Celebrity chef Reuben Riffel is set to relocate his popular Franschhoek restaurant, Reuben’s, to a new premises in the beautiful winelands town, with a Reuben’s pop-up eatery appearing at Racine within the next few months while the move takes place.

Chef Reuben Riffel. Photo supplied.

Reuben’s Restaurant & Bar first opened its doors in 2004 and has been offering tourists and locals top-quality South African dishes. Now, Reuben and his wife, Maryke, have planted roots at a brand-new address in the iconic Franschhoek village, having officially purchased property for the new home of their flagship restaurant.

The new Reuben’s will be situated just off the main street and will be opening late 2016. Much of what guests have come to know and love about the dining experience at this Franschhoek favourite will remain the same, but it will be presented in a fresh new way. Explains Reuben, “The gap between maintaining the heart and soul of the Reuben’s experience, which our guests have come to know and trust over the years, and all of the potential and excitement of something new and completely ours, is where our creativity can really be let loose and flourish.”

While the duo is keeping mum about the look of the new space, they have revealed that the restaurant will be more intimate and styled to reflect Reuben’s personal taste and flair, and will offer a smaller, more concentrated seasonal menu. Regulars will pleased to know that the signature favourites will remain, but Reuben enthuses that he has plenty new dishes up his sleeve and that he’s been dreaming about this menu for quite some time.

A dish at Reuben’s Restaurant in Franschhoek. Photo supplied.

The restaurant at the current location of 19 Huguenot Street will officially close on 30 May. But, to keep Reuben’s fans happy while the eatery transitions to its new home, the team will host a special pop-up restaurant at Racine, the bistro-style eatery on Chamonix Wine Estate, from 1 June. Open from Friday to Monday for lunch and dinner, this cosy pop-up will offer Racine’s popular menu alongside a selection of Reuben’s seasonal favourites, which will change regularly.

There is still some time to make a reservation at Reuben’s (19 Huguenot Street) before its closure, and the pop-up at Racine will open for reservations at the end of the month.