Stanford restaurants and wineries to try in the Overberg

By Roxanne Reid
Everyone who visits the village of Stanford just a two-hour drive from Cape Town should arrive hungry. There are so many good places to eat and to enjoy wine tasting that the town has become a drawcard for foodies and wine lovers from Cape Town and further afield in South Africa. Here are some Stanford restaurants and wineries to try when you visit.

I haven’t been presumptuous enough to rank the restaurants and wineries. I’ve just listed them alphabetically, so the one that appears at the top isn’t necessarily the best or the one at the bottom the worst. 

​Stanford restaurants
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Birkenhead Brewery & Walker Bay Estate

You’ll find Birkenhead Brewery & Walker Bay Estate at the start of the R326 towards Napier. The brewery was founded in 1998, one of the early craft breweries in the country. It shares space with the Walker Bay wine tasting venue and a large family pub-style restaurant. Sit inside at long tables that invite friendly mingling – there’s even a fireplace for cold wintry days – or outside under shade umbrellas on the terrace to enjoy views over vineyards and mountains.

The menu changes regularly but sticks to family favourites like burgers, steak, salads, gnocchi, flatbreads, ploughman’s platters to share, and so forth. There’s even a special menu for kids. We popped in for tastings mid-afternoon so didn’t eat here on our latest visit, but we have enjoyed their burgers and salads on a previous visit to Stanford.

The kitchen is open daily 11:00 to 16:00

Madré

The unassuming little building in Du Toit Street that now houses Madré (named after the owner and head chef) has a long history of culinary delights, having once been Mariana’s, one of the first really good restaurants that pulled visitors from beyond Stanford and helped establish the village’s reputation as a foodie destination.

We sat at one of eight tables on the verandah overlooking the garden, where Madré grows most of the veg and herbs she uses. A blackboard menu announced the freshly prepared dishes from this country kitchen, leaning heavily on locally sourced produce. I enjoyed my silverfish in creamy caper sauce, and my husband loved his pork belly with the perfect crackling, just the right balance of meat and fat, served with tamarind roast butternut. Other mains on the day we visited included lamb neck, confit duck and slow-braised springbok. Starters included butternut gnocchi and porcini risotto.

We shared a dessert of coconut panna cotta which was bland, but made up for by the accompaniments of sesame crunch, preserved quince and really yummy cardamom ice cream.

Sadly, our experience here was marred by Madré’s husband, who handles front of house and serving duties. He was brusque and hassled, not at all the relaxed and polished professional her food deserves.

Open Thurs to Sun, lunch only 12:00–17:00

Manor House

You’ll find the excellent Manor House restaurant at Stanford Valley Country Lodge about 10km from Stanford on the R326 to Napier. And it’s definitely worth the trip. Sit on the deck under a large tree outside, or inside the 150-year-old building with a wall of glass giving unrestricted views of rolling grassland, a pond, paddocks and mountains. (That’s the view from the restaurant in the intro pic.)

We shared a salt and pepper squid starter with puffed rice and spicy nduja mayo that was delicious. Options on the locally sourced main menu the day we visited included lamb neck, oxtail and fillet – perfect for the winter season. But I was seduced by the linefish crumbed with lemon zest and accompanied by divinely creamy coconut rice, with green beans for colour and crunch. My husband chose the pork belly which was fab, more meat than fat and topped with crispy crackling just the way he likes it. Accompaniments included mustard mash, bok choy and caramelised apple.

We first ate here when Chef Janine van der Nest was at the helm, and wondered if we’d be disappointed since she’d left. Not a bit. Her sous chefs are still doing good things in the kitchen. You don’t have to stay at Stanford Valley to eat in the restaurant but you do need to book ahead.

Open for breakfast, lunch & dinner daily except closed for lunch on Mon and Tues in the off-season

Ou Meul Bakkery

You can see the farmstall underpinnings of the lovely Ou Meul Bakkery, which still offers its famous homemade puff pastry pies and tasty sourdough and other breads alongside its breakfast and lunch menus. Sit down or take away if you’re in a rush.

I had a good double-shot flat white (they use Bootlegger coffee). My roast vegetable sandwich with hummus on toasted sourdough had me smacking my lips, and my carnivorous husband enjoyed his Club toasted sandwich with bacon, chicken and cheddar. Don’t miss one of their pecan tartlets for dessert.

It’s a good quick stop for breakfast, mid-morning coffee and a pastry or filled croissant. For lunch, you can choose from a range of soups and burgers, bacon and mushroom pasta, coriander chicken curry or chicken schnitzel, and so forth. There are quite a few options for vegetarians, even a vegan black bean burger.

Open daily 7:00–17:00

Stanford Kitchen

You’ll find Stanford Kitchen in a gabled house in Queen Victoria Street. It’s a bright space with polka dot table cloths and friendly staff. Sit inside, in the garden at the back, or on a sunny stoep in the front that’s perfect for winter mornings. The interior also serves as an art gallery displaying works for sale by local artists. We enjoyed the best flat whites in Stanford here, made by a pukka barista, even down to the latte art on top.

There’s a wide variety of breakfast options from croissants and omelettes to the traditional bacon and eggs. They also do toasted sarmies, calamari, salads, burgers, chicken curry, and a variety of wood-fired pizzas (blue cheese, caramelised fig and rocket for the win).

If you love wine, you can do a tasting of Bruce Jack wines in a little bar in the same building as the Stanford Kitchen (see wineries below).

Open daily from 9:00–20:00

Ulumbaza Bar(n) at Springfontein

The Wortelgat road that leads out of Stanford to Springfontein wine estate (and eventually to the beach at De Plaat) used to be gravel, but on our most recent visit it was being tarred, so access will become even easier. Wine tasting and restaurant share space in the Ulumbaza Bar(n), a 200-year-old thatched stable. We tasted some wines first then settled to lunch in the hands of head chef Janine van der Nest. Starters included fresh pea soup with smoked eisbein, quail salad with walnuts, grapes and figs, and lemon risotto with braised rabbit and Gruberg (cheese) crumb. If I didn’t know the limits of my appetite, I’d have enjoyed that risotto.

For mains, my husband chose lamb shank in tomato bredie with divine creamed barley. As usual, we tasted each other’s food and his risotto-style barley was so yummy, I could have eaten it all. I had linefish biryani, with crispy onions and mint yoghurt that lifted an everyday dish into something special. Other main options included oxtail potjie with dates and milkstout, and charred cauliflower, seasonal veg and pinotage caramel as a vegetarian option. If I had a bigger tummy, I’d have loved to try that too.

There’s also a fine dining restaurant called Wortelgat at Springfontein. It’s closed from the end of May until around September, so we weren’t lucky enough to try it on our mid-winter visit. It’s also in the hands of Chef Janine van der Nest, who is creative with her food while always keeping flavour and flavour combinations top of mind, so I’ll bet it’s a grand experience. Definitely one for a return visit.

Open daily 11:00–21:00

The Zesty Lemon

The Zesty Lemon on Sir Robert Stanford Estate on the R43 has a lovely setting next to a dam, with seating outside under the trees or inside. For me, the setting is by far its best attribute. A fire was burning inside on a cold wintry day. There’s a playground for kids (and a special kids’ menu), making it a drawcard for families. It seems to be fairly popular with locals too.

They do breakfast, from French toast or avo and poached egg on sourdough to the full Monty with eggs, bacon, wors and chips. Lunch items include toasties, steaks, pasta, and beer-battered hake with chips.

I ordered the butternut couscous salad with peppers, olives, feta and artichokes. It arrived deconstructed, but I reconstructed it because I’m not a fan of deconstruction and in a salad I prefer bits of different flavours in the same mouthful. The dressing added a piquant touch. My husband had the gourmet burger with bacon, brie and onion marmalade. He especially loved the fact that they delivered the patty medium rare as he’d asked. You’ll be surprised how few burger chefs get it right.

Open Mon 9:00–15:00, Tues to Thurs, Sat & Sun 9:00–16:00, Fri 9:00 –20:00

Other Stanford restaurants
Other restaurants in Stanford include the La Cantina (Mexican food and drink like nachos, tacos and of course tequila), Fork & Farm (fish n chips, pizza, burgers, Sunday lunch buffet) and Searle’s Garagiste (which styles itself as a wine bar but also offers breakfast and lunch/dinner dishes like burgers, hake n chips, steak, and pot pies). There’s a restaurant at Stanford Hills (the old Tasting Room restaurant was transformed into a Portuguese restaurant called Casa Cello in July 2024), or try La Trattoria (Italian, closed for winter from June to August), and Union Grocery & Eatery (good for coffee, cake, breakfast and light lunches, with a nice little stoep from where you can watch the passing parade). All of these are in Queen Victoria Street, Stanford’s main drag, except Fork & Farm and the Stanford Hills restaurant, both on the Stanford Hills Road off the R43.


Stanford wineries
No winery can afford to offer free tastings anymore – those days are gone – but they all set their own prices, some by individual wines tasted and others with a blanket fee for a set number of tastings. I’ve given links to the wineries’ websites below, so you can check how much tasting costs before you go, as well as double-checking opening times for tasting in case they have changed.

Bruce Jack Wines

Bruce Jack wines has a dedicated tasting centre at the Stanford Wine Bar in the same building as the Stanford Kitchen restaurant in Queen Victoria Street. It’s a small but fun space, where you can read pithy comments about wine painted every which-way on the walls as you taste.

Sadly, the Heritage and Reserve collections (four-and-a-half stars in Platter’s 2024 South African Wine Guide and four stars, respectively) weren’t available for tasting on our midweek winter visit, but we were able to choose from the Lifestyle Collection. We were in a white wine mood so tried a peachy chenin blanc and a sauvignon blanc. Neither was a big, serious wine, but light and refreshing or what the wine menu styled as ‘fresh and zesty’.

There are a couple of rosés and Cap Classique bubblies too, as well as plenty for red wine lovers ranging from blends to pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, pinotage and shiraz, across all of Bruce Jack's wines, including The Drift Estate, Mary le Bow, and Off the Charts.

One of my favourite things about Bruce Jack wines is the labels, which don’t take themselves too seriously. They have a vibey look to them, complemented by fun names like Hard Day Chardonnay, Boer Maak ‘n Plan Chenin Blanc, and Ghost in the Machine Shiraz.

Open for tastings daily from 9:00–20:00

Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains overlooking Walker Bay is the first Stanford winery you’ll come to as you drive from Hermanus on the R43. There was no mist when we stopped, but it was a somewhat ghostly experience nonetheless. The tasting centre was abandoned and silent. We heard some movement in the cellar at the back so went to ask and stumbled on the winemaker who told us the winery is closed for major renovations. (We’d looked at the tasting hours in Platter, not on their website, which clearly explained the closure. That’s a reminder always to check tasting hours on a winery’s website.) You can still order Misty Mountains’ wines online, buy at the winery by appointment, or try a bottle with your meal at Lizette’s Kitchen in Hermanus or Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in Gansbaai.

Our stop wasn’t wasted though. He gave us two unlabelled bottles of wine – the High Terrace Bush Vine sauvignon blanc and the Single Vineyard sauvignon blanc. (The estate specialises in sauvignon blanc and shiraz). So we had our own tasting at our accommodation later, with a view of vineyards and mountains. They were both delicious, the Single Vineyard with a lovely nose and taste of tropical fruit but steely on the finish. We thought the small-batch Bush Vine wine a little more complex and declared it our favourite.

Closed for renovations but check the website for the reopening around end 2024 or early 2025

Raka

You’ll find Raka wine farm about 17km from Stanford on the R326 to Napier. Owner Piet Dreyer is so obsessed with the sea that he named the farm after his fishing boat. But that doesn’t mean his wines are fishy; Raka boasts a number of four- or four-and-a-half-star wines in Platter’s wine guide. Relax under a shade umbrella on the verandah overlooking the vineyards to enjoy your tasting of six (or more) wines, or venture into the cool overlooking the barrel maturation cellar.

The wines we tasted included sauvignon blanc, shiraz, cabernet franc, and a five-cultivar blend called Quinary that had tantalising hints of plums and spice. It’s a blend of cabernet, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, and petit verdot.

There’s no restaurant at Raka, but you can choose from a small deli selection of cheeses and olives to enjoy with your tasting.

Open for tastings Mon to Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat/public holidays 10:00-15.00

Springfontein

The main cultivars produced at Springfontein are the South African staples of chenin blanc and pinotage, as well as more recently, chenel. But there’s a confusing array of labels and blends. The charming and knowledgeable Zizi managed to talk us through some of the wines on the tasting menu. We tried the Ulumbaza white blend (sauvignon blanc, semillon, chardonnay with a smidge of pinotage), which was easy drinking and likeable. The 2021 Terroir Selection chenin blanc was still surprisingly fresh tasting, and we particularly enjoyed a deliciously light but fruity Terroir Selection pinotage 2020.

We were sad not to be able to taste the very well-priced Cape Moby blends, but ordered a glass of the white blend (semillon and sauvignon blanc) with our lunch later, and thought it was super for its very reasonable price. We’d been intrigued by the chenel too, also not on the tasting menu. This is a fairly recent phenomenon in South Africa, a cross between chenin blanc and trebbiano. The grape grows well on Springfontein’s limestone soils and the wine is lightly wooded. It was definitely interesting to try, but I’m not a big fan of wooded whites so preferred the Cape Moby blend, despite it being much cheaper.

There are two restaurants – see Ulumbaza Bar(n) above – on the estate.

Open for tastings daily from 11:00-21:00

Stanford Hills

With an old manor house dating back to 1855, Stanford Hills is more than just a winery. It also produces indigenous flowers (proteas and pincushions) and olives. Don’t miss at least a taste of the flagship Jacksons pinotage, though the entry level Veldfire pinotage is even easier on the pocket but still full of raspberry and cherry flavours.

I enjoyed the Veldfire Cape Blend, an unusual combination of 65% shiraz and 35% pinotage. They also make a Méthode Cap Classique, but that’s not available for tasting. We bought a bottle to taste at home but haven’t had occasion to try it yet (although Platter gives it four stars).

Also on the farm is a restaurant overlooking a dam. From July 2024, a month after our last visit, it was reincarnated as Casa Cello, a Portuguese restaurant. The tasting area was at the restaurant but has now moved back to the little stone shop, although they’re apparently working on a new tasting area.

Open for tastings daily from 8:30-17:00

Walker Bay Estate

Walker Bay Estate – on the same premises as the Birkenhead Brewery at the start of the R326 towards Napier – is doing some unusual things. Take, for example, a white pinot noir with a hint of honey on the palate, and a red chardonnay made using 10% shiraz. It still has the chardonnay butteriness but with a trace of ripe red fruit. Both were unusual and would make good conversation pieces at the dinner table.

We also tasted the Llyswen sauvignon blanc, the Walker Bay sauvignon blanc, and Walker Bay semillon/sauvignon blanc blend. Get the idea we like sauvignon blanc in any form? You’re right. They also produce syrah, pinot noir, and a Bordeaux-style blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot.

Open for tasting daily 11:00 till 19:00

Other Stanford wineries
Other Stanford wine farms include Boschrivier, Brunia and Welgesind (all known for their shiraz), and Vaalvlei (also known for fly-fishing and owner/winemaker Naas Terblanche’s passion for the conservation of frogs and toads). Stanford Valley also produces a chenin blanc called Lieverd and a syrah/grenache blend called Eersteling, both under the Manor House label. They don’t offer tastings, but you can order a bottle to have with your lunch at the Manor House (see above) or buy from the lodge at cellar prices.

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