3 Best Restaurants in The Northern Cape, South Africa

Guests at either of Tswalu Kalahari Reserve's lodges are treated to a dinner at Klein JAN, the first restaurant in the country by Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen (South Africa's only Michelin star–awarded chef), though others do drive (or fly) in when the eight-course lunch with wine-pairings is offered. The setting is a century-old farmhouse, and meals are experiential and immersive—eye-opening introductions to the produce, culinary traditions, and flavors of the Northern Cape, with every morsel or sip seemingly designed to surprise as well as satisfy you, to fire up not only all your senses but also your imagination. By the time you leave, you know your taste buds will never again experience such an extraordinary culinary adventure.

The current owner of this restaurant was so impressed by a sushi-cum-cocktail bar in Cape Town that he bought it and moved it—plus the barman—to the table-grape farming town of Kakamas. Rave reviews (even in the New York Times of all places) are probably due more to its novelty value. But it's a fun place, and although local menu additions like springbok won't appeal to everyone, real sushi is served here, and there's a good cocktail bar. It's definitely worth a visit. There are also rooms for rent in the hotel.

Burgers made with the finest ingredients, slabs of meat grilled to perfection, and absolute pride taken in making every plate a miniature masterpiece—Red Ox has high ambitions, as evidenced by both the food and the smart decor, which features lots of mirrors and a collection of paintings by the late landscape artist Walter Meyer. In addition to the menu of meat dishes (vegetarians note that, the menu states, quite explicitly, "No Meat, No Life"), there's a Sunday breakfast buffet, daily chalkboard specials, and options inspired by local tastes.