The Best Restaurants in Dullstroom

Dullstroom is just 2.5 hours away from Johannesburg, making it a popular weekend destination. After spending my birthday weekend here in November, I’m ready to give you the cheat sheet for the best restaurants in Dullstroom.

What makes the best restaurant in Dullstroom?

TROUT!

Dullstroom’s trout industry started in 1912 and has been thriving since then. Trout in Dullstroom is mostly grown in dams or man-made lakes (or ponds). I basically ate trout for every meal while we were in Dullstroom… and I have no regrets.

How did I come up with this list?

We did a lot of restaurant menu googling to see which restaurants had the most appetizing sounding trout dishes… Then I went to their google reviews to check out what people said about them and see some photos. Though we were here only for a weekend, I managed to fit in 5 excellent trout meals. I’ve also included some dishes that I would have tried if my stomach could handle it. Maybe I’m weak…

Mrs Simpson’s

Make a reservation for Mrs. Simpson’s at the same time your book your lodging in Dullstroom. The vibe is old-school yet funky. The restaurant is named after the American divorceé, Mrs Wallis Simpson, the late Duchess of Windsor.

The food

The chefs prepared the absolute best trout pasta I’ve ever had in my life. The trout pasta dish makes it one of the best restaurants in Dullstroom.

The pasta is creamy and lemony, creating a warm, refreshing flavor that elevates the fresh trout. Wow. I was blown away from the first bite.

We also ordered the Moroccan prawns and mussels. It was a good dish but can’t be compared to the trout pasta. Many people around us were ordering steaks so that must be good here too.

For dessert, we got the cheesecake (which tasted more like a key lime pie to me) and the chocolate torte. Both were an excellent way to end the night.

Advice

• If you’re going all out for trout, get both the tout pasta and the stuffed trout. The table sitting next to us ordered the stuffed trout and it looked really tasty.
• Bookings essential.
• Budget for 2 people (drinks, mains, and dessert) around R800.
• Check out the menu here. There are also several specials that will rotate.

The Mad Hatter Cafe

The Mad Hatter Cafe is nestled in the Cherry Grove Piazza, giving you Italian vibes that are perfect for an afternoon nibble. The menu is varied and each dish is prepared with care, making it one of the best restaurants in Dullstroom. We loved it so much that we visited two times for lunch. In fact, it was our first and last meal in Dullstroom. The menu may change as it’s written on large blackboards, but just know there is something for everyone here!

The food

The trout salad was my first trout dish in Dullstroom and it was perfect. For my last meal, I got the trout pasta. It had an excellent sweet pepper flavor that went well with the trout.

Other dishes: There was so much to choose from. We ordered the bobotie in a bunnychow. It was good but not the best I’ve had. The bunny chow was super cute though as it was mini-sized. We also got the melon and feta salad which was excellent.

Advice

• We went for lunch only so I’m not sure if you will need a reservation for dinner. Call and check! Both times we visited for lunch there was only one other couple dining.
• Budget for 2 people around R300.

Vine Wine Bar

The Vine Wine Bar recently opened in August 2021. The menu changes to keep with the season and local produce. The restaurant is off the main strip of restaurants in Dullstroom so you might miss it unless you’re looking for it.

The Vine Wine Bar has a mixture of lounge seating, indoor dining, and outdoor dining. We opted for the tables but there were plenty of people sitting on the couches and enjoying the fireplace. The vibe of the restaurant is like gallery-barn-chic. The manager (or owners?) came up to us several times to ask if we were being taken care of.

The food

The smoked trout pate was an excellent starter. It was served with some French bread. The smokiness flavor was light but still noticeable. I loved it! We also ordered zucchini ribbons, burrata, and spiced pumpkin tapas. I recommend them all.

For the mains, we got the stuffed trout with almonds and capers to share. The trout was so soft and buttery. The almond and capers paired really well with the trout without being overwhelming to the fish. (like, it wasn’t totally stuffed—there were 8 capers and just enough slivers of almond for you to know it was there). If you don’t like capers (like Wilhelm), don’t worry. You can easily pick them off and their favor isn’t totally in the fish. I love capers so I got to eat them all. The fish was almost totally de-boned so that was a huge plus too.

Advice

• For 2 people, order 4 tapas (including the trout pate) and get the stuffed trout to share.
• Budget for 2 people: 4 tapas, 1 main, 2 vinos around R650.
• Check out the menu here.

p.s. New restaurants often fluctuate with food quality in their first couple of months of operation. Our Airbnb host said she visited when it opened and she wasn’t a fan. However, we didn’t discuss what dishes she had… I really enjoyed our meal, the service, and the vibe.

Anvil Brewery

Anvil Brewery is located at the end of town in a garden space with plenty of shade. There are several beers on tap. You can get a tasting or get a glass.

The food

I noticed a trout platter that intrigued me. The platter comes with a selection of trout prepared in different ways and some other items like pickles and avo. Too bad we weren’t hungry at all… The Blacksmith Roastery on the property also serves coffees and breakfasts. I would definitely return here for a meal.

Advice

Budget: items range between R30 (toasties) up to R280 (for the trout platter). Beers are R40-ish each.

Check out the menu here.

The Deli Stroom

If you’re looking to make your own snack, head to The Deli Stroom to pick up smoked trout from the family-run Lunsklip farms. You can get smoked trout prepared with pepper and mustard, cold smoked trout, or pate.

Our Airbnb didn’t have a kitchen (plus we wanted to eat out), but there is plenty of fish to cook available too.

I also picked up sourdough bread and onion jam to go with our trout for an afternoon snack. So delish! I would have stopped for some avos on the side of the road too if I had cash.

Other restaurants in Dullstroom

The Rose Cottage — This place is probably worth sitting at just for the views because the area is absolutely covered with flowers. We ordered a cheese and tomato sandwich for takeaway for our lunch while hiking. It was not the most exciting thing.

The Coachman — This restaurant does have good-looking dishes and some sandwiches that are more interesting than the Rose Cottage if you need something while hiking.

Pickles And Things — Visit to get a cute photo of an old phone booth with “Dullstroom” written on the top. We had a beer here and the trout platter (for R300) looked good.

Fatima’s Kitchen — Visit for Indian curries.

The Mayfly — We considered eating at the Mayfly but it didn’t seem like the right vibe for us.

Please let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions for the best restaurants in Dullstroom! I’ll add it to my list for my next visit.