Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and of course, it usually involves bacon. I’m serious about breakfast; so serious in fact, that I’ve compiled a list of 15 of my favourite places to indulge in waking feasts and beatific brunches in the Overberg.
Courtesy of Nourish Cafe
Nourish Cafe, Eastcliff, Hermanus
Best coffee in several counties and a range of healthy and decadent options. Perfect for laptop-carrying freelance folk, moms on their way to and from the school run, and express lunches. I love their cake selection for breakfast.
Graze (Photo by Thaya Bedford)
Graze Slow Food Cafe, Stanford
Reliably delectable gourmet breakfasts, with atom-jiggling coffee to kick start your weekend with. Open Wednesdays and Saturday mornings only for breakfast. A recent well-known Twitter foodie called Graze a “reason alone to come to Stanford.” I love their eggy bread with crispy bacon and drizzled fynbos honey.
Courtesy of Madres Kitchen
Madre’s Kitchen, Stanford
Breakfast with a view over a pond of frolicking ducks, through to vineyards, farmlands and glorious mountains. Breakfasts here are a study in perfection and a treat for the younger members of the family too. I love their Gardener’s Breakfast, with poached eggs and delicate edible flowers.
The Belgian Bakery, Hermanus
The Overberg’s answer to a waffle house, The Belgian Bakery is a tucked away gem on Main Road, in Hermanus. They also serve 18 varieties of hot chocolate, because that’s how they roll in Belgium. I love their cherry pie.
Courtesy of The Eatery
The Eatery, Hermanus
The Eatery is a rapturous gathering spot for coffee-loving freelancers and other caffeine heads. Loaves of ciabatta are baked in their open baking area, adding to their minimalist express bakery-slash-coffee-shop aesthetic, while energetic exchanges take place between throngs of people shuffling in and out throughout the working day. I love their truffle sandwich and egg and soldiers breakfast, served with ciabatta and gruyere cheese.
Dassiesfontein, N2 between Botriver and Caledon
Freshly baked breads spill from vintage ovens as you wind your way through this rabbit warren of treasure-filled nooks on your path towards the Dassies restaurant, where hot beverages are served in egte enamel vessels and everything on the menu is boere gourmet. Dassiesfontein is a legend in its own lunchtime; it’s like a farmstall on steroids. Dedicate a few hours to the Dassies experience, where you’ll stumble upon a cured meat and cheese deli, boutique wine shops, antique nooks and a room full of wood-burning ovens and fireplaces.
Courtesy of the Red Windmill
The Red Windmill, Napier
Perfect for a weekend outing, The Red Windmill is housed in an old Cape Dutch Farmhouse a few kilometres from the charming town of Napier, offering hearty rib-sticking fare to hungry road-trippers. Resident chickens saunter though the Red Windmill like they own the place. I love the full English.
Courtesy of Coffee Corner
Coffee Corner, Stanford
Stanford’s local ‘coffice’, Coffee Corner offers locals excellent coffee, affordable breakfasts and WiFi. Breakfast options start from as little as R15 for a bacon and egg tart, while lunches include healthy salads and scrumptious sarmies. If the weather is nippy, they’ll make a log fire and dollops of comfort food. I love the salmon, creme fraiche and scrambled egg croissant.
Courtesy of Van Brakel Stoor
Van Brakel Stoor, Caledon
This is serious chips-and-sausage with your breakfast territory, and so worth it for the time-warping excursion into yesteryear. I love the full breakfast with the works, including home-baked bread and homemade jams.
View from Coffee On The Rocks (Courtesy of restaurant)
Coffee on the Rocks, De Kelders
If you love the ocean and need an eye-full of whales during mating season, then best you head to Coffee on the Rocks – where the whales sing to you as you sip on your latte. An institution in the Overberg, Coffee on the Rocks has been around for years and continues to serve yummy home-style food to locals and tourists, over breakfast and lunch time. I love the lemon meringue pie for breakfast.
Courtesy of Fresh at Paul Cluver
Fresh at Paul Cluver, Elgin
I’ve had it on good ‘foodie’ authority that Fresh is the place to book, when in Elgin. Take a peek at some of the fantastic press they’ve received and you’ll understand why. Open from 9am – 4pm.
Courtesy of La Belle Alliance
La Belle Alliance, Swellendam
La Belle Alliance is a gorgeous outdoorsy venue, with a wooden deck built underneath the shade of the trees along the verdant banks of a trickling stream in the centre of Swellendam. Hire a bicycle from Swellendam Tourism and make a turn at La Belle Alliance, which is listed on their bicycle map.
Courtesy of Oak and Vigne
The Oak and Vigne, Greyton
An espresso bar with a delightful courtyard, bustling with activity, The Oak & Vigne is at the heart of Greyton, fuelling locals and visitors with top quality coffee and spoiling them with yummy healthy and decadent breakfasts.
Courtesy of Via’s Deli
Via’s Deli, Greyton
Eggs Benedict, full pan breakfasts and coffee roasted on site are only a few of the delights that await you at Via’s. Did I mention that there’s a fire going when it’s cold? Yes, that and a bag of chips. Open 7 days a week.
Courtesy of Tasting Room at Stanford Hills
The Tasting Room at Stanford Hills, Stanford
The Tasting Room at Stanford Hills is a gorgeous country-rustic restaurant with views as far as the eye can see over canola fields in winter through to hazy fields and burning sunsets in summer. One look at the breakfast menu and you’ll be Stanford-Hills-smitten, so add it to your #LoveOverberg lust-list without delay! Think waffles with berries and cream, and freshly smoked rainbow trout on potato rosti with spinach, poached egg, crispy bacon and hollandaise sauce.
Courtesy of Hermanus Country Market
Breakfast at Overberg Markets
I love the Hermanus Pietersfontein Market in the Hemel and Aarde Valley, the Hermanus Country Market and the Saturday Morning Market at The Stanford Hotel for decadent and delectable cakes, bakes and treats – plus savoury delicacies, artisan breads, wines from the region, organic veg and epicurean pleasures. The Stanford Sunset Market happens on the last Friday evening of every month on the Village Green in Stanford, from 6-8pm, and is always a bustling success.
