The Winelands is a real food-lover’s destination – with abundant restaurants and free-flowing wine. But in the past few months, a whole fresh crop of options have opened up. From new wine farm restaurants to brunch spots, steakhouses to tapas restaurants, here are some of the most interesting places that have opened in the past four months.

Bovine (Franschhoek)

Franschhoek local Oliver Cattermole is leaving the world of fine dining with his new restaurant, Bovine. Instead, he is focusing on doing a few dishes very well, such as burgers, steaks and salads. Located in the old Dutch East space, the overall vibe is laid-back and welcoming, so expect to settle in here with a glass of wine for most of the afternoon.

A post shared by Bovine (@bovinefranschhoek) on Jan 26, 2018 at 8:37am PST

Chefs Warehouse at Maison (Franschhoek)

At the end of November, Liam Tomlin’s successful group of tapas restaurants expanded to the Winelands, with this branch in the former Kitchen at Maison spot. Headed up by chef Dave Schneider, the kitchen carries The Chefs Warehouse flag proudly, with an ever-changing selection of small and seasonal plates.

A dish at Chefs Warehouse at Maison. Photo supplied.

De Vrije Burger (Stellenbosch)

Bertus Basson has surpassed all our expectations with this dedicated burger bar. The concept is as simple as it gets, with only one burger on the menu – a free-range beef version topped with cheese and pickles – and fries, which can be topped with your choice of either peri-peri salt or cheese. In case it didn’t sound enough like heaven, De Vrije Burger also gives you a free soft serve ice cream with every burger.

Bertus Basson outside De Vrije Burger. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Kunjani Wines (Stellenbosch)

Kunjani has a much more modern feel than most wine farm restaurants. The restaurant, which opened in December, has some uber-stylish décor with graphic screens, designer furniture, and a palette of grey, red and black. Their focus is on fun dining rather than fine dining and, as a result, they make some really good burgers and platters to share. (More expensive plated options are also available.)

Inside Kunjani Wines’ bold restaurant. Photo supplied.

Nom Nom (Somerset West)

This new restaurant in the former Benguela on Main space is inspired by the ‘choose your own adventure’ style of eating. Their menu is made up of smaller plates and nibbles that can be ordered at will to make your own personal tapas meal. They do, however, have a number of more substantial dishes in case you don’t want to share.

A dish at Nom Nom. Photo supplied.

Salt at Paul Cluver (Grabouw)

Chef Craig Cormack has always been known for his passion for salt and using different types of salt to bring out certain qualities in food. Now, the chef has teamed up with the Paul Cluver estate to open Salt. In addition to a concise and locally inspired menu, the restaurant will offer a wine, food and salt pairing experience – one of the first of its kind in the country.

A dish at Salt at Paul Cluver. Photo supplied.

Brought to you by Retail Capital, sponsors of the Eat Out Retail Capital New Restaurant of the Year Award. Want to find more new restaurants in your city? Check out our new restaurants section.