Franschhoek calls itself "the gourmet capital of the Cape," and with good reason. Not only are an increasing number of restaurants now fixtures on the global foodie map, but Franschhoek is also renowned for its produce, particularly its rainbow trout, cheese (it hosts the annual South Africa Cheese Festival), and handcrafted Belgian chocolates. Chocoholics should book The Chocolate Experience (tel. 021/876-4096). To sample some of the 40-odd farmhouse cheeses, pop into La Grange Fromagerie (tel. 021/876-3420) -- also, incidentally, where you will find the locals on Friday evenings during the summer months, when La Grange hosts its jazz evenings from 5 to 8pm. Besides the restaurants reviewed below, Klein Olifantshoek (tel. 021/876-2566) is worth considering -- you can take a look at these and other menus at the tourism bureau in town. And if all the fine dining is too much for your senses (not to mention your waistline), opt for French Connection (tel. 021/876-4056). The brainchild of Matthew Gordon of Haute Cabriere, this is an informal pavement-style bistro on the main road, and a favorite with the Franschhoek locals.
