A full day on the Constantia wine route gives you tastings, a long lunch and supper on a wine farm, all within about 20 minutes of the city centre. Because the drives are short, the day can start late, include a fine-dining table and still bring you home by about 21:00. With a driver, nobody has to watch their glass.
Constantia is the oldest uninterrupted wine-growing region in the southern hemisphere, with around ten wine farms in one green valley on the far side of Table Mountain. It suits guests who care more about the table than the number of estates.
How the Constantia day runs
This is the plan we start from. The concierge sets the estates and restaurants around your date, since several restaurants close on certain days.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 11:00 | Collection from your hotel in Cape Town |
| 11:30 | Groot Constantia: the manor house, the wine museum and a tasting |
| 13:00 | Lunch, either a fine-dining table or something lighter |
| 15:30 | Klein Constantia, and the story of Vin de Constance |
| 16:30 | A break: a garden walk, a third tasting or an hour back at your hotel |
| 18:30 | Supper at a wine farm restaurant |
| about 21:00 | Back at your hotel |
That is a full day of ten hours. On a curated Winelands experience a CATHSSETA-accredited tour guide travels with you during the day, and the concierge books the tastings and both tables in advance.
Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia
Groot Constantia describes itself as South Africa's first wine farm, established in 1685. The manor house is run by Iziko as a museum, furnished as the home of a wealthy farmer of the 18th and early 19th centuries, and the historic cellar houses a wine museum. It is the right first stop because it explains the valley.
Klein Constantia makes Vin de Constance, a sweet wine the estate says was admired by Napoleon and Jane Austen, among many others. A tasting there gives the afternoon a story to carry into supper.
Other farms on the route include Steenberg, Buitenverwachting, Constantia Glen, Beau Constantia, Eagles' Nest and Silvermist. Our guide to the Constantia wine route on a half day covers the farms in more detail.
Fine dining and wine tasting in Constantia
Constantia has some of the most sought-after tables in the country, and they book up. The two that guests ask for most often at lunch:
- La Colombe at Silvermist Estate, which its own site says was named the 2026 Best Restaurant in Africa. It does not seat children under eight.
- Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia, which serves lunch every day and dinner most evenings.
Our honest advice is to choose one fine-dining meal in the day and keep the other lighter. Two tasting menus between 13:00 and 21:00 is more than most guests enjoy. If the fine-dining table is at lunch, supper can be relaxed. If you would rather keep the occasion for the evening, lunch can be a platter after a tasting.
Supper on a Constantia wine farm
Dinner days change with the season, so this table is a starting point. The concierge confirms with the restaurant for your date.
| Restaurant | Estate | Evenings, as published |
|---|---|---|
| Tryn | Steenberg | Dinner daily |
| Bistro Sixteen82 | Steenberg | Tapas-style dinner daily |
| Beyond | Buitenverwachting | Tuesday to Saturday, closed Mondays |
| Chefs Warehouse | Beau Constantia | Monday to Saturday, Sundays from November to March |
| Jonkershuis | Groot Constantia | Monday to Saturday from September to May |
| Constantia Glen | Constantia Glen | Early dinner, later on Fridays and Saturdays |
Supper on a farm has an advantage the city cannot match: you arrive in daylight in summer and watch the light go off the mountain. Ask for a table outside if the evening is still, and inside if the south-easter is blowing. Meals and tastings are for your own account unless they are itemised on your quote.
Using the afternoon well
The gap between the last tasting and supper is where a driver earns the day. Some guests walk in the gardens at Kirstenbosch, set aside as a national botanic garden in 1913 and a few minutes from the valley, and our note on visiting Kirstenbosch with a driver covers how that works. Others prefer to go back to the hotel for an hour to change, and the driver collects them again for supper. Both fit inside the day.
Who this day suits, and when it does not
It suits couples marking an occasion, guests who want one exceptional meal, and anyone staying on the Atlantic Seaboard or in the city who would rather spend the day at the table than on the road. It also works well on a first or last day of a trip, because the drives are short.
If you want mountains, many estates and a sense of being far from town, Stellenbosch or Franschhoek is the better choice, as our comparison of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek explains. And if you only want the supper, a full day is more than you need. Book a transfer to the restaurant and back instead.
Common questions
How far ahead should we book the restaurants?
As early as you can, especially for La Colombe and for weekend evenings in summer. Send the concierge your date first, and the tables are requested before the rest of the day is set.
Can we start earlier?
Yes, but the day still covers ten hours. A 09:00 start brings you home around 19:00 unless you add time. Extra hours are billed at the overtime rate on your quote, so the concierge plans the start time around your supper.
Is a Constantia day suitable for a group?
Yes. A Hyundai Staria seats eight guests and a Palisade six. Groups of nine or more travel in two or more vehicles on one booking. Fine-dining restaurants limit large tables, so the concierge checks before confirming.
What if the weather turns?
Constantia suits a wet or windy day better than most wine areas, because the tasting rooms and restaurants are indoors and the drives are short. The Winelands tours page sets out what a full day includes.
To plan your Constantia day, send the concierge your date, the number of guests, where you are staying and whether the fine-dining table should be at lunch or supper. You will receive a written quote and a booking reference in reply.