[Updated October 2024]
You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to restaurants in Swellendam, about 200km east of Cape Town. The town has more than 35 restaurants where you can get anything from a pastry to a pizza, a toasted sarmie to bobotie, a plate of pasta to a fine dining experience. Here are some ideas about Swellendam restaurants worth visiting.
I wouldn’t be cheeky enough to rate these restaurants on a number scale. I’ve listed them alphabetically instead so the first is no better than the last. Each is different and in its own way worth visiting.
La Belle Alliance
The building that houses the restaurant used to be a Masonic Lodge and you can still see the Masonic symbol on the gable.
The menu is a mix of hearty breakfasts, traditional dishes like bobotie and lasagne and lighter options like sandwiches. I enjoyed a toasted chicken sarmie, while hubby had a burger and a yummy lemon meringue pie. Their apple crumble is also good and the slices are generous. Service was prompt and friendly, but we didn’t feel rushed. If you’re lucky and keep your eyes peeled, you may spot some birds in the trees.
Open daily for breakfast and lunch, but not for dinner.
Christelle’s Bistro
The theme inside is French, the walls painted with scenes from Paris and a small menu to match. Expect classics like French onion soup, quiche Lorraine, croque monsieur, salade Nicoise, cassoulet (duck, ham and beans) and bouillabaisse. We thought the menu was a bit limited, but each day there’s a blackboard special too. The evening we visited it was our favourite, lamb shank, so that was us well satisfied. Other blackboard specials might be chicken cordon bleu or oxtail. When I mentioned the limited choices to owner Christelle (yes, she’s French and has the accent to match), she said the bistro was only seven weeks old but might expand its options depending on feedback from the locals. We’ve heard since our visit that she’s now has different menus for lunch and dinner, weekly specials as well as the daily blackboard menu.
For dessert we had a perfect-textured crème brulée but if you’re a crêpe fan you’ll be pleased to see that classic, crêpe Suzette, on the menu too.
Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The Conservatory at Schoone Oordt
If you’re lucky enough to be staying at the guest house, you’ll find that the kitchen staff continues the gourmet theme at breakfast, with a spread that includes fresh fruit salad, creamy yoghurt, home-made granola, muffins, scones, cheeses – and that’s just the first course. The second course might be flapjacks with berry coulis, followed by a delicious tower of mushroom, tomato, bacon and egg – a novel and attractive twist on the same-old, same-old hot breakfast.
Open for dinner in summer, closed from May to August except for Gourmet Getaways in association with some other Swellendam restaurants.
The Drostdy Restaurant
Walk through the attractive garden to get to the thatched and gabled building (see intro photo). Sit on the stoep in fine weather to enjoy a drink and the mountain views, then make your way inside to meet charming Annelie at front of house and taste what David and his staff come up with in the kitchen. Three rooms, one with a huge fireplace, are furnished with gleaming wood to create a pleasantly old-fashioned atmosphere that suits the historic building.
For dessert we had a well-textured chai tea crème brulee (the flavour changes regularly), and an interesting strawberry and basil pannacotta. The flavour combination worked well, with the basil cutting through the sweetness of the strawberries without being too heavy-handed. All in all, a good meal in a convivial atmosphere.
Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner only.
Field & Fork
My caramelised onion, beetroot and goats cheese in phyllo tart was scrumptious, the other starter of salmon and cream cheese roulade understandably less piquant. My husband ordered a main of fillet of Black Angus beef with beans, cauliflower purée and shiitake mushrooms with a cabernet jus. It was cooked medium rare and tender, just the way he likes it. I had duck breast with spiced cabbage, baby spinach and toasted almonds that was also tender and tasty.
For dessert we chose double cream vanilla ice cream with toffee sauce and toasted almonds, and an Amarula crème brûlée with Madagascan vanilla bean, just the right texture. I highly recommend this restaurant, especially if you visit when the winter special is running to make it more affordable.
Open daily for dinner only.
The Garden Shack
Don’t stop until you’ve gone up the rustic wooden stairs to the upper level, where the second personality will greet you. The theme here is pure beach and ocean, with the décor accentuating surf boards, buoys, wooden fish, old signs and shells. There’s lots of beach sand too for that relaxed ocean-side vibe. Yes, the sand was brought in specially. Friendly owner Sid Vorster explained that he loves the sea so much he ‘brought the beach to Swellendam’. It’s clear that he and wife Des appreciate the wacky too, as you’ll realise when you spot mismatched tables and chairs, fancy red velveteen red chairs kicking back on beach sand in one corner, knick knacks like plastic snowflakes or a very low archway (hint, hint – parents stay away) leading to a jungle gym for kids
The Garden Shack also has a specialist sushi chef so my husband ordered a platter of California rolls, fashion sandwiches and salmon roses. He declared it the best sushi he’d had in a very long time. I’m not a sushi fan because it often seems stodgy or soggy, but this wasn’t. I tucked in and licked my lips. I think I’m a convert now.
I recommend you visit soon and enjoy the whole fun experience, as well as a first-rate seafood meal.
Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.
Grace + Merci
If you have space after your meal (or are visiting for coffee) you simply must go inside to choose from an array of delectable-looking cakes. They change from day to day, but the last time we visited some of the choices nestling under tall glass cloches were a giant carrot-and-pineapple cake, moist dark chocolate cake, toasted almond cake and praline cheesecake. Nom nom.
Open daily for breakfast and lunch, but not for dinner.
Greenlands Farm Table
Sara showed us around the small winery, from the underground wine vats to the barrels, tanks and wine press. They make their own grenache, chenin and cabernet, but send the other cultivars on the farm to the Bonnievale Co-op. There’s also a copper still where they create grappa, limoncello and gin, the latter using pinotage with added juniper, hibiscus and buchu.
Sara is a tour de force, with wide-ranging enthusiasms that made her guided tour and stories spell-binding. For instance, she told us about a cactus pear nursery project on the farm, with more than 40 types. Apparently, they have multiple uses, from fruit for eating to cattle feed and substitute-leather from the leaves, and oil for the cosmetic industry from the seeds.
My Mediterranean platter included spanakopita, pita, lavash, hummus, tzatziki, grilled halloumi and a salad. It made my day and left a satisfied grin on my face. My husband chose the Spoil Me Asian platter, with succulent free range duck breast, Mandarin pancakes, egg fried rice, Asian salad and pickled ginger. He loved it all.
They also make ice cream, which they sell in the restaurant and at markets in Swellendam and Barrydale. It’s a flavour festival of everything from licorice and coconut to salted caramel or gorgonzola and honey. They were trying a new combination the day we visited – Turkish delight and cardamom – and Sara hauled us into the kitchen to sample it straight from the churn. Delicious. For dessert, we chose scoops of vanilla, almond nougat, lemon meringue and coffee – all yummy and more-ish.
It was a captivating few hours, the sort of place where you get chatting to the folks at the next table. Glen also came to see how we were doing, told a few stories, and helped us round off a thoroughly enjoyable lunch with a shot of their excellent limoncello. Visit for the views, the food, the wonderful hosts, and a chance to explore a fascinating, eclectic space.
Open for lunch on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only.
Ikigai Artisan Coffee Bar & Deli
Having enjoyed really good flat whites made using Origin coffee beans by a barista passionate about her coffee the day before, we returned for brunch the next day and discovered the food wasn’t too shabby either. Choose from croissants with scrambled egg and bacon, quiches, tarts, muffins, open sarmies and Belgian waffles. Think pulled pork gourmet sandwich topped with caramelised onions, or a hot pressed toastie of bacon, feta, avo and peppadew. You can choose between wholewheat, ciabatta, farm loaf or rye. Between the two of us we polished off multiple cups of flat white, they were that good.
Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast and lunch, but not for dinner.
* Update 2024: Note that Ikigai Swellendam no longer exists, although there is still one in Riversdale. Taking its place now is Schoonwinkel, selling coffees, toasties, bagels, gourmet sandwiches, and salads.
Koornlands
Koornlands’ speciality is what they call Cuisine du Cap, with a hint of Africa sometimes creeping in with items like venison. A blackboard menu allows the chef to adjust the options at the drop of a hat, depending on what’s freshly available – always a good sign. The night we visited, they were offering a four-course menu for an incredibly good price. Whatever you do, don’t miss the excellent bitterballen to start. These yummy crumbed Dutch meatballs pay homage to the chef’s roots and remain perennially popular.
For dessert we shared a classic malva pudding, and fruit/berries with meringue for a good balance of tartness and sweetness. Milktart and Amarula Dom Pedros were other sweet choices. Service was friendly and efficient, with a welcome touch of dry humour here and there.
Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner only.
La Sosta
All four choices were first-class, but it was the desserts that completely blew us away. You might think that tiramisù and lemon tart are nothing special, but the execution was exceptional. Probably the best tiramisù we’ve ever had – strongly flavoured and very smooth and creamy. And the glazed lemon tart with Amaretto, citrus crumble and vanilla ice cream was so heavenly I’ll be dreaming of it for years to come.
Open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner only.
Tredici
I had a scrumptious (but hard to cut) artisanal toast with smashed avo, cherry tomatoes, rocket and feta. My husband ordered a croissant with scrambled egg and smoked salmon. Order this if you really love salmon; there was a huge slab but it was cut too thick for his taste. For lunch, there are gourmet salads, burgers, pizzas, wraps, and toasted sandwiches. The prize seats are outside on the porch if the weather is fine, or upstairs where it’s a little quieter.
Open Wednesday to Monday for breakfast, lunch and drinks (closes 18:00) but not for dinner.
Restaurants popular with Swellendam locals
Other Swellendam restaurants we haven’t experienced for ourselves but which are perennially popular with locals include:
- Barrel & Blues – pub, steakhouse and live music
- Republic of Swellendam – burgers, steaks, salads, pizzas, curry and toasted sarmies
- Woodpecker Pizzadeli – pizzas, pasta, burgers, schnitzels, salads, toasted sarmies.
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