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Tokara Fine Dining

Contemporary South African
Location Pointer 3WJC+W3 Stellenbosch, South Africa
4.7
(7066 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 (7066)

4.7 out of 5.0
Based on the past 12 months
Food 4.8
Value 4.6
Service 4.8
Ambience 4.8
  • kevan k. Dined: 2 weeks ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Dimpo Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Jacques d. Dined: 1 week ago
    4.8
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sat 28 Jun 25
    Loved the food it was spectacular especially the tempura prawn starter. Prok Belly was also great and loved the mosbolletjie broodjie.

  • Grant S. Dined: 1 week ago
    4.5
    Food 5.0
    Value 3.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Fri 27 Jun 25
    Everything was fantastic besides portions a little small for our liking ,but otherwise excellent especially service

  • Newton F. Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Fri 27 Jun 25
    Amazing wines and food !

  • Adri D. Dined: 2 weeks ago
    4.8
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Wed 25 Jun 25
    What a great treat. I would really recommend this to any foody out there. Should definitely be one of the stops on your calendar when visiting this area.

  • Arti T. Dined: 2 weeks ago
    4.3
    Food 4.0
    Value 3.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sat 21 Jun 25
    A very swish winery. The menu is unusual and interesting with plenty of vegetable options. The mushroom starter with different flavours and textures was excellent as was the olive oil cake, with bits of crunchy olives and delicious ice cream. The manager was gracious when I sent the corky wine back, offering a different bottle. Hats off to the gentleman who served the wine, allowing first a look at the bottle, a sniff and taste and then pouring the wine carefully to conserve the bubbles. The first time it's been served like this here in SA. The fish of the day was overcooked though I asked for it rare, and tender. Again sent back and replaced with a less over cooked piece of fish. This dish was rather overloaded with foams and sauces, masking the flavours of the various items on the plate. Overall, very good and I appreciated the graciousness of the staff. But the quality/price ratio is below what I would have expected.

  • Mickey B. Dined: 2 weeks ago
    4.3
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 4.0
    Ambience 4.0
  • Franko E. Dined: 2 weeks ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
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