Jess van Dyk

Post & Pepper

Chef Jess van Dyk is Executive Chef and Owner of Post & Pepper in Stellenbosch. A Silwood graduate, she honed her skills at La Colombe, where she became Sous Chef in 2013, later returning as Head Chef. After cooking on luxury yachts and leading Protégé, she opened Post & Pepper in 2021. The restaurant has earned multiple awards including Eat Out One Star (2022–2025) and World Culinary Best New Restaurant in Africa (2022). Jess describes her style as "fun dining" — casual yet elevated — blending nostalgia, creativity, and deep respect for exceptional produce.

Jason's Bakery — I have always been a big fan of their bakery items; the croissants are next-level delicious.

Kleinsky's — bagels and all-around goodness — easy and relaxed, but super consistent.

Egghead — exactly what the name says, eggs in all sorts of ways.

Juno — friends of mine own this place. Healthy, consistent, and simple cooking with great bakery items, plus simple but excellent breakfast and salads.

Meraki — being in Stellenbosch, this is probably the go-to breakfast spot. A beautiful Parisian-feel café with a huge menu selection — there is something for everyone.

Maggie Lou's — friends of mine vouch for this place. Simple but utterly moreish breakfast items.

Bao Down — when I think about dinner in Cape Town, I think of this place and start salivating. Delicious bao buns — the pork and chicken are my favourites. The kimchi fried rice and their sashimi are next-level good! And the service team has this infectious, happy energy — you can just sense they love being there, which makes you want to be there too.

Melting Pot — a firm Cape Town favourite for years. Simple but exciting cooking, done so, so well. I haven't visited the new spot yet, but John's cooking is some of the best you can get.

Ramenhead — you can't get better ramen than these guys. Researched, consistent, tasty.

HeSheng — an institution. It changed ownership recently, but all the favourites remain on the menu. Xiao long bao, beef roll, spring onion pancakes, beef shin soup, cucumber salad — sjoh, my mouth is watering.

Tomson — I have been dying to eat here since they opened — it looks like pure, authentic deliciousness, and people rave about the food.

Thali — one of my husband's and my favourite date spots. The sharing menu is such a fun way to eat and spend time with loved ones — and it's so yummy.

How Bao Now — proper street food done well, no frills. I myself make a lot of baos for family gatherings, so this is one of my favourite meals to eat — and they do it so well.

Brash Burger — such a simple but very good burger.

Vadivelu — my family's favourite meal is curry. This is different, but so good.

n the Meantime — Sepial does traditional Korean food done in a Cape Town way. She is such a lovely person, and her restaurants always provide a zen sanctuary in the Mother City.

Chefs Warehouse Beau is a top destination, with the views, the glass box in the sky, and the world-class food of Ivor Jones — it never disappoints. Always have the oysters and bread.

La Colombe is where I got all my training, and I still think they offer one of the best world-class dining experiences you can get in the city — it really is an experience, like a theatre show.

Salon — Carla and Luke are cooking some fantastic food. Carla's presentation and the insane amount of effort going into every element on her plates is inspiring. I love seeing photos of what she is creating — it always makes one feel something.

Mertia — Matt and Marais are creating a super cool dining experience. Warm but fine, with food that is really creative and technical.

Rust en Vrede — known for its consistency, elevated dining, and wine pairings done in such a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Post & Pepper (my restaurant!) — known for being very much a favourite for dinner. It's elevated food and service done in a casual way — which means you get a little bit more than you expect (or that's what we aim to do). Delicious and beautifully presented dishes, friendly and efficient service, warm hospitality all around.

Dusk — an intimate and experiential experience. Callan does a lot of fermentation and delivers flavour combinations you can only experience at Dusk. Their wine pairings and presentation are always very different and fun to experience.

The Pot Luck Club has, for a long time, been a fun, yummy dinner experience. Not the fanciest, but you can always expect really good cocktails, good service, and food you just want to tuck into.

Waterside — Roxy Mudie was my Sous Chef at Protégé. Her flavours and execution are flawless, and the technique and detail in every plate's garnishes is inspiring. Such a great all-round dining experience.

Restaurant
Ratings

Dinner Breakfast Street Food Best drinks

La Colombe

Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia

Salon

MERTIA

Rust en Vrede

The Waterside

Dusk

The Pot Luck Club

The Wiggle Room

Post & Pepper