Eating your way across the Karoo in 48 hours

There are many ways to experience the Karoo, but few are as memorable as eating your way across its constellation of star-brimmed small towns. Over 48 hours, travellers can follow a route that reveals the region’s soulful cooking at legendary padstals and unexpected dining gems. For this journey, the focus falls on the Southern Karoo and its proud mix of farming towns and roadside surprises. 

Starting point: Graaff-Reinet

No road trip is complete without a hearty breakfast, and Graaff-Reinet is an ideal place to begin. Known as the “gem of the Karoo”, this historic town offers both heritage and flavour.

Stop at Frontiers Restaurant for an elegant farm-style spread, or tuck into freshly baked sourdough and homemade jams at Coldstream.

The town is worth tarrying, with its Dutch Reformed Church, museums, and the Camdeboo National Park just on the edge of town. For a snack to take on the road, buy a bag of biltong from one of the local butchers.

Nieu-Bethesda and its slow charm

A short drive north takes you to Nieu-Bethesda, a village that feels suspended in time. A winding mountain route takes you on its mysterious way to this startling town of white-dust roads and pale houses.

The Owl House is the main attraction, but the Tower Restaurant holds equal appeal.

Lamb stew cooked slowly with herbs is the speciality, but the Tower is also considered one of the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants on the Karoo. Travellers with a sweet tooth will want to pack a slice of milk tart for the drive.

Take a post-lunch saunter to the Dustcovers Bookstore, which is richly stocked with a variety of rare finds across fiction and non-fiction, and pick up a good passenger read for the rest of the drive.

Dinner in Cradock

As night falls, the historic town of Cradock offers an atmospheric stopover. Die Tuishuise & Victoria Manor, is a splendidly preserved old dame where the menu changes daily but always features Karoo lamb or venison. Overnighting in this award-winning guesthouse allows for a stroll through the old town streets before turning in.

Day two: Stepping into Somerset East

Breakfast in Somerset East sets the tone for day two. This town, flanked by the Boschberg Mountains, combines scenery with gastronomy. Oom Wessel se Plaasstal offers wood-fired pizzas and a jolly pub. Somerset East also has a strong angling culture, so trout occasionally makes an appearance on menus.

Lunch in Jansenville

A scenic drive deeper into the Karoo brings travellers to Jansenville, where a relaxed lunch is waiting just off the beaten path.

Visitors can step into Ark in the Karoo, a charming spot that doubles as a café and gathering place, ideal for a warm drink or a light bite amid rustic surroundings. This stopover embodies the quintessential hospitality of the Karoo, where locals share both food and stories with the curious few.

Final stop: Aberdeen

The last leg of the journey ends in Aberdeen, a town steeped in architectural beauty with its collection of Victorian and Edwardian houses. Here, food takes a simple but satisfying turn.

The Kamdebo Padstal stakes its claim to serving the best pancakes in the Karoo and provides farmed fresh produce. It is the kind of place where travellers often find themselves sitting on a stoep, sharing food with strangers who quickly become friends.

Honourable Mention

For those journeying the N1 corridor through the Northern Cape, an honourable mention must go to The Karoo Padstal in Richmond.

This stop has become a favourite for travellers between Johannesburg and Cape Town, known for its hearty roosterkoek, home-baked pies, and shelves lined with preserves. This boutique padstal captures the same spirit of hospitality that makes the region unforgettable.

Why the Karoo feeds the soul

Eating across the Karoo in 48 hours is an immersion into a slower way of life, where food is inseparable from land and history. Every roosterkoek, lamb chop, and jar of preserves carries with it a story of pride in a region that has shaped generations. For travellers, it is a reminder that the Karoo is not only a vast reach to cross but a place to be savoured at every stop.

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