News
The price of cauliflower is soaring, zoodles are trending, coconut oil is becoming a store-cupboard staple and the surname of a tubby London undertaker has become as much a part of today’s food-speak as ‘latte’. Whether you’re a sceptic or an evangelist, there’s no doubt that the LCHF revolution continues to have an impact on South Africa’s culinary culture.
While most restaurants have adapted by offering flexible menus or substitutions, here’s a list of restaurants and suppliers around the country that are catering to the banting lifestyle.
(Please note that while every effort is made to ensure the below offers are correct, we cannot confirm whether or not Tim Noakes himself would approve of all the menu items!)
Nationwide
Col’Cacchio
Look out for ‘B’ on the menu, which indicates banting friendly, like the beef carpaccio with rocket, parmesan, black pepper and homemade dressing (R80), as well as antipasto platters and a host of salad meals. Then there are the LCHF pizzas with a smaller 21cm base made of cauliflower, psyllium husks, egg, parmesan and seasoning. They’re served with a side salad of lettuce, carrots, cucumber, egg, parmesan and radish. There’s also a banting melanzane of aubergine, parmesan, pomodoro sauce and fior di latte mozzarella (R79) and banting lasagne with aubergine, bolognaise, ricotta and parmesan (R88), amongst others. Don’t forget dessert: a coconut panna cotta with blueberry compote or cheesecake with an almond macadamia cacao base, both R45.
Knead
As the name suggests, Knead is known for its mouth-watering array of baked goods and pizzas – and banters have not been neglected. Switch to their banting bread for R15 a slice or a seed-flour pizza base for R15 extra. Looking for some protein? Try the popular chicken, bacon and avo salad (R78).
Mugg & Bean
Look out for new nutritional labels on the menu. For an additional R6, you can switch out the standard bread for a low-carb, gluten- and preservative-free bread made from flax, sunflower and sesame seeds, almond flour and natural oils. You can also request other substitutions on the menu, provided that all the ingredients are available. Also marked low-carb are the bacon-and-avo eggs Benedict breakfast (R69.90) and grilled chicken skewers served with parmesan-courgette fries, roasted summer vegetables and a lemon, parsley and black pepper mayo (R96.90). The mushroom-and-bacon ‘bare’ burger features grilled brown mushrooms, a beef patty basted in barbecue sauce, grilled tomato, avo, back bacon and pesto mayo served with sweet-potato fries or a side salad for R89.90.
Sandwich Baron
While you might not associate the banting lifestyle with a sandwich chain, there are plenty of options here. For breakfast, try the banting omelette, filled with cheese, avocado, bacon and served with a side salad and a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing (R49), or the banting breakfast box of two boiled eggs, two rashers of bacon, two cocktail pork sausages and sliced tomatoes (R36). There are a variety of lunch box meals (R26 to R45), soups, salads and snack packs, too.
Spur
Yes, even this family-friendly steakhouse favourite has taken heed of the LCHF trend. Spur has introduced the carb-conscious breakfast (R34.90) with three rashers of bacon, three fried eggs, fried tomato and 125g of boerewors or two pork sausages. Banters are also invited to swap out their chips and onion rings for garden salad at no extra cost when they order rump, sirloin, chicken breasts or 160g beef burger patty.
Johannesburg
Arbour Café and Courtyard (Illovo)
If you miss out on the gluten-free buckwheat breakfast galettes or omelettes (served until 11.30am), choose what you’re in the mood for from The Harvest Table; you can build your own meal and have it weighed at R28 per 100g. Alternatively, opt for one of the salads (from R80) or a main course like the chicken fillet in cream, artichoke and lemon sauce (R150) served with seasonal greens.
Belle’s Patisserie (Birnam)
Yes, it may seem strange to include a patisserie in a round-up of LCHF restaurants, but Belle’s ‘skinny menu’ and catering options have plenty to offer. The Bant-a-Chia Bowl, for example, is a cold chia seed porridge soaked in almond milk and vanilla served with grain-free nut granola, sliced banana and cinnamon, and drizzled with agave nectar (R70). As well as a variety of salads, the superfood bowl, crustless quiche and cauli wraps are other highlights. Round off your meal with a gluten- and sugar-free hemp brownie (R35) or paleo poppy loaf (R42).
Cheese Gourmet (Linden)
This cheese deli is a cheese-loving banter’s heaven! In addition to the variety of cheese platters, there are banting-friendly breakfasts and options like the spicy halloumi salad (R64) and range of burgers (starting at R60).
Jozi Blue (Glenhazel)
Head to this owner-run Kosher coffee shop for your caffeine fix, which includes the ‘bulletproof’ butter-banting coffee (R35). The perfect spot for a light lunch, Jozi Blus also offers sandwiches on banting bread, a banting quiche and soup.
Paputzi’s (Linden)
With its roaring fireplace for chilly mornings, and the shady garden for warmer days, Paputzi’s is a favourite with locals for breakfast or lunch. The Tim-Noakes-inspired breakfast menu, served all day, includes streaky bacon with rosa tomatoes, bocconcini cheese and basil, or salmon, cream cheese and avo omelettes. Banting bread is available for substitution at no extra charge.
Poached eggs and bacon at Park Cafe. Photo supplied.
Park Café (Parkwood)
Although LCHF items aren’t marked on the menu, you’ll still find plenty to stop your stomach from rumbling. For breakfast, there are poached eggs with creamy seasonal mushrooms (R50), or creamed eggs with hot-smoked Norwegian salmon (R90), served until 11.30am on weekdays and 12pm on Saturdays. The lunch menu offers a variety of salads, from hot-smoked salmon with baby spinach and avo to beef fillet with wholegrain mustard and baby spinach, or chicken mayo with parmesan, avo and almonds (ranging from R80 to R120).
Voodoo Lily Café (Illovo)
Voodoo Lilly boasts a special ‘bant appetit’ section of their menu with 13 options, including a bunless burger with avo, tomato and sweet-potato wedges (R82); chicken-and-halloumi salad (R82); and a raw vegan chocolate with coconut ice cream (R28). Items marked with a B on the main menu can also be converted into banting-friendly dishes. Plus, they’ve introduced a build-your-burger option, and are selling banting products for you to take home.
Pretoria
Banting Market Pretoria (Brummeria)
The aim of this outdoor market in the National Botanical Gardens is to connect consumers with producers who have grown, baked or processed the products themselves, and to provide local, fresh, quality LCHF produce. On the first Saturday of every month from 9am to 1pm, you’re invited to bring along a picnic blanket and enjoy the atmosphere and live music while sipping on a bulletproof coffee or savouring one of the many banting meals on offer – sugar-free waffle and ice cream, anyone? The website http://bantingmarketpretoria.co.za/ also has a wide recipe section.
Black Bamboo (Ashlea Gardens)
Fancy a bit of fine dining? Black Bamboo’s new menu features a starter of artichokes done three ways, served with goat’s cheese mousse, stout reduction, tarragon oil and stout dust (R55); kingklip with cauliflower purée, pickled and caramelised cauliflower, sautéed baby carrots, watercress dust and watercress-and-honey emulsion (R160); and grilled cod with blackened lentil purée, grilled baby gems, wasabi tartare, roasted fennel and beurre blanc sauce (R75). If these options don’t tickle your fancy, you’re encouraged to substitute items on the menu to suit your banting needs.
Coco Bistro (Erasmuskloof)
On the dedicated banting menu, you can discover items like the no-bun steak burger: 150g sirloin served on a bed of fresh rocket, topped with avocado, feta cheese and piquant peppers, and served with fresh salsa and Sriracha sauce on the side (R85). Got a sweet tooth? You can’t beat a brownie, made from cocoa, coconut and almond flours, eggs, butter, cream and xylitol, and served with whipped cream and a scoop of cinnamon-dusted chocolate banting ice cream (R42).
Leipoldts Deli (Brooklyn)
The all-day breakfasts – like the three-egg omelette (R59 for one meat and two other fillings) – at this coffeeshop and caterer are built for banters. Build your own deli platter with a variety of meats and cheeses to nibble on and share.
Pure Café (Colbyn)
As the name implies, fresh, healthy produce is the focus. A dedicated banting and paleo menu offers favourites such as the build-your-own ‘pimp my omelette’ (R20.50) with fillings that include bacon (R24), salmon trout (R43), lamb sausage (R22), amongst others; the hunter-gatherer platter featuring salami and chicken koftas served with oven-baked sweet-potato wedges or courgette and homemade herb aioli (R65); and pork medallions served with sweet-potato mash, pan-fried green vegetables and a homemade sauce of honey, wholegrain mustard and white wine (R98).
KwaZulu-Natal
Artisan Pizza (Hilton)
Has a pizza craving hit? Here cauli bases (R40 each) cater for banters with toppings such as feta, bacon, avo, chicken, sun-dried tomato and cheese. For those who prefer a pasta dish, the banting lasagne is made with roasted aubergine, Napoli sauce, bolognaise and mozzarella.
Ciao Bella (Durban Waterfront)
Choose any pizza on a cauliflower-and-psyllium-husk base for an additional R15; alternatively, go for the mussel pot (fresh mussels steamed in tomato broth for R110), or banting salad of mixed leaves, boiled eggs, artichokes and parmesan.
Jaxx Restaurant (Hilton)
Café during the day, bistro in the evening, Jaxx offers popular dishes on the banting menu like eggs benedict; nut granola and egg frittata for breakfast; and Thai green curry, stir-fried pork fillet and cauli rice with spinach and chorizo as main meals.
Lilly’s Bread Bin (Margate)
Banters themselves, this restaurant’s owners serve the famous spinach-and-bacon baked quiche with eggs and cheddar cheese (R15 per slice) and a popular baked cheesecake (also R15 per slice).
Low Carb Love (Umhlanga)
From drinks and meals to books, gadgets and recipes, Umhlanga-based Low Carb Love stocks over 50 banting products and delivers almost anywhere around the country. Most of the products are produced locally and have all been tried and tested by the team to ensure that they’re not only made with healthy ingredients, but that they taste great too. Two popular products are xylitol (R130/1kg) and cinnamon chia porridge (R98/500g). Look out for specials and sales and download the free banting diet food list http://lowcarblove.co.za/shop/downloads/banting-diet-food-list-pdf/, which features the nutritional values of ingredients so you can plan accordingly.
The Mad Italian (Umhlanga)
Given that most Italian menus seem to centre on pizza and pasta, you’ll be delighted to know that this Durban North eatery has designed a more diverse LCHF menu. Highlights include carpaccio served with salsa verde and parmesan shavings (R58.95) and chicken breasts served with a creamy shrimp, prawn and garlic sauce (R91.95).
The deck at Mundo Vida. Photo supplied.
Mundo Vida (Umdloti)
A banting favourite at this seaside spot is the prawn-and-mushroom gratinée served with a green salad (R85). In addition to ordering from the special banting section on the menu, guests are welcome to substitute à la carte items to suit their requirements. The restaurant uses olive oil and butter in their preparation and starches can be substituted for fresh seasonal vegetables. To end off your meal, go for the banting cheesecake topped with lemon zest, macadamia nuts and fresh strawberries (R59).
Not Just Banting (Kloof)
The focus at this café-deli is making low-carb items where possible without sacrificing flavour. Coconut oil or butter is used, organic ingredients are a priority, and preservatives and additives are completely avoided. The pizza bases are low-carb and free of wheat, gluten and sugar, making them great for diabetics too. Banting buns can be substituted in the bacon-and-blue cheese burger (chicken or beef patty for R59), which can be served with sweet-potato fries.
Olive and Oil (Glenwood)
With branches in Glenwood, Hillcrest, Pietermaritzburg and Umhlanga Rocks, Olive and Oil has KZN covered with its large, mostly Mediterranean menu and regular chalkboard specials. A popular banting dish is the Moroccan-spiced aubergine stack (layers of spiced aubergine baked tomato and mozzarella, finished with parmesan and fresh basil for R79.95) and the 250g fillet steak (R154.95).
Oscar’s Café (Hillcrest)
This gem in the heart of Hillcrest has home-style flair that reflects on the special banting menu. Amongst others, banters can sink their teeth into avocado filled with cream cottage cheese and Norwegian salmon topped with chives (R99); three-herb-crusted lamb loin chops grilled to perfection and served with creamed spinach and roasted cherry tomatoes (R149), or tandoori chicken breasts served with tzatziki, creamed spinach and roasted cherry tomatoes (R125).
Sage Café and Deli (Salt Rock)
While there’s no special banting menu here, this charming café, open daily from 8am to 4pm and till 8pm on Friday nights, offers regular specials and allows banters to make substitutions.
Union Square (Durban North)
With ribs, rump and wings on the menu, it’s no surprise that this menu has plenty of options for banters, but you can also build your own banting meal. Individual items include rump steak (R65/250g), chicken breast (R28), bacon (R10), eggs (R3 each), pickles (R5) and a variety of cheeses, amongst others. The banting burger – 100% pure ground beef patty, served on a brown-mushroom base with melted cheddar slice, avocado salsa, bacon with a pickled red onion and tomato garnish (R65) – is a popular choice.
Cape Town
Arugula Bistro and Bread (Bellville)
A dedicated low-carb section on the menu features grass-fed beef sirloin with pan-fried veggies guacamole, feta and jalapeños (R149); slow-roasted pork belly with garlic and sage-butter cauliflower, homemade bacon and peas (R149); pan-fried hake with pan-fried veggies, banting tartar sauce and fresh lemon (R89); bacon fettuccini featuring baby marrow ribbons, parmesan, mushrooms, chilli, garlic and rocket (R119); and smoked chicken salad with bacon, parmesan and dill banting mayo (R95).
Chalk and Cork (City Bowl)
This Kloof Street tapas restaurant serves a much-loved banting pizza made with a cauliflower base. Order it with toppings like parma ham, salami, feta, rocket, tomatoes and courgettes. Hot tip: the bases are made fresh daily (20 for lunch; 20 for dinner) and are very popular, so get in early!
Dear Me (City Bowl)
The staff at Dear Me are flexible and attuned to special dietary requirements, so let your waiter know and they’ll happily alter dishes to accommodate banting dieters. As well as staples like poached eggs on sautéed veg, a banting muesli appears on the new breakfast menu. You’ll find at least one wheat- and sugar-free or banting-friendly sweet treat in the display case daily (they change every day), but you can also order chocolate brownies, cupcakes and banting bread.
Den Anker (V&A Waterfront)
This Cape Town establishment offers four banting-friendly dishes, all marked with #LCHF on the menu. Choose between Norwegian salmon on a bed of courgette noodles with roasted pine nuts, olive oil and lemon (R185); Norwegian salmon beurre blanc with cauli mash (R185); seared tuna with wasabi banting-friendly mayo (R95); and Wagyu steak tartare (R155).
Ellie’s Deli at the Noordhoek Garden Café (Noordhoek)
Tucked inside the Noordhoek Garden Emporium on Noordhoek Road, this eatery has a mostly LCHF menu with plenty of banting options. Popular dishes include slow-roasted lamb shank with veggies and cauli mash (from R130 to R165, depending on size); oxtail with veggies and cauli mash (from R145 to R165); or the banting lasagne with salad or winter veggies (from R79 to R85). They also offer an extensive range of hearty, ready-made take-away banting meals such as lasagna; meatballs in Neapolitan sauce; lamb casserole; fisherman’s bake with mussels, prawns and linefish; chicken à la king; beef in beer; chicken curry; and beef stew.
The Foodbarn (Noordhoek)
While The Foodbarn doesn’t offer a set banting-friendly menu – especially since the menu is updated so frequently – the staff do their best to accommodate dietary requirements and alter dishes to suit the needs of those following an LCHF diet, substituting vegetables, sauces, and so on.
Eggs benedict with crispy bacon at Four & Twenty. Photo supplied.
Four & Twenty (Wynberg)
This quaint café and pantry offers delicious all-day breakfast to suit banters. Try the ‘eggs be-lean’ with two free-range poached eggs on an aubergine, mushroom and truffle rösti with confit baby tomatoes, umami hollandaise and optional bacon, bresaola or smoked salmon trout (from R80), or, for lunch, the spicy calamari salad of mixed leaves, avo, confit garlic, spring onion, goat’s cheese, mango and chilli flash-fried local baby calamari tubes and toasted macadamia nuts (R105). If any dishes are accompanied by bread, banters can substitute it for low-carb bread supplied by Knead.
La Cuccina (Hout Bay)
With plenty of banting-friendly options on the buffet table (think curries made with coconut milk or cream and cauli mash), banting bread and rolls on offer, you’ll be spoilt for choice. A good destination for brunch, La Cuccina serves carb-free health bowls made with quinoa (R65) and a variety of egg dishes (from R59), including omelettes, which can all be accompanied by banting bread made with flaxseed, linseed and almond flour. Customers can also place orders for banting bread, rolls or sweet treats, like the wheat- and sugar-free dark chocolate and almond cake.
Papino’s Restaurant (Hout Bay)
For an additional R22, this Italian-style restaurant (Papino means ‘Daddy’ in Italian) offers all its wood-fired pizzas on popular cauli bases.
Pulp Kitchen (Bellville)
There aren’t any banting-specific items on the menu, but you can make substitutions where possible for an extra charge. If you miss out on one of the breakfasts, available till 12pm, go for the bacon and avo bun-less burger (single or double) served with pesto and a salad on the side.
Rcaffe (City Bowl)
There are eight banting options available on the separate Tim-Noakes-inspired menu. Tuck into one of the all-day breakfasts, such as the banting benedict of poached eggs topped with rich hollandaise sauce, crispy bacon, creamy goat’s milk cheese, cherry tomatoes roasted in rosemary and olive oil, and served on a bed of fresh rocket sprinkled with pumpkin seeds (R99). The power parma salad, a fresh herb omelette served with smoked salmon, danish feta, oven roasted cherry tomato, avo, smoked salmon and rocket, served with their banting seed bread (carb & gluten free) for R115; the sirloin supreme, with rocket salad, roasted crispy butternut, feta and pumpkin seeds (R160); or mediterranean lamb served on a bed of seasonal roasted vegetables, fresh coriander, aubergine sauce and double-cream tzatziki (R170).
Rococoa (Woodstock)
Yes, Rococoa is a chocolatier, but banters can indulge here in a sugar-free hot chocolate or one of the high-protein, low-carb meals such as beef curry with green beans and mange tout served with cauli rice. The banting burger is another a popular option: a beef patty, topped with bacon, avocado, cheese tomato and an egg.
Soet Bistro (Durbanville)
This bistro/bakery/boutique and interior studio is flexible when it comes to substitutions and offers ‘bantable’ meals. For the bantable burgers (from R79), hand-cut potatoes are switched for sweet-potato crisps, and the bun is ditched in favour of greens, like marrows and spinach.
Starlings (Claremont)
Here you can look forward to several low-carb breakfast options, including bread that’s made with coconut, flaxseed, almond flour, eggs and olive oil. For lunch, the LCHF selection includes an aubergine bake, Thai green chicken curry with cauliflower rice, salads and power bowls.
Table Thirteen (Greenpoint)
The staff at this stylish city spot are happy to make banting-friendly substitutions. Alternatively, try the bespoke LCHF dishes like ‘the bant’: two poached eggs, cherry tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, crispy bacon and avo for R72. Don’t miss the ‘maffasio’ pizza on a cauliflower base (additional R15), with parma ham, avo, bocconcini mozzarella, tomato and fresh rocket.
The Vineyard Deli (Durbanville)
This is a café and speciality food store where you can grab a coffee and stock up on banting breads, crackers, Cauliqueen products, dairy, oils and carb-smart sauces, as well as gluten-, wheat- and sugar-free products.
Cape Town stores and suppliers
Amuse Wellness Deli (Durbanville)
This deli specialises in handmade frozen products that are strictly prepared according to the regulations of LCHF, paleo and gluten-free lifestyles (aka green list ingredients). Hearty, healthy meals include pies, soups, pastas, curries, pizza bases, sauces, breads relishes and frozen meals.
Banting Box (Newlands)
This online supplier offers banting recipes and products (under the ‘Nutrition Box’) for delivery. The most popular is the Monthly Banting Box for R299, which includes five top-quality banting products and a special gift. Some examples of previous items include xylitol, roasted almond spread, natural seasoning and seed crackers.
CauliQueen (Online)
With its well-established online store that sells banting-friendly wraps, pizza bases, mash, rice, mayonnaise, bread, rolls and granola made according to the Real Meal Revolution recipes, the new CauliQueen deli caters for banters in a big way. Open seven days a week from 8.30am to 5pm, the eatery has a menu built for banting – plus ready-made meals, too. (They also offer delivery for R60 in the southern suburbs and R100 in the northern suburbs of Cape Town.)
Granny Banting’s Kitchen (Noordhoek)
These LCHF, banting, keto- and paleo-friendly homemade meals and products are free from gluten, wheat, and sugar, and are made by someone who follows the lifestyle themselves. Get your hands on banting granola, crackers, chilli cheddar biscuits, and range of single-portion frozen meals and soups. In summer there are quiches and lighter meals. Meals range from R55 to R65 and soups from R40 to R50. Buy the products from the owners’ home, the Peach Pip Market in Kommetjie every second and last Saturday of the month, and in limited stock at Ellie’s Deli, Noordhoek.
Twist Some More (Wellington)
As a catering company, Twist Some More offers bespoke banting options to suit your tastes. Exciting examples include the banting burger with a wild boar, apple and sage patty (160g) served on a cauliflower-and-cheese ‘bun’ topped with onion marmalade and gorgonzola and served with courgette ‘fries’ and a coriander mayonnaise, or the succulent pork-belly stir fry.
Winelands and surrounds
Chelsea Café and Bean (Somerset West)
The cafe’s popular banting and gluten-free options include the baconaise, salmonaise, burger stack salad and Thai chicken-mayo lettuce wrap, as well as the gluten-free muffins and a nut-and-seed loaf. For breakfast, their oven-roasted granola is also gluten free.
Cold Gold Ice Cream (Stellenbosch)
Ice cream whizz Janine van Zyl makes both dairy and dairy-free versions of banting-friendly ice cream. The dairy version is made with cream, egg yolks, and sweetened with xylitol or erythritol, and is available in an enticing range of flavours that are updated seasonally. Tahitian vanilla, Valrhona chocolate and Bean There coffee, crème caramel and lemon meringue are some of the perennial favourites. The dairy-free vegan version is made with nut milk and sweetened with dates, and is available in chocolate and vanilla flavor. All of Cold Gold’s ice creams are 100% natural, free of preservatives, chemicals and artificial additives. Find Cold Gold at the HQ in Stellenbosch, the Blaauwklippen Family Market every Sunday, and Think Organic in Kenilworth.
Bamboo Garden Restaurant (Joostenbergvlakte)
Open daily, this café tucked away in a garden centre serves all-day banting breakfasts, such as scrambled eggs with salmon, avo, cottage cheese and pumpkin seeds. For lunch, try the chicken mayo with bacon and cheddar cheese and 120g beef patty with bacon, avo and cheddar cheese.
The Millhouse Kitchen. Photo supplied.
The Millhouse Kitchen (Somerset West)
This restaurant on Lourensford Wine Estate is known for its creative wood-fired pizzas, but with meal options also including grilled beef, lamb, veal and fish of the day, banters are not left out. The most popular #LCHF dish is the ‘pizzette’ of grilled aubergine with roasted butternut and grilled goat’s cheese (R72).
Pajamas and Jam Eatery (Strand)
While the breakfasts (fried mushrooms, creamy spinach, two pork sausages and two poached eggs for R69) and salads (chicken salad with honey-mustard mayo, green beans, feta and bacon for R75) should satisfy hungry banters, staff can accommodate substitutions on the à la carte café menu, too.
The Revolution Restaurant (Paarl)
An 80% banting-friendly menu means there is a lot from which to choose. Staff attest that the most popular banting dish is the coconut porridge made with coconut milk, coconut flour, eggs and banana, topped with a berry coulis and cream (R45). Daily banting specials, such as cabbage noodles, make this a good spot for devotees.
Restaurant@Sweetwell (Stellenbosch)
With a large selection of banting-friendly dishes, the Sweetwell secret is to keep banting simple. One of the more popular meals is the slow-roasted pork belly served on coconut-infused basil veggies, with guacamole and hollandaise sauce (R157).
Taste Bistro (Somerset West)
Fish of the day and steak are menu staples. While there’s no separate banting menu, Taste Bistro staff will do their best to accommodate your needs.
Greater Western Cape
A dish at Mama Cucina. Photo supplied.
Mama Cucina (Riebeeck Kasteel)
Riebeek Kasteel hasn’t been left out of the craze. Mama Cucina’s menu changes frequently but it has some banting-friendly feasts in rotation. The lamb burger has a patty stuffed with feta and spinach, pesto and avo, and, like its pulled-chicken counterpart, is served on a brown mushroom (both R95). You’ll always find a steak on the menu – it could be grilled rib-eye with avo butter and tenderstem broccoli (R160). Look out for the roasted springbok shank served with tenderstem broccoli and saffron cauli mash (R145).
Pearly’s (Langebaan)
Banters are invited to indulge in Pearly’s LCHF menu that offers a banting breakfast and burger, amongst other items. In addition, the knowledgeable staff are flexible and happy to make substitutions, where possible, like adding cream to sauces or using cauli rice instead of pasta. For R15, you can switch to a banting pizza base made from coconut flour.
The Plettenberg Hotel (Plettenberg Bay)
Be sure to mention your special banting requirements when you make your booking, and the staff will happily adjust your meal accompaniments. We hear tales of banting bread, low-carb picnics and LCHF brekkie. Also try their fish and ‘chips’, or the bun-less cheeseburger served with streaky bacon, mushrooms and baby-marrow ‘fries’.
Greater Free State
278 on Main (Clarens)
Using natural oils to incorporate good fats and cutting carbs is this restaurant’s straightforward approach to banting. The signature brie-and-bacon banting salad is a popular choice.
Picnic (Bloemfontein)
The banting burger with creamy mushroom sauce (R105) is just one of the many popular banting options on offer. Salads include chicken with halloumi, sun-dried tomatoes and avocado (R90); prawns with cucumber, avocado and herbs topped with French dressing (R90); and smoked salmon with cucumber, avocado and cream cheese topped with ranch dressing (R98).
Please note that while every effort is made to ensure the below offers are correct, we cannot confirm whether or not Tim Noakes himself would approve of all the menu items.
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And Arugula Bistro and Bread Northern Suburbs
Four and Twenty in Chelsea Wynberg, Cape Town
You forgot Ellies deli in noordhoek garden emporium and Cauliqueen.co.za
Chez gourmet. Claremondt.
Chez gourmet. Claremondt.
Cafe Molinari in Upington has a few Banting options as well.
Rococoa Woodstock, Palms Centre. Even carb free and sugar free cakes
We have just spent a weekend in Langebaan and Pearly’s on the beach is also serving banting meals. Their waiter was very knowledgeable about banting. Very impressed!
Jaxx Restaurant in Hilton Kzn has daily Banting specials & Artisan pizza restaurant in Hilton will do Cauli pizza bases if you order when you book!! I have also had a Banting special at Olive & Oil in Pmb!!
Twistsomemore in Wellington has a banting burger and the chef is going to put more banting on the menu and then Mill House in Dorp st, Stellenbosch has a full on banting menu.
Pulp Kitchen Willowbridge and Pulp Kitchen Gardens Centre. Both have Banting options on their menu.
Bamboo Restaurant at Cape Garden Centre in Joostenbergvlakte also has a Banting Menu on a Black Board.
Tim says peas are not your friend so pea and mint cheesecake and braised peas and leeks at Frere’s are out. You’ve been able to swap chips for salad at most restaurants for years and neither pizza nor pasta have been on any diet menu – what’s new? I miss toast.
If you miss toast, why not try the low carb lifestyle bread? Delicious!! Check out http://www.lowcarblifestyle.co.za
Leipoldts in Menlyn, Pretoria are totally Banting friendly (also menu on black board). I had cauliflower-leek and Parmesan bake with a steak at Tribeca, Lynnwoodbridge, Pretoria the other night and it was sooo delicious.
Pulp Kitchen in Willowbridge, Durbanville
Soet in Durbanville offers a banting menu too:-)
Table 13 Green Point 😉
278 on Main if you’re ever in Clarens.
Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone! We’ll do some fact-checking and add them all, so keep ’em coming!
Any restaurants in Centurion?
Piza e Vino – Midrand for delish pizza Carlswold Deco Centre
Any eatouts in Kimberley, Northern Cape, besides Spur and Mugg&Bean?
Have a look here 🙂 https://www.eatout.co.za/search/?search_term=food&city_options=city_3323
I notice no good restaurants are being suckered into this fad. Disappointed with Foodbarn, but it’s only, ‘if you must have we’ll cater for’. Don’t see any banting restaurants getting a Michellin star this decade… or ever.. thank goodness.
And if I look at the banting dish from the Banting restaurant all I can say is, ‘just eat healthier, exercise and when you go to a restaurant… indulge’. The food looks so insipid I’d send it back, reminds me of school lunch.
If you are looking for a supplier of banting meals and snacks, you should try Chewing The Fat (based in Johannesburg). Visit the facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/chewingthefatLCHF or send an email to chewingthefat@dlish.co.za
LCHF means Low Carb, High Fat for those wondering.
The banting diet presents no peer-reviewed, valid scientific evidence, and actually goes against scientific studies on nutrition and exercising. EatOut must not advocate pop trends that can be detrimental to their readers. See UCT’s warning against Tim Noakes’ diet here: http://www.health.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/image_tool/images/116/diet-debate/Noakes-diet-Open-Letter-from-UCT-Faculty-of-Health-Sciences.pdf.
This is not a matter of being a “sceptic or an evangelist”, as the article’s author lightly puts it, in a most irresponsible manner; this is about preventing the latest harmful fad from spreading even further.
Hi Korrigan,
Thanks for your comment and helpful link. We report on the diet here as the result of readers’ requests for such a list, and neither endorse nor decry it. We are interested to hear about the long term effects, but will leave it to the scientists to determine them. (We are however pro-butter, carbs and Nutella – so we do sincerely hope that our readers don’t look to us for health advice.)
Actually there are many peer-reviewed studies supporting this diet. It is just been swept under the carpet by the food industries and media.
The History of the low-fat ‘diet-heart’ hypothesis: http://openheart.bmj.com/content/1/1/e000032.full
“The vilification of saturated fat by Keys began two decades before the seven countries study, where Keys showed a curvilinear association between fat calories as a percentage of total calories and death from degenerative heart disease from six countries. However, he excluded data from 16 countries that did not fit his hypothesis. Indeed, data were available at the time from 22 countries, and when all countries were looked at the association was greatly diminished. Furthermore, no association existed between dietary fat and mortality from all causes of death. Thus, past data promoted by Keys showing that an increased percentage of fat calories consumed increases the risk of death are not valid (and certainly could never have proved causation). These data seemingly lead us down the wrong “dietary-road” for decades to follow, as pointed out by others.”
What about long term studies? http://www.theiflife.com/the-inuit-paradox-high-fat-lower-heart-disease-and-cancer/. We are so obtuse that we call that a paradox! So, please it is hardly a fad.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/08/sugar/cohen-text
Fact, carbohydrates are addictive and do not allow your body to regulate its weight. LCHF diets allow that internal regulation to take place, thus you consume less calories. http://thetruthaboutsugar.org/
I have a lot of peer reviewed studies supporting this diet and I’ll be happy to send them to you.
People have difficulty to accept that they where mislead all these years.
“Still think Cape Town sports scientist Prof Tim Noakes doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to carbohydrates and saturated fat? Think again. A small but significant new study by US scientist Dr Jeff Volek, a world-renowned expert in low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) research, is more proof that Noakes is on the right dietary path. Not for everyone of course, but then Noakes has never said his diet is for everyone, despite what his critics claim he said. Like Volek, Noakes believes that no diet can ever be a ‘one size fits all’, but that the science behind LCHF is compelling in certain medical conditions, including for insulin resistance and diabetes – and personalised nutrition as medicine is often the answer instead of drugs.”
http://www.biznews.com/health/2014/11/22/marika-sboros-science-show-tim-noakes-smart-lchf
Why don’t you stick to what works for you and leave the hundreds of happy people alone. We don’t care what they said.
Karoux
in McGregor offers caulimash. as a carb alternative.
Hi there,
Get Banting is a new online store that supplies great Durban with a range if exciting and fresh banting and LCHF goodies. Included are cocnut oils, superlite noodles, a range of banting friendly mayo’s, himalayan salts, relishes, pestos, low carb and sugar free jams, almond flour bread, banting – friendly granola, rusks, seed crackers and so so much more.
http://www.facebook.com/getbanting
Hi all – please visit our online store: http://www.amusewellnessdeli.co.za – we are situated in Durbanville & offer a variety of home cooked low carb meals & lunches, delivered to your door.
http://www.bantingbox.co.za delivers banting products to you – a Starter Box for R550; a Monthly Box for R250; and a Bread and Crackers Box for R200 in September (normal price R260).
Even Hogshead pub in Douglasdale, Jhb, has added Banting versions of a fair number of their existing dishes.
Which of those restaurants have grass fed non factory raised animal products?
Cheese Gourmet in Linden
Any restaurants in Nelspruit?
It’s good to see so many food businesses offering Banting as an alternative. Whether the diet is backed by science or not (like every other diet out there) one thing for sure is that we are getting more choice and variety! The Flying Pan has a Banting menu in addition to their regular menu – they deliver freshly prepared dinner to your door on a daily basis. With Banting dinner plus delivery for R60, quality doesn’t come at a better price: http://theflyingpan.co.za/weekly-menu/low-carb/
Forresters Arms in Newlands (Cape Town) also offers a banting menu.
Pure Cafe in Pretoria (Hatfield) has small Paleo/Banting menu available. Had the almond and banana flapjacks. Yum!
any banting restaurants in George and Knysna
In George next to Harvey travel in York street is a coffee shop Garden restaurant…very nice Banting menu ..no pudding though. Ha ha
Don’t forget Nandos!!!!! Their spinach & feta side with some peri-peri grilled chicken is awesome!
Yum! Thanks for the tip Greg.
Inniebosch Restuarant in Stellenbosch 56 Dorp Street is launching their Banting menu in February.
Doubleshot – Plett ….Banting breakfast tarts,cakes,muffins,sandwiches…The real deal..one of the owners Diabetic so authentic …plus Crema and bulletproof coffee..
Coco Bistro in Pretoria has a full Banting menu including breakfasts, ‘no bun’ burgers, baby marrow pastas, fish baked in the pizza oven, and divine Banting Brownies – not to mention the Bullet Proof Coffee!
Meals Direct offer a wide verity of dinners delivered, including Low Carb options. take a look http://www.mealsdirect.co.za
Well, the top restaurants should start adding banting to their menus cos this is not a trend friends. It’s a change in every aspect of what we have been taught our whole lives and it is here to stay. I’m a believer! No more bloodpressure, cholesterol or diabetes meds!!! Take that Pharmaceutical indistry.
I had a pizza at Col’caccios, it was soooo good. Pure cafe in Pretoia also have banting options
You missed ‘The Revolution’ in Paarl. They have the best Banting menu ever!
I am so sick and tired of South African slamming Prof Tim Noakes about the high fat low carb diet. This is not just his finding or should I say it is not only SAY that is having a food revolution. America and many other countries across the globe are also in a food revolution. Just google these few names and your list is going to grow at the number of drs and Diabetic specialist etc. Dr Dan Pompa(cellular healing diet),Jordan Bench(beyond organic), Dr Richard Bernstein(a diabetic himself since age 12 read his story). There has been a summit in the last week with numerous doctors an nutrionalists who have studied and are in this revolt against the standard supposed to be good for you diet.
The chef Hennie at Sweetwell in Stellenbosch on the R44 combined forces with the author of the recipe book “Low carb is lekker” and has a LOW CARB menu. We ate there yesterday for Mother’s day and it was amazing. I had the low carb (bunless burger). It was huge. It was also my lunch today. They have also been on TV (I think Kwela).
So Whipped at Gateway Theatre of shopping in Durban also makes banting cake.
http://www.SoWhipped.co.za
http://www.facebook.com/SoWhippedSA
I see Mugg & Bean advertising LCHF are the meals legit?
Cafe@CND at CND Nursery 44 2nd ave in Limbro Park has a Banting menu. A delicious non – cauliflower base with loads of added cheese. A Banting Burger on a Banting bread. Brownies and muffins with whipped cream. The Banting breakfast is also not forgotten. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 2pm. For more information:* phone: 087 940 9617
You missed sage cafe in Pietermaritzburg.
You have to try Butter Me Up Gourmet Banting BBQ. Their Bacon doughnuts are AWESOME! Get them at the Banting Markets in Pretoria (1st Sat of the month) and Modderfontein (last Sunday).
Spur has jumped on the bandwagon here. Their brealfast is most definitely not banting friendly… What about the oils they use… And the boerewors? There’s for sure non banging ingredients in it.
Restaurant@sweetwell. We have a huge banting menu .. in stellenbosch and have been doing it for 2 years now.. our client base is 75% lchf .. come check us out
I went to the Mugg & Bean last night and was sorely disappointed with the “Banting” meal that I ordered. 90% of the vegetables were chunks of butternut, the chicken sosaties were skinny, and the Parmesan encrusted zucchini fries were wilted strips of zucchini with a blob of melted Parmesan on one side. I was so sad when it was delivered to me. Apparently they are working on improving the Banting menu items, but where can we honestly go for a rest from cooking, knowing for sure that no added sugars and carbs are being snuck in? The chicken dish that I mention above was R96 as well!!
Loads of legit banting options at “The Last Outpost” in Bapsfontein Gauteng. All Banting meals cooked using healthy fats and retail store with Banting products.