Marianas, In The Top 20 For A Sunday Lunch

If somebody asked you to recommend a good spot for Sunday lunch that was worth a bit of a drive, keeping in mind solid fare, value for money, no big-name chefs or franchises involved, and as a bonus, good scenery en route, which venues would you suggest?

There are plenty of places that serve a menu for lunch, but we were after out-of-the-way recommendations. We tried to avoid fashionable urban haunts and looked for the nostalgic Sunday carvery roasts and quality buffet spreads many of us grew up with. The team hunted down less-known country venues where quirky owners serve à la carte fare cooked with love, and discovered a couple of hidden gems along winding dirt roads serving a set lunch. Essentially places with character that lure diners on a Sunday, where the food takes time to prepare and eat.

The following 6 restaurants in the Western Cape are amongst the top 20 in S.A. offering the best Sunday Lunches.


Mariana's

12 Du Toit Street, Stanford

Tel 028 341 0272

After 11 years, Marianas has reached iconic status for its menu originality, the sustained food quality, the friendly service (Peter Esterhuizen’s repartee is fun and informed; wife Mariana emerges from the kitchen as lunch winds down) and the wide range of herbs growing beyond the back stoep. Recent standouts included game rillettes, lightly aromatic fish curry, aubergine stuffed with ricotta, confit de canard and homemade ice cream doused with espresso and local grappa. Diners come from afar, and expect to expire – such is the flair of the fare that it can be wise to stay overnight in town. Wines are local, prices fair. Booking essential.

The others are:

96 Winery Road

Winery Road, Stellenbosch

Tel 021 842 2010

Bar Bar Black Sheep
Short Street, Riebeek Kasteel
Tel 022 448 1031
De Malle Meul
Church Square, Philadelphia
Tel 021 972 1097
Driefontein Farmhouse
1km off N2 in the direction of Greyton
Tel 028 881 3612
Oestervanger
Retreat turn-off, Rietvlei, Robertson Valley
Tel 023 626 4047


Well Done.

Source: Wine Magazine