South Africa restaurant recommendations

[HarrogateMum]

We are going to south Africa next Easter for two weeks doing the Capetown then garden route then safari trip. Its a once in a lifetime trip and i cant wait!!! All accommodation booked but what I have no clue about is some restaurant recommendations.

I have looked at TripAdvisor but really want parents ideas as we have twin boys who will be 11 and a daughter who will be 9. They eat most things and love spicy food but faced with unknown food not so great. We will be in Capetown, Stellenbosch, wilderness and plettenburg bay so if anyone has had any great meals in kid friendly places I would love to hear about it!!! Thank you so much in advance!!!!!

The restaurants serve pretty much food you expect to see in the UK. It is very meat heavy on menus. I liked Tasha's which do lovely breakfasts, salad/light meals. They have one on the V and A. There is also a really good steakhouse on the V and A called Belthazar. It is on the Victoria dock. This is pretty pricey compared to most SA prices as food is very cheap. However, I assume the location plays a role in this as it has 'the view' of the docks and table mountain while you eat. Enjoy your trip!

We went one evening to somewhere not far from Capetown, where we had dinner in a treehouse - our then teenagers loved it, just for the ambience. I think it was part of a leopard sanctuary.

Have a wonderful time - it was our best trip ever!

Ooh you'll have an amazing time , I'm lucky enough to have family in Cape Town. SA is very child friendly and we've never eaten anywhere that children weren't welcomed and made a fuss of .
Also the SA Rand is weaker than its been for years so eating out will be really affordable , you'll always pay more at main tourist spots though ( ie V& A waterfront , Cape Point restaurant etc .

There are so many places in and around Cape Town ..
Good family chain is Ocean Basket ( mainly fish / seafood but Calamari there is amazing ( compared with here which is usually awful) . Cattle Baron does awesome steak . Thai Sushi great for spicier options or sushi which is really popular there. We love The Noedhoek farmstall which has a play park next to it . Spier winery is great with children , buy bespoke picnics and sit by the lake, lots to look at . Leopard sanctuary there to.
I'll speak to my DSister, who lives there, get her latest recommendations , as there's always somewhere new to go each time I visit .
I'm also going out in Jan , traveling to Knyna so I'll let you know if I find any gems whilst I'm there .

Oh just thought I bet ajand went to Spier , sure they have a treehouse , often have African Choirs there too

You are very lucky. You'll have an amazing time. Picnic at Vergelegen vineyard just outside Cape Town? Blues in Cape Town used to be the place to go about 15 years ago. No idea what it's like now. I'd drop in on Knysna, which is in between Wilderness and Plet. There's a great little cafe / bakery called Ile de Pai in Thesen Island. We usually head to Cornuti for pizza in Plet.

Great beaches at Swartvlei and Buffles Bay which are in between Wilderness and Knysna. Buffles better for surfing. Swatvlei just beautiful.

That's it pig in clover! It was brilliant, and between courses they painted our faces with tribal markings. Great occasion.

In Knysna - East Head Cafe is great for breakfast and lunches - a stunning view of the Heads and lagoon. Just past Plett is Keurbooms Beach and an amazing restaurant called Enrico's - pizzas made on a wood fire right on the most amazing long white sand beach. For a special treat, just outside Plett at Harkerville (the road opposite the Knysna Elelphant Park entrance) is Zinzi at Tsala Treetops. A fantastic restaurant with amazing food and service. It is very upmarket but they welcomed our, then 3 and 5, DDs and treated them like royalty.

SA is very child friendly and our girls are welcome everywhere we go.

Wow this is all great!! Thanks so much to everyone !!

If you get a chance, go to Franschhoek (40 minutes drive or thereabouts out of CT, and lovely) - for cheap and cheerful, try the Elephant & Barrel for a nice pub lunch. For higher end, try Reuben's.

If you do go out that way try Glen Carlou at Klapmuts - wine tasting, fab restaurant, art gallery. Stunning, stunning views. Also Fairview in Paarl is really worth a visit - wine tasting, cheese tasting, cool goats! Spice Route next door to Fairview in Paarl is also good - it has a glass blowing workshop, where you can watch beautiful glass stuff being hand blown and shaped (and then buy it!). There's another place next to Spice Route with an organic microbrewery. Can't remember the name

Pop in and see my lovely DSS and MiL when you're in Paarl. I miss them. I miss SA full stop.

In Franschook, La Quartier Francaise is generally considered the best restaurant in Africa. There is also a gorgeous restaurant called Constantia Uitsig which is a 15 minute drive from CT.

We did The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francaise in Franschhoek in summer 2014 - our 9 yr old loved it, we had to slip out with the 16 year old to top him up with bananas and cereal bars. Quite an experience though, think it was 9 different tasting courses, but you will need to book well in advance.

There is also The Roundhouse in Cape Town, which friends really enjoyed. Again, you'll need to book ahead.

We also had great steak and prawns at Ghillies in Plet.

TBH, I don't think we had a bad meal anywhere - great steaks (and all kinds of wildlife on offer) and fantastic seafood.

I live in Cape Town in Camps Bay Just moved here after ten years in the UK! I absolutely love it u feel like I'm in heaven. You need to include Caps Bay and Clifton. The nicest restaurant is sevruga which us at the V&A waterfront. Here's some pics of what I was doing yesterday.

Sorry for typos drinking cocktails by the sea