Restaurant in Franschhoek, South Africa
Special-occasion dining with a local focus.
Epice, inside Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek, is the right booking for a special-occasion breakfast or brunch with serious South African cooking behind it. Chef Charné Sampson leads a kitchen recognised by La Liste (80.5pts in 2025), and a 4.8 Google rating across 273 reviews confirms consistent delivery. Booking is relatively easy for a venue of this calibre.
Epice, at Le Quartier Français on Huguenot Street in Franschhoek, is the right call for a special-occasion breakfast or brunch when you want South African cooking that earns its setting. If you are celebrating something or simply want a morning meal that goes beyond the standard hotel spread, this is one of the more considered choices in the valley. Couples and small groups will get the most from it; solo diners are equally well served by the intimate scale of the space.
Chef Charné Sampson leads the kitchen, and the South African focus means the menu draws on local produce and regional flavour rather than defaulting to a generic fine-dining template. That specificity is what separates Epice from broader-church alternatives in Franschhoek. The La Liste scores tell you something useful here: 80.5 points in 2025 and 77 in 2026, which places Epice firmly in the tier of restaurants that travel-focused diners plan around rather than stumble into. A Google rating of 4.8 across 273 reviews is unusually consistent for a venue of this type and suggests the kitchen delivers reliably, not just on high-profile evenings.
For brunch and breakfast specifically, Epice offers something Franschhoek's splashier tasting-menu restaurants do not: an accessible entry point into serious South African cooking without committing to a three-hour lunch. That makes it a practical first meal of the day, especially if you have wine farm visits in the afternoon. For a broader look at where to eat across the valley, see our full Franschhoek restaurants guide.
Epice sits within Le Quartier Français, one of Franschhoek's most established hotel addresses on Huguenot Street. Price range data is not confirmed in our records, so budget accordingly and check directly before booking. Booking is rated easy, which is relatively unusual for a La Liste-recognised venue in a town that fills up on weekends and during harvest season (February to April). That said, if you are visiting during peak periods or over a public holiday, book ahead to avoid being turned away.
For context on where to stay while you are here, see our full Franschhoek hotels guide. If you want to extend the day, our Franschhoek wineries guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the rest of the valley.
Within the Western Cape, Epice sits in a competitive tier alongside Fyn in Cape Town, La Colombe, and Salsify at the Roundhouse — all of which share a similar commitment to South African ingredients at a fine-dining register. If you are based in Cape Town and want to compare before making the drive to Franschhoek, those are the benchmarks. Within the valley, La Petite Colombe is the direct competitor for occasion dining, and Chefs Warehouse - Maison Estate is worth considering if you prefer a sharing-plates format over a structured sitting. Further afield, Wolfgat in Paternoster and Delaire Graff represent the broader fine-dining circuit for anyone building a multi-day itinerary.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epice | South African | La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 77pts; La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 80.5pts | Easy | — | |
| Le Quartier Français | French Cuisine | World's 50 Best | Unknown | — | |
| La Petite Colombe | South African | Unknown | — | ||
| Café du Vin | Unknown | — | |||
| Chefs Warehouse - Maison Estate | Unknown | — | |||
| Protégé | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Franschhoek for this tier.
Bar seating availability at Epice is not confirmed in current venue data. Contact Le Quartier Français directly on Huguenot Street to ask before assuming walk-in bar access is an option.
Epice suits solo diners who want a considered South African menu rather than a casual café stop. Chef Charné Sampson's focused kitchen makes it a worthwhile solo spend, though confirm counter or smaller seating options when booking given the hotel dining room format.
Groups should contact Le Quartier Français directly to arrange. The hotel setting on Huguenot Street gives more flexibility than a standalone restaurant, but confirm capacity and format in advance — this is not a venue to turn up with six people unannounced.
Yes, this is one of the stronger cases for booking Epice. It holds La Liste recognition (80.5 points in 2025, 77 points in 2026), Chef Charné Sampson leads the kitchen with a South African focus, and the Le Quartier Français address carries genuine occasion weight in Franschhoek. For comparable special-occasion dining in the valley, La Petite Colombe is the main alternative at a higher price point.
La Petite Colombe is the obvious upgrade for a more formal tasting-menu experience. Protégé offers a chef-driven alternative at a lower price point, making it the better call if you want to spend less without sacrificing kitchen ambition. Café du Vin suits casual wine-focused lunches. Chefs Warehouse Maison Estate is worth considering for a shared-plates format with serious wine access.
Book at least two to three weeks out for weekend visits, more if you are travelling during peak Franschhoek season (December to February and around major food and wine events). Epice sits within Le Quartier Français, one of the valley's most in-demand addresses, so last-minute availability is not reliable.
Epice is a South African-focused kitchen led by Chef Charné Sampson, operating within Le Quartier Français on Huguenot Street. La Liste has rated it among the top restaurants globally in both 2025 and 2026. Come for the local produce and regional flavour angle rather than expecting a European-style tasting menu — and confirm current hours and format directly with the hotel before visiting, as those details are not publicly confirmed.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
