Location: Upington
Top Restaurants in Upington
Where to Eat in Upington: The Best Restaurants and Bars
Upington is a town founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was originally called Olyfenhoudtsdrif ('Olive wood drift'), due to the abundance of olive wood trees in the area, but later renamed after Sir Thomas Upington, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of the Cape. It originated as a mission station established in 1875 and run by Reverend Christiaan Schröder. The mission station now houses the town museum, known as the Kalahari Orange Museum. The museum is also the home of a donkey statue, which recognises the enormous contribution that this animal made to the development of the region during the pioneering days of the 19th century.
Things to do in Upington
1. BiLo's
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 179 reviews
Bistro
Reviewed By Kardoesie - Johannesburg, South Africa
Staying overnight in Upington, we walked from our guesthouse to Bi-Lo Bistro for an early dinner on a weekend night. The venue was packed. We loved the quirky décor, also in the garden, as well as the two resident parrots Bobby and Katryn. The menu offers a large variety and we opted for 1) Eisbein - served with onion rings, chips/ baked potato and sauerkraut, and 2) Pita with bacon & cheese, a side salad and onion rings. The portions were more than generous, the dishes were flavoursome and were presented reasonable well. The service was attentive and professional.
Ideal for a reasonably good dinner in a small town.
2. Ibis Restaurant
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By Riël G - Upington, Northern Cape, South Africa
This restaurant is sutuated in Oranje Rust holiday resort right on the bank of the Orange River with a lovely sun-deck for sundowners. The service is good and the food is good. It is about 30km out of Upington and it is worth a visit. Fully licenced.
3. Bella Roma Pizzeria & Grill
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By GBThomas1 - Cape Town, South Africa
I took my family here (4 adults and one kid) for dinner and we had ordered some sort of variety amongst ourselves from the menu. The portions were quite large however the food was below average. The pizza was tasteless, the chow mein was too salty and my dad and mom took a few bites of their pastas before they pushed it aside and shook their heads. Our waitress was shocking - she couldn't tell us a single thing about the menu before finally admitting she wasn't a waitress but a bar-lady. What? Then why send her over to worsen the already brutal experience of your customers? To top it off, I took my kid to the jungle gym at the back side of the restaurant to let her play a bit but the entire setup was soaked due to the sprinklers. There was some respite though when I found a child caring facility near the entrance to the restaurant. I doubt I'll eat here again.
4. Desert Wolf Spur Steak Ranch
Overall Ratings
4 based on 40 reviews
Spoil your family & eat out at Desert Wolf Spur. We are the best steakhouse & burger restaurant in Upington. Bring along your kids for some great tasting food & dessert from our famous Spur menu.
Reviewed By Les P - Johannesburg, South Africa
We were travelling through Uppington and stopped at the Desert Wolf Spur for a quick lunch. Standard Spur décor and menu which makes you feel at home there. My lovely wife and I had a sauce burger each, one with mushroom sauce and the other with the peri peri sauce. Both were well prepared and tasty. The service was good, even with a trainee waitress. Our only concern was that it took nearly 45 minutes to prepare our food, which is not acceptable.
5. O'Hagans Irish Pub
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 51 reviews
Reviewed By Leonpotgieter - Pretoria, South Africa
The food took a while but was good, can't complain. What was really interesting is that the restaurant seems to be a meeting place for European car testing teams and their after hours entertainment. They don't even hide it and all seems to be fine with it..??
6. Ocean Basket
Overall Ratings
4 based on 20 reviews
Ocean Basket is South Africa's favourite chain of seafood restaurants. There's one near you. At Ocean Basket you'll find friendly people, a home-from-home feeling and great value for your hard-earned bucks. Some Ocean Baskets have a fresh-fish deli too, and you can order to eat in or takeaway, whatever grabs you.
Reviewed By Riël G - Upington, Northern Cape, South Africa
Now you can and must visit Ocean Basket in the Kalahari Mall in Upington again. The restaurant is under new management by the new owners Amanda and Kobus. All is now done correctly according to franchise standards and the owners are actually present in the...MoreThank you for your continuous support and great review!
7. Panarottis Upington
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 18 reviews
Panarottis Pizza Pasta specialises in serving quality Italian-style cuisine. The restaurant offers a friendly and relaxing environment where friends and family can enjoy a delicious handmade pizza topped with the freshest ingredients. Pizzas are traditionally made with a thin base, with calzone and thick base available on request. Every pizza is made from an original and unique recipe, but if none of the pizza options seem satisfying enough, you can create your own pizza with a selection of your favourite toppings.
Reviewed By DayaFamily - Johannesburg, South Africa
We were at Panarottis on New Years Day on route from Kalagadi Transfontier Park. Panarottis was quite busy as it was one of the few places open. The food was great and the service was excellent.Dear DayaFamily, Grazie for your amazing review of Panarottis Upington Family Restaurant. So happy to hear the food and service were a hit! We look forward to seeing you and your family again soon. Kind regards, Panarottis Pizza Pasta
8. Dros Upington
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By Laetitia V - Cape Town, South Africa
Enjoyed the friendliness of the staff ensuring im ok and my food is in order.....love the outside Seating area
9. Mugg & Bean
Overall Ratings
4 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By TravelReviewer1983 - London, United Kingdom
Came here for brunch on a Sunday and overall enjoyed the experience.
The service was friendly but a bit slow.
We ordered two orange juices (57.80R together), one coconut soup (34.90R), one toasted sundried tomato Sandwich with fries (56.90R), and one Havana Omelette (64.90R).
Food tasted good and portions were decent.
10. Cafe Zest
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 110 reviews
Reviewed By OutdoorsAdventurer - New York City
We hoped for a more delicate meal here after having meat and stove so many times in the Northern Cape. Wrong! I ordered a vegetarian pizza which was incredibly heavy with triple cheese. Ugh! My husband ordered lamb lasagne - of course he expected it wouldn’t be light, but it was inedible. Hummus and olive spread came with limp focaccia toast.
