focus our trip on Stellenbosch, with an extra day for Franschhoek, only because it is the most well-known. #2: I am insane. I wanted to sample as many wines and wineries as possible in the time we had, so I made reservations at 4-5 wineries a day. In retrospect, this was too many. I would recommend 3ish so you still have taste buds remaining for the amazing food the area has to offer. #3: Because I am insane, I hired a driver. The last thing I wanted to do was worry about driving (especially on the left side of the road), so our hotel helped us find a driver who drove our rental car. I’d absolutely recommend doing this – it cost us ~$25 USD a day and was well worth it for the peace of mind. To that end, below were our favorite places.

Day 5: Stellenbosch

Stay at Protea Hotel Stellenbosch

Tasting at Delheim: Delheim specializes in white wines, specifically Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, and they offer tastings in the Cellardoor. If it hadn’t been 10 AM when we visited, I would have opted for their wine and cupcake pairing… next time!

Tasting at Oldenburg: Our favorite winery of the trip! Oldenburg doesn’t make many of the Internet’s “most popular wineries” lists – we heard about it from friends who heard about it from friends – but we had the best experience there. Their tasting room is stunning and the lawn (pictured below) offers beautiful views of their vineyards. Their Syrah was lovely and shouldn’t be missed.

Lunch and Tasting at Delaire Graffe Estate: Delaire Graff Estate is one of the most well-known wine estates in Stellenbosch and is the epitome of luxury. While you can stay on the grounds ($$$$$), we opted to just spend an afternoon feasting at the Delaire Graff Restaurant. The staff are all knowledgeable about the wines and suggested excellent pairings to complement our food. They view from our table was also spectacular.

Tasting at Lanzerac: Lanzerac is a historic landmark, with the property dating back to 1692. The grounds are beautiful and are home to a five-star hotel, several restaurants and a deli, a tasting room, and spa.

Day 6: Stellenbosch

Tasting at Peter Falke: Peter Falke wines was established in 1995 on the historic Groenvlei Farm. The property dates back to the 18th century and has multiple traditional Cape Dutch gabled buildings.

Tasting and Lunch at Waterford Estate: Waterford has the most picturesque courtyard setting that serves as both a tasting area and houses the restaurant SALT. SALT has a unique menu focused on incorporating different types of salts and salting techniques from around the world! The staff also will help you create a custom pairing experience to complement your meal.

Tasting at de Trafford: de Trafford is small family winery established in 1992 with the focus on high end red wines. They do a great blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc. 

Dinner at Rust en Vrede Restaurant: The restaurant is part of the larger Rust en Vrede estate just outside of Stellenbosch. We enjoyed a six-course menu in the farm’s original wine cellar. The food leans French with a global twist thanks to the chef’s Brazilian and Italian roots, and there are wine pairing options from the estate as well as some of the Cape’s other boutique producers.

Day 7: Stellenbosch

Tasting at De Toren Private Cellar: De Toren specializes in Bordeaux-style wines and had the most beautiful tasting room. An appointment is definitely necessary to taste here!

Tasting at Jordan Wine Estate: Jordan has a reputation for great food, wine, and accommodations. We didn’t have time to experience Jordan’s wine safari, but it is supposed to be a highlight! The safari includes a tour of the vineyards in an open safari-style Land Rover with spectacular views of False and Table Bays.

Lunch and Tasting at Tokara: Tokara is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc wines. Their restaurant was (in my opinion) also one of the best winery-attached restaurants, and everything they cook with is sourced from local farmers in the area.

Tasting at Kanonkop: Disclaimer: although South Africa is known for its pinotage (a distinctively bold, smoky, and fruity variety), it wasn’t my favorite. However, the pinotage from Kanonkop was fantastic. This isn’t surprising though given the pinotage grape was first planted in South Africa on Kanonkop in 1941. And I got a good chuckle from their catchy slogan.

Day 8: Franschhoek

Tasting at Boschendal: Boschendal is one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa, originally established in 1685 by French Huguenot refugees.

Lunch at Babylonstoren: You could easily spend an entire day, if not more, at Babylonstoren, one of the oldest wine farms in South Africa. We had a delicious lunch at their restaurant, Babel, which takes the farm-to-fork concept to the next level, serving dishes made almost entirely from produce grown right on the Babylonstoren farm. Their seasonal menu changes regularly based on what is currently available and at its peak. The property also has eight acres of gorgeous gardens that you can explore.

Tasting at Haute Cabrière: In my opinion, Haute Cabriere has the most beautiful views in Franschhoek. Their tasting room is a sort of cave but they have an outdoor patio that looks out over the entire valley – a great spot for a sunny day.

Dinner at Chef’s Warehouse at Maison: Chef Warehouse is one of six restaurants within Australian chef Liam Tomlin’s CW restaurant conglomerate. Since the first Chefs Warehouse opened in 2010, the concept evolved as it expanded throughout South Africa. Chef’s Warehouse Maison did not disappoint and we enjoyed their signature experience, Tapas for 2.