When you’re in a small town such as Hermanus, a coastal town, the only place you want to be is on the beach, right? However, everyone needs to eat, and you certainly don’t want to build an entire kitchen on the beach, right? Especially with the ‘Kalfie Fees’, hundreds of people flock to Hermanus to see baby whale calves flop around with their giants for parents. You wouldn’t even want to miss a moment.
With all of this going on, you want to spend as much time as possible gazing out onto the ocean. Luckily for all of humanity, there are numerous restaurants in holy matrimony with the sandy shores of Hermanus. Also, with the coastal town being a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, know that a world of flavoured delights awaits you. So, without further ado, let’s dive into a world of blissful beach delights and mouthfuls of incredible marine tastes!
Ficks Pinchos & Wine
Ficks restaurant is one of the more exciting Hermanus restaurants on the beach. Serving traditional Northern Spain Cuisine, you can expect not only an exciting day but an exciting tasting experience as well. Overlooking the famous Ficks pool and the ocean beyond, Ficks has taken its throne in the background, has embedded itself into the crevices of the historic cliffs, and cosied up in between the age-old trees. You can almost spend the entire day here. Take a dip upon arrival, pat yourself dry, stroll back up to the restaurant and order yourself a much-deserved smoothie. The menu is unique due to its focus on ‘pincho’ bites and dishes.
The seared duck breast with orange and green olive sauce sounds especially pleasing. Or a maritime favourite: flash fried calamari with romesco sauce and harissa aioli. However, if you want something to remember Ficks by, try their Caprese Flammkuchen (flame pastry), consisting of Bocconcini cheese, tomatoes, and basil. Heaven might just be more tangible than you think.
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Bientang’s Cave Restaurant & Wine Bar
The most unique of all the Hermanus restaurants on the beach, Bientang’s Cave is an award-winning wonder situated on the shores of Walker Bay. Carved into the depths of the century-old cave, you can enjoy a full a la carte menu and their daily specials that consist of everything from seafood to poultry to meat and vegetarian dishes.
You can spend the entire day on the natural boulders of Walker Bay, gaze out to where the whales dance with their newly born calves and order yourself some delicious dishes and drinks. Some of their exquisite dishes include Bientang’s Bouillabaisse, a traditional tomato-based seafood dish with line fish, mussels, calamari, and prawns. Perhaps you’re in the mood for some freshly shucked oysters on crushed ice with red onion salsa? Well, the menu at Bientang’s is so extensive that you can even treat yourself to a traditional South African seafood potpie!
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Perlemoen
The Perlemoen restaurant has taken its throne on boulders, those on which delicate waves break, spewing salty breezes onto mortals who peacefully absorb the breathtaking ceremony of land marrying sea and wind marrying fynbos.
This 45-seater restaurant looks humble, but don’t let its small capacity and faint façade dull your enthusiasm. Delivering you a world-class delicacy, the perlemoen, or abalone in English – in a sustainable manner, the Perlemoen restaurant is the ultimate place for any seafood lover. Pair these gastronomical bursts of life with the flavour of world-class local wines from the Hemel En Aarde Valley and the champagne air, and you have simple blissfulness. Try some of their pan-fried abalone with curried aioli. Or perhaps you fancy some Panko prawns or something closer to home like beef carpaccio? Perlemoen is one of the Hermanus restaurants on the beach where the ocean is the star of the show, and rightly so!
If you enjoy this article, read about spending the day in Gordon’s Bay!
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Whales and Waves
These three restaurants are as close to the ocean as any restaurant could possibly be. Go to these Hermanus restaurants on the beach during the ‘Kalfie Fees’ when hump-back whales present their little, giant calves to us mere humans. Combine this life-changing display with the crashing sound of their breaching bodies, the vapour of the ocean, and the taste of its pearls, and soon you’ll realise that you are, indeed, happy to be alive.
