A cozy restaurant serving hearty local dishes is an essential element of every Karoo town – along with elegantly decaying 19th-century houses and tumbleweeds rolling down gravel side streets. In Montagu, the charming town at the western entrance to the Little Karoo, that restaurant slot is competently filled by Ye Olde Tavern. The atmospheric eatery has long been a safe choice in this quaint spot overlooked by the Langeberg range, serving classic South African dishes in a historic house on Montagu’s prettiest street.
The one caveat is you should book ahead, over most weekends and during the busy Christmas and Easter holidays, when Ye Olde Tavern’s tables heave with Route 62 road-trippers. The menu offers a pleasing level of choice, with a few gastronomic dilemmas to ponder as you sip your first glass of wine; order a bottle if possible, as the wines available by the glass are less quaffable.
On my latest visit, we ordered the fried camembert and the brie tart from the starter menu, which includes local and international dishes from Caprese salad to peri peri chicken livers. Both the cheese starters were excellent, especially the brie tart with its layer of red onion to complement the molten goodness. Then it was on to the mains; the house specialties are mostly meat dishes such as fillet or sirloin steak and Cape Malay dishes. If you have not tried South Africa’s unique Cape Malay cuisine, go for the Bobotie, a dish of curried mince with a savoury egg topping, or the mild chicken curry.
Hungry diners will enjoy the tender lamb shank, cooked until the meat falls from the bone and served on butternut mash, or the flame-grilled pork belly spare ribs. Pub grub, pasta dishes and the children’s menu round out the mains, along with Montagu’s best pizzas. If you have space for a hearty meal, it is worth investing in a house specialty (around R120 each). With seating in the cosy interior and on the stoep, an evening at Ye Olde Tavern is a special experience befitting the beautiful town of Montagu.
Expert Review
A cozy restaurant serving hearty local dishes is an essential element of every Karoo town – along with elegantly decaying...
A cozy restaurant serving hearty local dishes is an essential element of every Karoo town – along with elegantly decaying 19th-century houses and tumbleweeds rolling down gravel side streets. In Montagu, the charming town at the western entrance to the Little Karoo, that restaurant slot is competently filled by Ye Olde Tavern. The atmospheric eatery has long been a safe choice in this quaint spot overlooked by the Langeberg range, serving classic South African dishes in a historic house on Montagu’s prettiest street.
The one caveat is you should book ahead, over most weekends and during the busy Christmas and Easter holidays, when Ye Olde Tavern’s tables heave with Route 62 road-trippers. The menu offers a pleasing level of choice, with a few gastronomic dilemmas to ponder as you sip your first glass of wine; order a bottle if possible, as the wines available by the glass are less quaffable.
On my latest visit, we ordered the fried camembert and the brie tart from the starter menu, which includes local and international dishes from Caprese salad to peri peri chicken livers. Both the cheese starters were excellent, especially the brie tart with its layer of red onion to complement the molten goodness. Then it was on to the mains; the house specialties are mostly meat dishes such as fillet or sirloin steak and Cape Malay dishes. If you have not tried South Africa’s unique Cape Malay cuisine, go for the Bobotie, a dish of curried mince with a savoury egg topping, or the mild chicken curry.
Hungry diners will enjoy the tender lamb shank, cooked until the meat falls from the bone and served on butternut mash, or the flame-grilled pork belly spare ribs. Pub grub, pasta dishes and the children’s menu round out the mains, along with Montagu’s best pizzas. If you have space for a hearty meal, it is worth investing in a house specialty (around R120 each). With seating in the cosy interior and on the stoep, an evening at Ye Olde Tavern is a special experience befitting the beautiful town of Montagu.