It was Sonora Smart Dodd of Arkansas who first lobbied for fathers to have their own day, way back in 1910. The daughter of war vet and single parent of six, William Jackson Smart, Sonora reckoned that it shouldn’t only be mothers who received a special day to honour them.
 
It wasn’t until the 1930s that Sonora’s idea caught on, when she began marketing the idea in earnest with support from groups such as tie and tobacco pipe manufacturers.
 
Whether your dad is a tie-and-tobacco type or a braai-and-beer gent, this Sunday is your opportunity to show him you care. And what better way to do it than with a hearty meal? We’ve put together a list of restaurants running Father’s Day specials this year. From spitbraais to picnics, craft beer to biltong, there’s something for every kind of father. Just make sure you book soon!

Johannesburg

Blue Feather
Treat him to: a main meal, dessert and one free local beer at R150 per person.

The Cradle
Treat him to: Father’s Day four-course lunch served at 12.30pm.

Higher Ground
Treat him to: lunch with live music and a free gift for all dads. Order from the set menu and get two courses for R225 or three courses for R265 (both include cake and coffee). There are also soups specials on choices such as carrot and ginger, butternut, and prawn and lemon.

Junipa’s
Treat him to: a special gift from Junipa’s exclusive cake studio. A live band will provide entertainment throughout the day and the restaurant will be open for breakfast and lunch.

Moyo Melrose Arch
Treat him to: lunch, a Van Ryn's gift pack, a vintage Van Ryn's brandy sniffer and entertainment at R195 per person.

Roots
Treat him to: a lunch menu at R350 per person.

The Terrace at Fairlawns
Treat him to: a traditional braai at R265 per person  (R145 for children under 12), including glühwein, sherry and iced tea on arrival.

Toadbury Hall
Treat him to: a fly fishing clinic and either a lamb spitbraai or picnic lunch.

TSG Fourways
Treat him to: a buffet at R150 per adult (R75 per child).

Pretoria

Ciao Baby Cucina (Parkview)
Treat him to: the signature 1.2kg T-bone bisteca at R199 (usually R250).

Geet Indian Restaurant
Treat him to: a culinary adventure and bottles of single malt and wine on sale for him to enjoy at home.

Lucit Restaurant
Treat him to: a complimentary home-baked box of biscuits to take home.

Moyo Fountains
Treat him to: a spitbraai buffet and games for the whole family on the lawn at R185 per adult (R85 per child under 12).

Orange Restaurant and Wine Cellar
Treat him to: a buffet potjie lunch at R180 per person (children under 13 dine at 50% discount). 

Spiced Coffee
Treat him to: an à la carte menu or spitbraai lunch buffet at R175 per adult (R55 per child under 12).

Villa San Giovanni
Treat him to: a breakfast buffet from 7am to 10.30am at R75 per adult (R45 for children under 10). The fine dining lunch is a set menu at R230 per person.

Durban

Casa Toscana
Treat him to: a full à la carte menu and glühwein welcome drink as well as a gift.

Gigi’s Brasserie
Treat him to: a braai from 12pm with dishes including T-bone steak, lamb chops, honey-mustard chicken, prawns, boerewors and sides such as curried potatoes, Greek salad, green beans and fresh bread. The pudding is milk tart and sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce. R220 per person, with a complimentary craft beer on arrival.

Grill Room at The Oysterbox
Treat him to: a carvery lunch at R390 per person.

Jam Restaurant
Treat him to: brunch from 9am for R150 per person, which includes a full continental and English breakfast with dishes such as sausages and hash browns. Includes tea, coffee and fruit juice. Booking essential.  

Livingston’s
Treat him to: Sunday lunch roast at R65 a head for either the pork belly or the beef. All dads get a little bag of biltong and a mini bottle of Klipdrift brandy. Booking essential.

Cape Town

Connexion
Treat him to: a boerekos brunch at R145 per person.

Reuben’s One&Only Cape Town
Treat him to: a buffet breakfast at R225 per person or buffet lunch at R345 per person (R175 for children under 12).

Signal
Treat him to: a buffet lunch and a complimentary whisky tasting below deck in Bascule Bar at R195 per person.

The Roundhouse
Treat him to: a lunch menu of three courses for R295.

The Square
Treat him to: a three-course lunch at R255 per person.

Trees Restaurant
Treat him to: a set lunch menu, including a glass of house red or white at R165 per person.

Vista Bar and Lounge One&Only Cape Town
Treat him to: tea from 2.30pm to 5.30pm, with treats such as mini burgers, mini boerewors rolls, biltong and sweets, for R145 per person. The lounge will be televising the Rugby World Cup final of 1994, Chester Williams will be in attendance, and a 30-litre keg of Grolsch draft will be up for grabs. Dads can also enjoy seeing the new Bentley, Lamborghini and BMWs on show outside.       

Winelands

Bon Amis
Treat him to: a breakfast buffet with a selection of cold items on the continental buffet for R85 per person or a hot breakfast buffet for R95 per person. Or go for the full breakfast at R150 per person. Another option is the three-course buffet lunch created by chef Adrian Cook for R165 per person. Kids will be able to enjoy themselves on a jungle gym, sandpit and play park, as well as a supervised jumping castle. All dads also receive a small bottle of brandy courtesy of Distell.

Café Ruby
Treat him to: a set menu at R180 per person with live music. Dishes include mussels, sirloin off the braai or whole baby chicken, and chocolate brownies for dessert.

Cassia Restaurant
Treat him to: a buffet breakfast for R130 per person, or the standard à la carte menu for lunch. Booking essential.

Cuvée at Simonsig
Treat him to: an exciting 4×4 adventure on the Land Rover Experience amidst the vineyards at Simonsig, followed by a hearty 350g sirloin and French fries at R780. (Passengers pay R150, which includes a R100 Cuvée voucher.) Or go for the Father’s Day sirloin lunch at Cuvée for R120 (for dads only) while the rest of the family can order from the seasonal menu.

De Grendel
Treat him to: a set menu with roasted tomato soup or prawns starter; line fish or lamb shank with root veggies for mains, and malva pudding or cheese for dessert. Cost is R295 per person. (Children under 3 are free; children 3-6 for R35; children 6-12 for R55.)

eat@simonsvlei
Treat him to: Hanepoot or Jerepigo on arrival and a three-course menu at R150 per person. Enjoy a chicken and sweetcorn soup for starters; lamb curry with roast potatoes, rice, salad and veggies for mains; and peppermint mint tart for dessert.

The Eatery at Durbanville Hills
Treat him to: a buffet lunch with starter of biltong and blue cheese soup or tomato tart. For mains course choose from leg of lamb, braised short ribs, and roasted chicken. Side dishes include spinach and feta potato bake and roasted vegetables. End the meal off with brandy tart or crème brûlée. Cost is R169 per person, which includes a glass of the 2010 Durbanville Hills Bastion on arrival, lunch and a gift for dad. (Kids under 12 pay R89.)

Fyndraai Restaurant
Treat him to: a Cape family buffet. All fathers will receive a gift and can enjoy free wine tasting. R185 per adult (R75 for children).

Meerendal
Treat him to: a breakfast at R60 per person, which includes two scrambled or fried eggs, bacon, beef sausage, mushrooms, potato rosti and baked beans served with a cup of coffee. Lunch includes smoked haddock and calamari chowder, sirloin steak and Cape-style Malva pudding for R150 per person.

Polo Club Restaurant and Lounge Bar at Val de Vie
Treat him to: a braai at R260 per person, which includes items such as grilled fish, sirloin, deboned barbeque chicken, ribs, prawn salad as sides such as couscous, Mediterranean roast vegetables, sautéed baby potatoes and mielie pap. Dessert includes chocolate éclairs, koeksisters and mini milk tarts.

Seasons
Treat him to: a welcoming savoury treat and glass of bubbly before a variety of starters and mains such as juicy lamb roast, oxtail and mixed Mediterranean vegetables. The dessert selection includes banoffee pie and apple and chocolate crumble. R165 per person.

Citrusdal

Hebron Restaurant
Treat him to: a lunch menu with chicken kiev for starters, bangers and mash for mains and apple tart for dessert. The restaurant is unlicensed, so BYO alcohol. R130 for two courses and R160 for three courses.

By Kelly Pluke, Linda Scarborough and Katharine Jacobs