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Serendipity Restaurant

Contemporary Fine Dining Mediterranean South African
Freesia Ave Wilderness 6560 South Africa
(229 reviews)
RRR+

Attributes

  • Romantic
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Great Views
  • Sunsets
  • Wheelchair Friendly
  • WiFi
  • Fireplace
  • Gourmet Guide Plated

Serendipity Restaurant is a South African global winner of the World Luxury Restaurant Awards for South African cuisine and fine dining. It is also the top-rated Trip Advisor restaurant in Wilderness. It also featured under the Ten Best Restaurants in the Western Cape Province. It showcases the indigenous bounty from sustainable sources, organic where possible, always fresh, lovingly sourced and prepared by professionally trained and enthusiastic chefs.

Pre-dinner aperitifs are offered on the water- edge patio. Guests enjoy views of the Garden Route sunsets and the water-birds. Chef Lizelle or maître d’ Rudolf talk guests through the menu. Experience fine dining in an unforgettable setting!

Gourmet Guide Description

Guests from around the world return to this gem perched on the Touws River in the Garden Route. For nearly 24 years, patron chef Lizelle Stolze and her hunter extraordinaire husband, Rudolf, have been committed to showcasing exotic and humble South African ingredients.

Part of the charm is the storytelling around each dish and their still palpable enthusiasm. The duo were foraging and sourcing indigenous ingredients long before it became trendy. From the outset, mushrooms were picked in the nearby forests, and specific components like waterblommetjies became heroes on the menu, with Rudolf honing his penchant for hunting and deep-sea fishing as time went by. Expect popular and sometimes unusual venison like bushbuck, wild boar, and springbok to feature, although there’s always a vegetarian option and freshly caught seafood and shellfish. For local diners, the menu taps into a sense of nostalgia: it evokes memories of long-lost flavours and traditional foods.

The ‘With love from the kitchen’ amuse bouche conveys the chef’s food philosophy–a bushbuck salami ‘tartlet’ topped with quince preserve and a cheese foam. The lamb rib starter is reminiscent of a traditional braai – cooked on coals with salt and lemon and served with a smoky pea purée and amasi whey dressing. A highlight is the vegetarian main course option: madumbi (African potato) kluitjies (gnocchi) in a creamed charred leek sauce and topped with an artisanal matured Jersey Parmesan-style cheese.

Reviews (229)

4.9 out of 5.0
Based on the past 12 months
Food 4.9
Value 4.6
Service 5.0
Ambience 4.9
  • Irmtrud F. Dined: 4 weeks ago
    4.3
    Food 4.0
    Value 3.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Claudia H. Dined: 3 weeks ago
    4.8
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 02 Feb 25
    Wieder ein sehr schönes Erlebnis. Ein sehr aufmerksamer Service. Sehr gutes Menü

  • Axel S. Dined: 3 weeks ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Thu 30 Jan 25
    What a wonderful experience! From cocktail and menu explanation to excellent food and wine pairing. Liz, Rupert and team made this evening very special to us.

  • Gerhard T. Dined: 1 month ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Tue 28 Jan 25
    Top Location

  • James H. Dined: 1 month ago
    4.8
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Thu 23 Jan 25
    Great experience in Wilderness , tasting menu with wine pairing , super friendly and informative staff

  • Sara S. Dined: 1 month ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 30 Dec 24
    We booked this experience because it was very well recommended by a friend who spent here Christmas Eve 2 years ago and we couldn’t be happier with this choice. The dinner was not a dinner was an experience, the combination of unknown local ingredients with some more common ended up in a beautiful story for all 9 courses. We decided to follow their suggestion with the wines combination for each dish and it was the right choice. The waiters are all very well prepared and you can see they like what they are doing same for the owners! We also booked the shuttle service which was a plus so we could enjoy the wine and the evening without any fear. IF YOU CROSS WILDERNESS AND YOU DON’T STOP HERE YOU ARE LOSING A VERY IMPORTANT MEMORY OF YOUR SOUTH AFRICAN JOUNEY! (If an Italian say that you have to trust me ;) )

  • Maurice K. Dined: 2 months ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sat 07 Dec 24
    Great experience and delicious food

  • Urs F. Dined: 2 months ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Joanne H. Dined: 2 months ago
    3.8
    Food 4.0
    Value 3.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 3.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 02 Dec 24
    Lovely staff and superb wines in a very nice location but the food was not really for me. Top quality ingredients but a bit over fussy. Quite an expensive night in all.

  • Jurgen V. Dined: 2 months ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Fri 29 Nov 24
    Fantastic evening. Winepairing high level, would love to come back

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Opening Hours

  • Monday 17h30 - 22h00
  • Tuesday 17h30 - 22h00
  • Wednesday 17h30 - 22h00
  • Thursday 17h30 - 22h00
  • Friday 17h30 - 22h00
  • Saturday 17h30 - 22h00
  • Sunday CLOSED