Epice — Restaurant in Stellenbosch Local Municipality

I was so excited to go to this place given the incredible reputation and reviews, but I honestly can‘t give it an average or above review. The bill (~8000R for two people) was completely outrageous compared to the food quality. Let me start with the pros: the staff is incredibly attentive, friendly, and kind. The highlight of the experience for sure. The wine selection is great, and most wines paired excellently with the dish in question The tuna dish was excellent and full of flavors

And now for the cons: they came out asking for dietary restrictions as we arrived, only to completely forget about them and serve the food we were allergic to anyway A lot of dishes felt unnecessarily complicated. The „palate cleanser“ that they make you walk up to the chef’s table for is a piece of pineapple covered in ice. The people sharing the dish with us were laughing and saying it tasted like bath water most dishes try to go for an intricate mix of spices and flavours but what often happens is that one of them completely overpowers the rest. For example the amuse-bouche tasted like an edible bag of passion fruit juice. We paid extra money to get the wagyu and rarely have seen the meat be so poorly cooked. The meat was so chewy that we sent it back; on second attempt it was a tad bit better but still nowhere near close to the quality you‘d expect from even an average japanese restaurant. a forced gratuity of 12% combined with being encouraged to tip more felt a bit bad - especially given the outrageous prices. The servers were amazing so we really wanted to tip more - but the food‘s price-to-quality ratio is just too upsetting generally, the dishes try to impress you with complicated presentation but if you close you eyes you realize that the flavors often fall short. I think the staff memorizes a script about the wines and dishes, because when asked follow-up questions they didn‘t really know how to answer

All in all, an expensive and disappointing dining experience - at least the...

Rating: 4.75 / 5

Franschhoek has no shortage of stellar restaurants and Épice is absolutely one of them - part of the La Colombe Restaurant Group. The name means “spice” in French (pronounced “eh-peace”), which neatly sums up its flavour-first philosophy.  

Booking & setting: I reserved online (deposit required via DinePlan). We went on a low-season Monday, so the room was quiet but cosy. Épice is an intimate fine-dining space at Le Quartier Français in central Franschhoek.   

Team & concept: Head chef Charne Sampson (formerly La Colombe’s sous chef) leads a menu that layers spices for depth rather than heat - think saffron, vanilla, cinnamon, and Cape spice accents—drawing on the team’s travels and a broader spice journey.  

Experience: Throughout the meal, multiple team members stopped by to introduce themselves and present dishes. A highlight was being invited closer to the kitchen to watch the brigade in action; my favourite course was their playful take on a taco. Another standout: the bread course with “butter” made from beef drippings - simple idea, extraordinary execution.

Menu format & pricing: Expect modern tasting menus (“Spice Journey”), including a full vegetarian route. Prices are shown on the website so no surprises there.

Wine: Pairings are available but didn’t try.

Awards: In 2024, Épice was named Africa’s Best Restaurant at the World Culinary Awards - impressive recognition in a very competitive scene.

Final thoughts: I probably liked Epice more than La Colombe.

1 Star – Terrible: Extremely disappointing. Poor taste, bad texture, and low quality.

2 Stars – Poor: Edible but far from enjoyable. Lacks flavor, freshness, or proper preparation.

3 Stars – Average: Decent and passable. Nothing special, but it satisfies hunger.

4 Stars – Good: Tasty and well-prepared. Shows quality and care, with quite a few standout elements.

5 Stars – Excellent: Delicious, memorable, and expertly crafted. High-quality ingredients and...

What a truly magnificent experience from all angles. From the friendly face of Jolene that greeted us at the door, to every single waiter that brought a beautiful piece of artwork, offering up a well crafted explosion of spices and flavour that felt like it was doing a waltz on my tongue. The inviting warmth of the earth toned decor matches the warmth and friendliness of all the staff. We were invited to the chefs table so he could explain one of the extraordinary dishes to us. Which I thought was a lovely touch. As was the prayer over the kitchen that has been handed down over generations that they shared with us, scribbled on very old paper. How refreshing to have the manager, Jolene, standing ready to help me put my coat on as I left the restaurant. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING was next level! Well done to this team of professionals!!! You can feel the love in what they do!!!! Thank you to our wonderful and friendly main waiter, Charles, and all the lovely waiters with their incredible smiles. What a treat!!!

I will definitely be recommending this to our guests for the...