At De Zeven, we have cuisines for every occasion, so why would Heritage Day be an exception? Of course, our Head Chef Marcus has many recipes up his sleeve, but as local South Africans in the Banhoek Valley, we thought we’d stay true to our roots and share our favourite dishes that always remind us of our Ouma’s kitchen - minus the unsolicited advice she often threw our way.

As Stellenbosch locals hailing from the Banhoek valley - we never thought that De Akker, marriage, motherhood, a legend called Serge, Carignan, and entrepreneur would feature in one sentence. That was until we sat down and chatted to Jocelyn Hogan Wilson, our golden thread and inspiration behind this very blog. She’s a winemaker, mom, and businesswoman who started the small independent wine label of Hogan Wines in our Banhoek Valley.

As you may well know, Stellenbosch is quite a tourist destination! If you're not tasting wines at one of the 130 farms in the valley, you're probably strolling through the charming streets, admiring the Cape Dutch architecture and - again - being spoilt for choice with restaurants. While there certainly are (many) hidden gems, here are our current top 6 local-approved Stellenbosch restaurants you have to dine at during a stay with...