Located right on Paternoster beach and nestled amongst the rocks, this well-known West Coast gem is still pulling in the crowds. With so few restaurants in South Africa positioned right on the beach, Gaaitjie couldn’t be a better location to eat a delicious seafood meal while taking in the spectacular views.

Star ratings

Food and drink: 4
Service: 4
Ambience: 4

Food

You can expect contemporary dishes infused with Asian influencers by chef Jaco Kruger. The focus is on seafood and it’s what you should go for, but there are meat and vegetarian dishes on the menu too.

A post shared by Gaaitjie Paternoster (@gaaitjie_paternoster) on Jun 2, 2017 at 5:23am PDT

A tower of homemade bread and farm butter is presented on arrival. Tender salt-and-pepper calamari and fried prawns in kataifi, served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce, are good options to kick off your meal. Other interesting dishes on the menu worth trying are the pan-grilled angelfish on a bed of pesto tagliatelle, and the curried monkfish with salsa and popadums.

A trio of homemade sorbet is a great way to finish a meal on a hot summer’s day.

Drinks

A small but good wine list features a few wines from the region,  as well as a few from further afield. The whites have been selected to pair well with seafood.

Service

Warm West Coast hospitality from friendly and attentive staff.

Ambience

The restaurant is housed in a 70-year-old white washed fisherman’s cottage. The decor is simple and rustic. The location and ambience couldn’t be better suited for a seafood meal

Gaaitjie Restaurant. Photo supplied.

And…

Phone in advance. Be sure to book the stoep that faces the beach for the best views and arrive a little early in the evening to catch the sunset. On a cold night, it’s advisable to book inside near the fireplace.