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ARKESTE

Reviewers' Choice 2025 - Top 100 Reviewers' Choice 2024 - Top 50
South African French Fine Dining Bistro
Location Pointer Chamonix Wine Estate, Uitkyk St, Franschhoek, 7690, South Africa
4.8
(2337 reviews)
RRR
Menu
Favourite

Attributes

  • Romantic
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Wine Estate
  • Gourmet Guide Plated
  • Reviewers' Choice 2022 - Top 100
  • Reviewers' Choice 2023 - Top 50
  • Reviewers' Choice 2024 - Top 50
  • Reviewers' Choice 2025 - Top 100

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Menu
Favourite

At Arkeste, we present an a la carte menu in a casual fine dining style. We are located on Chamonix Wine Farm, Franschhoek, in a characterful heritage building on the edge of a forest. This sets the scene for a tranquil dining experience and delicious food by chef Ashwin Johannes who present dishes which showcase seasonal and local ingredients. Our wine list features Chamonix wines and a curated selection from the Cape region.

Gourmet Guide™ Description

Chamonix Wine Farm in Franschhoek is the perfect backdrop for Richard Carsten’s culinary ability. The forest setting is serene and the heritage building charming, but diners come for the food. Richard has returned to Chamonix after 30 years of notching up an impressive pedigree at top restaurants that included a successful tenure at Tokara, giving him time to cement his reputation and following. Known for his modern twists on classics, Carstens creates dishes that celebrate the seasons and heralds local.

Choose from an a la carte menu with inventive starters like the squid, either with togarashi, dashi black rice, wakame, cucumber and chili garam or a rendition with risotto, parsnip, wakame and a yuzu-ginger sauce.

Mains could be a citrus-glazed linefish with pommes, greens, rouille, heerenboon and a sauce bouillabaisse, showing chef’s love of traditional, notched up with a contemporary flair. Or the kapokbos-glazed springbok with creamy and dreamy Robuchon pomme, greens, sake-pears, and a sauce that he calls ‘Cape senses’. Dishes are sure to appeal to all your senses. His signature baked Alaska of rainbow trout and the Franco-Jap interpretation of seafood are a must. Vegetarians are well respeced and catered for. Be sure to order a delectable dessert – watch out for the gorgonzola ice cream with walnut, pears and honeycombe – and your appetite for deliciousness will be sated. The wine list reflects wines of the estate and the Cape. Here’s casual fine dining at its best.

Opening Hours

  • Monday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Tuesday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Wednesday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Thursday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Friday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Saturday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Sunday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15

Reviews (2337)

4.8 out of 5.0
Based on the past 12 months
Food 4.8
Value 4.8
Service 4.9
Ambience 4.7
  • Carolin G. Dined: 6 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Parsons Dined: 4 days ago
    4.8
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 4.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 17 Nov 25
    I do like Arkeste; the menu is not too fussy but, what’s on there is really well thought out, balanced and very tasty. There’s a special which I’ve had twice, a circle of six types of seafood, each with their own sauce or dressing, it’s sublime! Definitely one I go to at least once a year from Cape Town, be mindful, the roadworks between N1 and F’hoek are a pain!! Happy days, yummy food!

  • Jonathon F. Dined: 3 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 17 Nov 25
    Terrific food, service, and setting. Thank you!

  • Trenton F. Dined: 3 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 17 Nov 25
    Gorgeous farmhouse with fantastic dishes. The dishes have bold flavor combinations that really worked! Attentive service. 10/10 recommend

  • Sherri W. Dined: 5 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 17 Nov 25
    WOW WOW WOW! Thank you all Arkeste staff for hosting our year end. We had amazing food, your staff are awesome, and our team loved the event! Highly recommend this restaurant as a beautiful venue for 1 or 50!

  • Derek B. Dined: 4 days ago
    4.8
    Food 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 16 Nov 25
    We had a good visit to Arkeste. The only negative was a fillet steak was sinuous and tough, but the restaurant removed it from the bill. Everything else was splendid.

  • Douglas C. Dined: 4 days ago
    4.8
    Food 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 16 Nov 25
    The old favourites are still available and some tasty new additions. Recommended.

  • Antje P. Dined: 6 days ago
    4.8
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 4.0

    Reviewed on: Fri 14 Nov 25
    The food was 😍😍😍

  • Johan D. Dined: 6 days ago
    4.8
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 4.0
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