Simonsig opens Vonkel, a mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch's Bubbliest New Address Has Arrived — And It's Serving Pizza With Your Bubbly

If your idea of the perfect long lunch involves a glass (or three) of Cap Classique, a wood-fired pizza and a Winelands view that does most of the talking, take note: Stellenbosch just got a serious upgrade. Simonsig Family Vineyards — the family farm that literally invented South African sparkling wine as we know it — has opened Vonkel at Simonsig, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that's equal parts provenance-obsessed and effortlessly chic. Cue our next weekend plans.

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Where to eat during Restaurant Week South Africa 2026

A Family Legacy, Bubbling Over

You can't talk Cap Classique without talking Simonsig. Back in 1971, Frans Malan created Kaapse Vonkel — SA's first bottle-fermented sparkling wine — at a time when local bubbly meant sweet and carbonated. Fast forward 55 years, and the third-generation Malan family (cellar master Michael Malan now at the helm) is still writing the story, this time with a restaurant that finally fills the space left empty since the pandemic.

"We are continuing the legacy started by my grandfather, which means always looking to improve and expand our offering," says Michael Malan. Translation: more reasons to spend your Saturday on this estate.

Meet the Menu: Mediterranean, Minus the Boring Bits

Mediterranean food lives and dies by its ingredients, and Vonkel isn't cutting corners. Think burrata and mozzarella from Puglia Cheese, San Marzano tomatoes, imported Doppio Zero flour for that 36-hour fermented pizza dough, and — because why import everything — the farm's own extra-virgin olive oil drizzled over nearly every plate.

Brunch is where it gets fun: house-baked bagels loaded with smashed avo and whipped goats cheese, banana bread with espresso butter, and the show-stopping Royale Roll — butter-poached crayfish, creamy scrambled egg and a Cap Classique beurre blanc, all piled onto a brioche roll. Basically the brunch main character.

Lunch leans into grazing culture: smoked salmon blinis with seaweed caviar, crispy fried artichokes, pork scratchings and bruschetta for the table, followed by hand-stretched Neapolitan pizzas (the Burrata pie, loaded with Parma ham and rocket, is the one to order), fresh pastas, and burgers that take the humble patty seriously — we're talking buttermilk fried chicken with miso mayo, or a bone marrow beef situation you'll be thinking about for days.

Save room: dessert includes a chocolate-hazelnut pizzette with brittle on top, because of course they turned pizza into pudding too.

The Man Behind the Menu

Enter Marc Botes — sommelier, restaurateur, and self-confessed bubbly obsessive. His love affair with sparkling wine started with Kaapse Vonkel as a kid and detonated properly over a 1964 vintage champagne while working in London. Years spent working for the Gordon Ramsay Group (and spending every free weekend touring Champagne houses) later, Botes has built a menu designed purely to make Simonsig's wines shine.

"It was a natural synergy for me to create a restaurant centred around food that works beautifully with Kaapse Vonkel," he says.

The Wine List Everyone's Been Waiting For

Here's the part that'll really get you booking: the wine list is 100% Simonsig, and — refreshingly — it's not marked up into oblivion. We're talking R10 a glass and R30 a bottle over cellar door price. "You're at Simonsig because you want to drink Simonsig wine," says Botes. "It would seem crazy to charge customers an excessive amount when the wine is made right here on this land." A sentiment we can raise a glass to.

Not ready to commit to a full sit-down meal? The Tasting Room next door now serves shareable snack platters — smoked salmon blinis, wild mushroom arancini, artisanal cheese boards — perfect solo or as your pre-lunch warm-up act. The estate also offers Cap Classique tastings, a hands-on Sabrage Experience (sabre optional, blade included), and a paint-your-own-bottle experience for the crafty types. Just note: bookings for the restaurant and Tasting Room are separate on DinePlan.

The takeaway? Stellenbosch's most storied sparkling wine farm just gave itself the restaurant it always deserved. Pop, sip, repeat.