Stellenbosch has long been known as a beacon of culinary excellence and its restaurants consistently raise the bar. At the recent 2025 Luxe Restaurant Awards and the prestigious 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards, more than 10 local establishments proudly carried the town’s reputation forward. MARANA BRAND uncovers the recipes for success behind four award-winning local restaurants.
MERTIA
Among the celebrated local stars at the 2025 Luxe Restaurant Awards and the 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards was Mertia – and its accolades further cement Stellenbosch’s place at the pinnacle of South African fine dining.
Winning both the Service Excellence Award and earning a coveted two-star rating at both acclaimed awards is no small feat. It’s an achievement that demands passion, precision and an unwavering commitment to every detail, from the first hello at the front door to preparing and serving exceptional, beautiful food and then the final goodbye.
Yet Mertia founder Marais Kirsten-Uys, chef Matt van den Berg and their team make this seem effortless, like it’s second nature. Indeed, for them it genuinely is.
“Matt and I agreed from day one that we wouldn’t chase awards,” Marais says. “If you do the right thing consistently, recognition naturally follows. But winning motivates our team and shows them that what we’re doing truly matters.”
Matt echoes the sentiment. “The awards are fantastic – great for the ego,” says he and laughs. “But it’s never been our driving force. For us, it’s about ensuring that each guest has the best experience imaginable. It’s about improving every single day, whether in the kitchen or at the tables. It’s been refreshing for me to work in a restaurant where service is so deeply valued – it makes a huge difference. Our kitchen and front-of-house teams work together seamlessly. That’s what keeps our guests coming back.”
Mertia, a name steeped in personal history, is a tribute to Marais’ beloved grandmother. While diners won’t find traditional ouma-se-kos served at Mertia (“the only thing Ouma could really make was microwave sago pudding”), her legacy is far from absent. Her guiding principle was “Anything worth doing is worth doing well” and that echoes through every meticulous detail at the restaurant. “Whether it’s cleaning the kitchen, serving a table or greeting guests, that’s how we honour her every day,” says Marais.
Immersion and synergy define the Mertia dining experience. Inside its sophisticated yet inviting space, guests witness at first hand the harmonious dance between the chefs and the front-of-house team.
“Service here is deeply integrated with the kitchen,” Matt says. “We often do tableside cooking – it’s playful, engaging and something ouma Mertia would have thoroughly enjoyed,” adds Marais. “We serve recognisable, approachable food – nothing overly fussy. Just honest dishes presented with skill and love.”
The menu is always evolving, inspired by the best freshly grown produce in the Stellenbosch region, and it showcases ingredients in their seasonal prime.
“Seasonality is our heartbeat. We use whatever’s at its best. One week you might see fresh truffles gracing our dishes; the next it could be watermelon or heirloom tomatoes from the Mertia family farm. We’ve learnt to adapt quickly, making use of produce exactly when it tastes its absolute best,” says Matt. “Dishes appear on the menu based on how nature guides us, sometimes just for weeks. It keeps things interesting for our guests and for us in the kitchen.”
It goes without saying that exciting new ideas are always simmering at Mertia. “We’re planning more Stellenbosch-focused elements on the menu, blending local art into our dishes and creating something authentically local, fresh and unexpected,” Marais says. But for now, the details remain under wraps. “We can’t reveal too much yet. You’ll just have to come and experience it for yourself!” says Matt.
At Mertia, dining transcends the ordinary. It’s an intimate culinary conversation, thoughtfully crafted and warmly delivered, capturing the heart and soul of Stellenbosch with every dish and every heartfelt interaction. Every evening at Mertia feels less like dinner and more like an unforgettable homecoming – exactly as Marais and Matt intended.
As Marais beautifully summarises, “It’s about making every visit special, doing it right and honouring Ouma’s legacy.”
DUSK
At Dusk in Bird Street, food is never just food. It’s an experience designed to disrupt the traditional fine-dining mould, offering something fresh and bold.
It’s exactly this boundary-pushing philosophy that has earned the restaurant three stars at both the 2025 Eat Out and Luxe Restaurant Awards, a distinction director and executive chef Callan Austin doesn’t take lightly.
“We’re thrilled,” he says. “Awards are a great way to see how you compare to others in the industry. We’ve held on to our three Eat Out stars since opening, and we were named Best New Restaurant just months after launching. I’m very proud of our achievements – and of the team that helped us attain them.”
Dusk’s approach to fine dining is anything but traditional. Think edgy, playful, nostalgic – are always delicious. “At the end of the day, people come for an experience and good food,” says Callan, “and that’s what we strive to provide.”
While it’s tricky to say which Dusk dish best reflects the restaurant’s identity, the now-signature palate cleanser titled ‘wash your mouth out with soap’ – a cheeky nod to childhood discipline – is a strong contender. “It looks like a bar of soap with the ‘F’ word on it, a reminder of when your mother would threaten to wash your mouth out with soap if you swore.”
Another standout is ‘not all that glistens is gold’. This delicious dessert, with flavours based on tiramisu, challenges diners to compare imported luxury ingredients like truffles with the beauty of local produce.
For Callan, Stellenbosch offers the ideal mix of close community and untapped potential. “It’s a tight-knit town. Our relationships with local farmers, winemakers and people in general make the experience of having a restaurant here really special,” he says. “In many ways, Stellenbosch is where Franschhoek was 15 years ago – a food hub on the rise.”
New to the Dusk portfolio is Dawn, a private dining room for up to 26 guests. “It’s perfect for private functions and corporate events,” says Callan. “And it’s become a creative space where I spend a lot of time by myself, developing new dishes and experimenting with ideas like fermentation.”
RUST EN VREDE
Rust en Vrede Restaurant, cradled among vineyards on the eponymous historic wine estate, continues to embody quiet excellence.
Honoured with two stars at both the 2025 Eat Out and Luxe Restaurant Awards, it remains one of Stellenbosch’s most refined culinary destinations.
“We’re honoured by the recognition,” says head chef Fabio Daniel. “These awards reflect the dedication of our entire team and our commitment to offering a complete dining experience where wine, food and service are in harmony. It’s a proud moment for the entire team.”
At the heart of the kitchen is Fabio himself, whose approach is grounded in classical French technique and enriched by the warmth, depth and subtle flavours of his Brazilian and Italian heritage.
“We’re dedicated to working with the best seasonal ingredients, sourced as sustainably and locally as possible. The goal is to highlight each product’s natural character through refined preparation, creating dishes that are expressive, balanced and deeply connected to the estate’s wines,” he explains.
One dish that beautifully captures this ethos of tradition and creativity is the much- loved Karoo lamb. “It represents everything we value: local provenance, refined execution and thoughtful wine pairing,” says Fabio.
With its serene setting and exceptional cellar, Rust en Vrede remains a cornerstone of the Stellenbosch food and wine scene, and its commitment to craft is unwavering. “Stellenbosch offers a rare combination of world-class wine, incredible local produce and deep respect for craft,” he adds. “That sense of place is woven into everything we do.”
GOOD TO GATHER
Tucked beneath cork oak trees on Rozendal Farm, just beyond the hum of Stellenbosch suburbia, Good to Gather feels like a secret waiting to be discovered. It’s this intimate, soulful atmosphere – where every detail is thoughtful and every plate personal – that earned the restaurant the Hidden Gem Award at the 2025 Luxe Restaurant Awards.
Co-owner and chef Jessica Shepherd believes the restaurant’s charm lies in its simplicity. “Probably our tiny size, and being a truly family-run restaurant – with myself cooking and Luke serving – adds to the sense of guests sharing in a special, intimate experience. I think they can feel the thought and care that go into what we do.”
Dining beneath the trees at Good to Gather feels like slipping into a slower world – one that could just as easily be rural Italy or France.
Jessica’s food philosophy is quiet, grounded and generous, mirroring the setting. “I follow a hyper-seasonal, ingredient-led approach, drawing inspiration from what’s growing in our garden and what the nearby farms have to offer. This is why my menu often changes weekly. I believe in simplicity – to highlight natural flavours rather than mask or manipulate them.”
Good to Gather focusses on simplicity, allowing the flavours to speak for themselves. It’s a small restaurant with a big heart.
Jessica hopes to make their garden even more productive. “We’d love to feature more of our own homegrown produce on our menu.”
If one dish embodies the essence of her cook-from-the-heart approach, it’s the twice- baked cheese soufflé – a favourite among first-time and returning guests alike.
“It’s something I’ve been cooking for 20 years now,” she says. “It feels and tastes like comfort. Food has this magical way of taking you somewhere special – not in a razzle- dazzle kind of way, but in a nurturing, makes- your-soul-happy kind of way.”
In a town known for its world-class wines and natural beauty, Jessica believes something new is stirring. “There’s an exciting generation of thoughtful and talented chefs really putting Stellenbosch on the map.” And Good to Gather is right at the heart of that quiet revolution.
AWARDS GALORE
These Stellenbosch restaurants recently received the following awards:
2025 EAT OUT WOOLWORTHS RESTAURANT AWARDS*
- Dusk: Three stars
- Bertus Basson
- – Trailblazer Award
- – Clara’s Barn: Two stars
- – Eike: One star
- – Spek & Bone: One star
- Mertia
- – Service Excellence Award
- – Two stars
- Rust en Vrede: Two stars
- The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira: Two stars
- Hōseki, Delaire Graff: One star
- Post & Pepper: One star
- Rykaart’s Restaurant at Longridge Wine Estate: One star
- The Table at De Meye: One star
- Vuur Goose Island: One star
2025 LUXE RESTAURANT AWARDS
- Mertia:
- – Service Excellence Award
- – Two stars
- Mill St Bistro: Bistro of the Year Award
- Good to Gather: Hidden Gem Award
- De Eetkamer: Tapas Restaurant of the Year
- Dusk: Three stars
- Rust en Vrede Restaurant: Two stars
- Hōseki, Delaire Graff: One star
- Post & Pepper: One star
- The Jordan Restaurant with Marthinus Ferreira: One star
*Eat Out’s star-rating system awards restaurants based on food quality, technique, service, ambience and value. Only restaurants scoring over 90 out of 100 earn a three-star rating, while two-star and one-star ratings are given to those scoring between 80 and 89 and 70 and 79, respectively.