Along with Uitsig and Delaire Graff, this 20-hectare farm with an astonishing mountainside location is among the Cape Town restaurants that offer the best vineyard views – this time over the magical Franschhoek Valley. It has been operating for over three decades, evolving from its humble roots as a farm stall, selling homemade preserves made from the fruit that was grown here before it was transformed into a wine estate. Over the years Franschhoek has been transformed into the city’s ‘gourmet capital’ but La Petite Ferme has somehow retained its unpretentious and rustic atmosphere with décor that is classic countryside eatery, and manicured lawns where you are welcome to sit and watch the sun go down long after last-orders. Food remains simple and nourishing, with a menu that changes four times a year and might include Peasant fish stew; springbok babotie; a classic rabbit dish with honey and mustard; the signature Franshhoek trout, and the aubergine wrapped lamb, slow-roasted over night. Chef Tamarin van Zyl hails from Paarl, another nearby wine district, but she’s spent time training under Jamie Oliver-if you really like her fare, pick up a copy of the restaurant’s latest recipe book, La Petite Ferme Rustic Contemporary Cuisine from Franschhoek.