Ten tables for a long lunch, a Karoo supper or the first taste of the Atlantic after miles of dry country.

On the road through the Northern Cape, lunch can feel like something to fit in before the next town. Then you find yourself at a table in an old Calvinia house, or on an island in the Orange River with vineyards where you expected more dust. You order something else and let the afternoon go.

The tables worth building a day around give you some sense of where you are. In Sutherland, that might be a plate of Karoo lamb before a night under the stars. In Kimberley, it might be beef stew and dumplings in a dining room dressed in velvet. And on the coast, it might be as simple as seafood and a walk beside the Atlantic.

1. The Heights Restaurant and Bistro in Kimberley

Take lunch on the patio overlooking Kimberley or settle into a velvet booth for dinner. The menu has the measure of both occasions. There’s slow-roasted short rib with mash and gravy, or beef stew with dombi, the dumplings that make a good argument for leaving nothing in the bowl. This is the table to book when dinner is the evening’s plan. Kimberley

2. The Fat Greek in Kimberley

Order meze first and see where the conversation takes you. Near the Halfway House Hotel on Du Toitspan Road, The Fat Greek serves Greek and Mediterranean dishes alongside steaks. It suits a table where everyone wants to try a little of what everyone else ordered. Solomon Edwardian Guest House

3. Café Zest in Upington

Café Zest is an address to keep for a morning when the day has yet to take shape. At the Protea Hotel on Schroder Street, you can start with breakfast and coffee before heading out of town. If Upington is where the day ends, the café serves evening meals too. Protea Hotel Upington

4. DiVine Restaurant on Kanoneiland

On Kanoneiland, in the Orange River, the dry country gives way to vines and garden shade. At African Vineyard’s DiVine Restaurant, you can have breakfast in the garden or plan dinner around the last of the light. Ask about a table before you make the drive, then leave yourself time to enjoy being there. African Vineyard Boutique Hotel & Spa

5. Vergelegen Restaurant in Kakamas

Finish a day at Augrabies with dinner at the Kakamas Hotel. Vergelegen offers à la carte dining, with a fireplace indoors and a patio for warmer evenings. After an afternoon of granite and river spray, there’s a particular pleasure in having only one decision left to make, and it’s what to order. Kakamas Hotel

6. Hantam Huis Restaurant in Calvinia

The dining room at Hantam Huis is in a home built in 1854. The kitchen serves traditional Karoo cooking under Marina, a Calvinia local who has worked here for more than two decades. Come for breakfast or arrange dinner ahead. It’s the sort of address that gives you a reason to spend a little longer in a town you might otherwise have driven through. Traditional Karoo Dining

7. The Blue Moon in Sutherland

Start with the lamb section of the menu. The Blue Moon puts Karoo lamb at the centre of its cooking, and a warm supper here fits neatly into a Sutherland evening. If you’ve booked a stargazing session, leave a gap between dinner and the observatory. There’s no pleasure in watching the clock while the plates are still on the table. Bluemoon Restaurant

8. Tauren Steak Ranch in Springbok

After a day out in Namaqualand, keep Tauren Steak Ranch on Hospitaal Street in mind. Steak is the obvious order, and the menu listing also includes pizza and seafood. It’s an easy table for a group that has spent the whole day together and finally gets to choose its own dinner. EatOut

9. Zee’s Restaurant in Port Nolloth

By the time you reach Port Nolloth, the Atlantic air can make the inland heat feel a long way off. Zee’s serves seafood, pizza and grills. This is where I’d make room for a seafood lunch, especially if the rest of the afternoon is free for a walk along the shore. portnolloth.co.za

10. De Herberg Restaurant in De Aar

At De Herberg Lodge, Karoo lamb chops have their own place on the menu. There’s grilled hake and vegetarian food too, but if you’re stopping in De Aar for a proper supper, the chops are a good place to start. The lodge also prepares packed meals, a small detail you’ll appreciate if tomorrow begins with another long drive. De Herberg Lodge

Editorial note & Discalimer: This is an original, newly written article based on independent research, not a first-hand restaurant review.  menus, trading hours and restaurant operations can change. 

Author: swoosh0018

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