If you’re staying with us and wondering where to eat, these are the places we go to in Jacobsbaai. The village has two restaurants: Daai Plekkie in die Weskus, right on the sea, and The House of Bean and Leaf at the little village entrance. Beyond our village, each of the West Coast towns around us have a table worth the drive.
Where to eat in Jacobsbaai: the two village restaurants and what each does best
There are only two restaurants in the village, and each one has their own thing. At Daai Plekkie, you eat with the sea beside you. At Bean and Leaf, it’s seafood, soft serve, waffles and a terrace where your dogs can join you.
Daai Plekkie in die Weskus: on the sea, with a buffet breakfast
Daai Plekkie in die Weskus does pizzas, burgers and seafood. But what they do have is an amazing buffet breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings for R150.
On match days the rugby is on. It’s a calm place to sit, and the service is fantastic.
Photos and directions to Daai Plekkie in die Weskus
The House of Bean and Leaf: a little bistro, with soft serve and waffles
The House of Bean and Leaf is a little bistro at the village entrance, with an à la carte menu and food that is wonderful. They do insane ice creams and waffles, and dogs are welcome on the terrace.
Whenever we leave Jacobsbaai, as a reward for being in Jacobsbaai, we get ourselves a soft serve ice cream.
Photos and directions to The House of Bean and Leaf
Ordering takeaways and eating them on the deck at Sunset-Sea
You don’t have to eat out. Sometimes the best answer to where to eat in Jacobsbaai is on the Sunset-Sea deck. We keep The House of Bean and Leaf menus at the house. Phone your order through and collect it; it’s only a short drive.
Then bring it back and eat with the bay in front of you and the sound of the sea close by.
Where to buy bread, jams and cheese-board spreads in Jacobsbaai
Karmenaadjie Farmstall and Bistro is just as you drive into Jacobsbaai. They do jaffles, the old-school toasted sandwich sealed at the edges, and sell farm-stall goods. They stock jams and other goodies for a cheese board that will be well worth the stop. It’s open every day except Tuesday, from 8.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 3pm on weekends.
Photos and directions to Karmenaadjie
Natuurlik Delicious Deli is in the same little complex as The House of Bean and Leaf. We go there for their ciabatta.
Photos and directions to Natuurlik Delicious Deli
Langebaan: sushi to take away, pizza on the lagoon and lunch at Shark Bay
Thoban Chefs: some of the most delicious sushi
We normally order from Thoban Chefs on the drive from Cape Town. We order on WhatsApp about 20 minutes before we hit Langebaan. Then we pick it up, drive to Jacobsbaai and have our sushi on the deck. It’s so easy.
They’re very well priced, and there are also other dishes for anyone who doesn’t eat sushi, including their sweet and sour chicken. They’re open every day from 9am to 10pm, and until 8pm on Sundays. Their WhatsApp number is 076 855 6201.
Photos and directions to Thoban Chefs
Pearly’s, for a relaxed pizza on Langebaan Lagoon
Pearly’s sits on the beach at Langebaan Lagoon. When we want something relaxed, we go there for a pizza by the water.
Photos and directions to Pearly’s
Shark Bay Boutique Hotel, for lunch or breakfast with the kids
For a day with the kids, Shark Bay is an amazing spot. It’s a little smarter, but the water is shallow and there are no major waves, so it’s easy with small children. The Shark Bay Boutique Hotel serves lunch and breakfast, and you can even do stand-up paddling.
Photos and directions to Shark Bay
Saldanha: oysters on the sand at a harbour oyster bar that opens only a few days a month
The oyster bar at Saldanha Wine & Spirit Co sits right on the sand, overlooking the harbour. You feel like you’re in Mozambique. They serve oysters, mussels, roosterkoek (bread rolls baked over the coals) and sherry.
It opens only on certain days, sometimes only twice or three times a month, so check before you go. Last summer it opened on Saturdays in January, from midday until 7pm. You can also book on Dineplan.
Photos and directions to the oyster bar at Saldanha Wine & Spirit Co
Paternoster: a matinee at Die Koelkamers Teater, then dinner in the village
Die Koelkamers Teater
Paternoster, about 30 minutes up the coast, has so many restaurants to pick from. Our plan there starts at the theatre. Die Koelkamers Teater sometimes has a matinee show, with all kinds of artists. We do the matinee show, and then we have dinner afterwards at one of the restaurants. What’s playing is available on the theatre’s website.
Photos and directions to Die Koelkamers Teater
Velddrif: a birding boat on the Berg River, then lunch on Bokkomlaan
Cracklin’ Rosie
Bokkomlaan is a gravel lane along the Berg River in Velddrif, where some of the old fish-salting houses are now restaurants. The lane is named for bokkoms, the salted, sun-dried mullet the West Coast has eaten for centuries. It’s a beautiful stretch of river.
Cracklin’ Rosie is a little boat that does a birding trip down the river. You sit and watch the birds as the boat goes down the Berg River. The trip takes three hours and depends on the weather.
Book at least a day ahead on WhatsApp, on 071 897 9611. Please ask about the minimum group size.
Photos and directions to Cracklin’ Rosie
Kleinvlei Bistro and Wine Stoep
After that, eat on Bokkomlaan. Our pick is Kleinvlei Bistro and Wine Stoep, a little farmhouse right on the river. It’s very old school and traditional, but the food is great.
Photos and directions to Kleinvlei
Two more we like in Velddrif, both at the Port Owen marina: Russells on the Port by The Anchor, and Charlie’s Brewhouse Restaurant, a beer tavern that is very quaint and cute.
Photos and directions to Russells on the Port
Photos and directions to Charlie’s Brewhouse
Before you go
Opening times change, so check each place before you drive out. Each map link above shows the current hours. For the rest of a long weekend here, see our guide to things to do in Jacobsbaai.
After your stay: please leave us a Google review
We hope you eat well while you’re here, and that some of those meals end up on the deck. If you’ve enjoyed your time at the house, we’d love it if you left us a Google review. It helps other guests find their way to Jacobsbaai.