4 Best Restaurants in Paternoster, The Western Cape and Winelands

The tasting menu at this award-winning restaurant from Chef Kobus van de Merwe focuses on all that is local and sustainable, including fresh seafood, seaweed, foraged plants, and pickings from the garden. The food is sublime, but very experimental, so make sure you're up for something new and inventive. There are only 20 diners per sitting, so reservations are essential.

Don't be fooled by the appearance of this tiny rustic bistro with retro garden area. The sensational and ever-changing blackboard menu is the ultimate in fresh, local fare. It features just-caught seafood, foraged plants such as wild spinach, and, occasionally, game meat. Oep ve Koep offers a limited menu, so fussy eaters beware. There is also an on-site bakery where you can pick up fresh bread and delicious South African pastries like koeksisters and milk tart. Reservations recommended.

Quirky and brightly decorated, this unpretentious gem is not to be missed. Because the freshest local ingredients are used, the menu changes frequently. Not surprisingly, seafood is the main attraction—the oysters here are legendary—but meat-eaters will delight in a wide selection of pork, lamb, quail, and Chalmer steak. Enjoy your meal in front of a warm hearth when it's cold out, or dine under the canopy, dotted with fairy lights, on a clear night.

This corrugated-iron shack on the beach stood empty for years, then suddenly metamorphosed into a buzzing seafood restaurant. As well as the usual seafood and fish, you'll find fish curries, deep-fried calimari, and smoked snoek samosas on the menu. There are a couple of meaty dishes too, plus at least one vegetarian option. It's literally set on the sand and is an ideal location to take in the sunset.