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Tokara Fine Dining

Contemporary South African
Location Pointer 3WJC+W3 Stellenbosch, South Africa
4.7
(7109 reviews)
RRR+
Menu
Favourite

Attributes

  • Romantic
  • Great Views
  • Gourmet Guide Plated

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Menu
Favourite

Tokara Restaurant, situated 400 meters above sea level on top of the Helshoogte Pass outside Stellenbosch, offers its guests terroir focused contemporary cuisine, award-winning wines and dramatic views over Stellenbosch and False Bay. The building housing the restaurant is a Cape architectural icon utilising glass, steel and stone.

Tokara Restaurant opened its doors in October 2001 and was one of the very first iconic winery restaurants established in the Cape Winelands area of South Africa.

Within the first year of taking of the reigns of the Tokara Restaurant kitchen, chef Carolize Coetzee won the “Haute Performance Award” as South Africa’s most promising chef in the 2020 JHP Gourmet Guide, while the restaurant was included in the authoritative The World’s 50 Best Restaurants new “50Best Discovery” list for 2020.

We offer an à la carte menu for lunch and a set menu, either four or six courses, for dinner.

Gourmet Guide™ Description

Hogging the top spot on the winding Helshoogte Pass, Tokara Restaurant provides a breathtaking visual feast, from views to sensory plates. Under the expert guidance of chef Carolize Coetzee, the menu celebrates refined, modern dishes that honour South African flavours, traditions, and beloved home-cooked classics with innovative, authentic flair. Drawing inspiration from seasonal, locally sourced produce, Carolize has crafted a menu that epitomises her farm-to-table philosophy. Ingredients harvested from on-site kitchen gardens are showcased alongside Tokara Estate’s celebrated wines and olive oils.

A stellar start is the exquisite assiette of beetroot with goat’s milk cheese, grapefruit, caramelised walnuts, sorrel wood, sunflower shoots, and a citrus dressing. The main event, a faultless lamb rump with spiced butternut purée, lentil ragout, butternut crisp, Thai basil, and marsala jus, is superbly complemented by the Tokara Syrah, aged for two years in oak, elegantly displaying its complexity.

Dining at Tokara is an undeniable destination experience, not just for the exceptional food and wine, but also for the service, which balances effortless charm with a high level of care. Conversations with the chef reveal her deep connection to food, inspired by her family’s culinary traditions and her commitment to seasonality. Her love for creating core memories linked to her dining experiences shines through.

Opening Hours

  • Monday CLOSED
  • Tuesday 12h00 - 15h00, 18h30 - 21h00
  • Wednesday 12h00 - 15h00, 18h30 - 21h00
  • Thursday 12h00 - 15h00, 18h30 - 21h00
  • Friday 12h00 - 15h00, 18h30 - 21h00
  • Saturday 12h00 - 15h00, 18h30 - 21h00
  • Sunday 12h00 - 15h00, 18h30 - 21h00

Reviews (7109)

4.7 out of 5.0
Based on the past 12 months
Food 4.8
Value 4.6
Service 4.8
Ambience 4.8
  • Anaziles Dined: 2 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Steven B. Dined: 1 week ago
    4.5
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 4.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 25 Aug 25
    Superb as ever, new seasonal menu fantastic. Enough choice but something for everyone. Service impeccable and wine recommendation excellent. Unlike some other places, have never been remotely disappointed in any dish or any aspect of service Not cheap in SA terms but actually good value for the quality. Highly recommended!

  • Noellan G. Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 24 Aug 25
    An absolutely spectacular time, everything was perfect. Absolutely worth the drive from Cape Town and I'd say do daytime more than night-time

  • Xavier W. Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Luca L. Dined: 2 weeks ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 24 Aug 25
    A great food&wine experience in a lovely location! Happy to have been there, thanks to all the staff.

  • Larita H. Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Sino Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Rob B. Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Fri 22 Aug 25
    A Simply Wonderful evening! The food was absolutely delicious and the presentation outstanding. Exquisite fine dining at its best. We opted for the wine pairing and enjoyed beautiful wines to accompany each course. We were given a very well informed explanation of each vintage and winery from where they came from and why they matched so well. Our waitress was simply lovely. Really helpful, very knowledgeable about the food but above all, as with all the team at Tokara, she was really friendly and welcoming. A truly fantastic evening from a restaurant that does credit to Stellenbosch and South Africa.

  • Craig D. Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Thu 21 Aug 25
    Just brilliant! 100%

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