4 Best Restaurants in The Northern Cape, South Africa

Guests at either of Tswalu Kalahari Reserve's lodges are treated to a dinner at Klein JAN, the first restaurant in the country by Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen (South Africa's only Michelin star–awarded chef), though others do drive (or fly) in when the eight-course lunch with wine-pairings is offered. The setting is a century-old farmhouse, and meals are experiential and immersive—eye-opening introductions to the produce, culinary traditions, and flavors of the Northern Cape, with every morsel or sip seemingly designed to surprise as well as satisfy you, to fire up not only all your senses but also your imagination. By the time you leave, you know your taste buds will never again experience such an extraordinary culinary adventure.

The name of this laid-back cellar/tasting room, which spills out onto an open terrace and garden where children can run around and play, means "The Church Mouse" and a nod to what is a humble venue that is always striving for greatness. Service is incredibly friendly, and the food ranges from must-try pancakes stuffed with milk tart to delectable sirloin steaks, pork ribs, or gourmet burgers (made with two types of meat). It's a welcoming place, whether you come for a full meal, a serious tasting of the wines made using grapes grown along the Orange River, or a snack of decadent sweets accompanied by wine or coffee.

You can drop in for a meal or just a drink at the bar in this large, rowdy, and rustic franchise steak house and wine cellar. Wine bottles are packed into the walls from floor to ceiling, and numerous archways give the place a Mediterranean feel. A South African institution, Dros is best-known for in good hearty steaks, whilst other specialties include burgers and pizza. Overlooking a car park and a mall, there is seating outside and inside, and it's open daily from 9 am until late.

After a 20-minute drive out of Kimberley, you arrive in a blip-on-the-map farm town known as Ritchie, where George van der Merwe grows pecan nuts and brews a range of beers named for key moments and figures from Kimberley's history. He also has a restaurant where you can sample some beer; join George for a brewery tour; and settle in for steaks, burgers, or pizza. The vibe is extremely casual, with George's three doe-eyed dogs making the rounds and a large lawn that stretches down to the river where children can run around.