Discover the world of spices at Africa's top restaurant

Franschhoek is a sleepy town about an hour east of Cape Town, known mostly for its vineyards.

But its tourism industry has recently witnessed an accrued interest for Franschhoek's culinary establishments.

One of them, Epice, won the title of Africa's best restaurant at the World Culinary Awards in October.

The restaurant, whose name means spice in French, opened its doors in 2019.

Head chef Chane Sampson regularly travels the world to bring unique spice blends back to her kitchen in Epice.

Visitors can choose between four different set menus, each comprising between eight and 11 courses.

Two of the menus are entirely vegetarian.

The diverse flavours of Sampson's cuisine and dishes such as a spiced breadboard with beef drippings create curiosity among its customers and have contributed to its success.

Ruth McCourt, CEO of Franschhoek Tourism, said: “We are thrilled that Epice has won this fantastic accolade as being Africa’s top restaurant. It’s not the first time that Charne has won an award and Franschhoek is also known for its restaurants. We keep on winning the restaurants at the Eat Out awards. La Petite Colombe has won it many, many times. We’ve got Jan at La Motte, who is a Michelin-starred Chef himself.”