Choose a location

Or use your current location

Select

ARKESTE

Reviewers' Choice 2025 - Top 100 Reviewers' Choice 2024 - Top 50
Bistro Fine Dining French South African
Location Pointer Chamonix Wine Estate, Uitkyk St, Franschhoek, 7690, South Africa
4.8
(2422 reviews)
RRR
Menu
Favourite

Attributes

  • Romantic
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Wine Estate
  • Gourmet Guide Plated
  • Reviewers' Choice 2022 - Top 100
  • Reviewers' Choice 2023 - Top 50
  • Reviewers' Choice 2024 - Top 50
  • Reviewers' Choice 2025 - Top 100

Book a table

Menu
Favourite

At Arkeste, we present an a la carte menu in a casual fine dining style. We are located on Chamonix Wine Farm, Franschhoek, in a characterful heritage building on the edge of a forest. This sets the scene for a tranquil dining experience and delicious food by chef Ashwin Johannes who present dishes which showcase seasonal and local ingredients. Our wine list features Chamonix wines and a curated selection from the Cape region.

Gourmet Guide™ Description

Chamonix Wine Farm in Franschhoek is the perfect backdrop for Richard Carsten’s culinary ability. The forest setting is serene and the heritage building charming, but diners come for the food. Richard has returned to Chamonix after 30 years of notching up an impressive pedigree at top restaurants that included a successful tenure at Tokara, giving him time to cement his reputation and following. Known for his modern twists on classics, Carstens creates dishes that celebrate the seasons and heralds local.

Choose from an a la carte menu with inventive starters like the squid, either with togarashi, dashi black rice, wakame, cucumber and chili garam or a rendition with risotto, parsnip, wakame and a yuzu-ginger sauce.

Mains could be a citrus-glazed linefish with pommes, greens, rouille, heerenboon and a sauce bouillabaisse, showing chef’s love of traditional, notched up with a contemporary flair. Or the kapokbos-glazed springbok with creamy and dreamy Robuchon pomme, greens, sake-pears, and a sauce that he calls ‘Cape senses’. Dishes are sure to appeal to all your senses. His signature baked Alaska of rainbow trout and the Franco-Jap interpretation of seafood are a must. Vegetarians are well respeced and catered for. Be sure to order a delectable dessert – watch out for the gorgonzola ice cream with walnut, pears and honeycombe – and your appetite for deliciousness will be sated. The wine list reflects wines of the estate and the Cape. Here’s casual fine dining at its best.

Opening Hours

  • Monday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Tuesday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Wednesday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Thursday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Friday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Saturday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15
  • Sunday 12h00 - 14h30, 18h00 - 20h15

Reviews (2422)

4.8 out of 5.0
Based on the past 12 months
Food 4.8
Value 4.8
Service 4.9
Ambience 4.7
  • John M. Dined: 2 days ago
    3.8
    Food 3.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 4.0
    Ambience 4.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 04 Jan 26
    Arkeste has for many years been our go to fine dining restaurant in Franschhoek, unfortunately last night did not meet previous high standards, the restaurant was half empty on a peak weekend night. The starters were great but none of the mains hit the mark, the cooking was very heavy handed especially on 2 of the dishes. Very disappointing

  • Zachary M. Dined: 4 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 04 Jan 26
    A cosy, luxurious restaurant surrounded by nature. The food was divine.

  • Jeffry B. Dined: 3 days ago
    4.5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 4.0
    Ambience 4.0

    Reviewed on: Sat 03 Jan 26
    The food was amazing and the setting is lovely. The creative menu is not extensive but exceptionally presented with a slight Asian twist to dishes. Our server was new but very pleasant. In a large empty dining room, we were sat right next to another party of two? There were alot of black flies, it's Africa.

  • Kiran C. Dined: 3 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sat 03 Jan 26
    Incredible food, every dish was fantastic at an amazing price. Beautiful wine estate too, I would recommend for sure.

  • Michael H. Dined: 2 weeks ago
    3.8
    Food 4.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 2.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Fri 02 Jan 26
    Excellent food quality, portions not too big, choice of food for vegans limited. Our waiter was very slow, hard to understand and overall didn’t seem to be motivated. What a pity. Nice seating area, very relaxed but with style.

  • Charle D. Dined: 4 days ago
    4.5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 3.0

    Reviewed on: Fri 02 Jan 26
    There were so many flies. They should invest in a fly catcher or table fans to deter them.

  • Christa G. Dined: 5 days ago
    4.3
    Food 4.0
    Value 3.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Rosalind D. Dined: 5 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Thu 01 Jan 26
    We had an amazing meal, equally as good as it was 22 months ago when we last dined there on holiday from the U.K. My ‘medium’ steak had not been cooked so well in over 20 years. It was sheer perfection, and my daughter shared the same view about her steak that was ‘medium rare’. The dishes were beautifully presented and we all agreed we could eat a gallon of the watermelon sorbet served as a cleanser. Each course was innovative and so well thought out. In the UK I believe they would have earned a Michelin star. We dined on NYE and there was a set menu that we had no knowledge of when we had booked and unfortunately did not suit us as we have intolerances. The chef immediately offered us the full a la carte menu and the attention of the servers was incredible. When we came to pay I left cash, forgetting that I had paid a 600 rand deposit, and we left. As we reached our car our server came rushing out to tell me we had paid too much and returned our deposit, such honesty is virtually unheard of , particularly in a developing country. The chamonix wine from the vineyard where Arkeste is situated was exceptional and such good value that we are now trying to organise a wine tasting. Ten out of ten. What a wonderful evening.

  • Thomas H. Dined: 5 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Thu 01 Jan 26
    Very fine dinner

Show More
Book Now