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Graze by the River — Sip, graze, and repeat in Port Alfred 

The busy Van der Riet Street in Port Alfred provides guests with a peaceful and relaxing place to take a break from their hectic day. Situated in one of the original homes of the 1820s settlers, Graze by the River, with its coffee bar and award-winning restaurant, is a delicious escape. Deeply rooted and inspired by passion, honesty, local ingredients, and a well-travelled chef, diners often plan their return. Sip, graze, and repeat at Graze by the River, one of Port Alfred’s favourite restaurants. 

Graze on delicious meals at Graze by the River  

This cozy corner in the town is only made possible by the dedicated staff and the leadership of Nick Howard, founder and Chef. After travelling to various countries around the world and immersing himself in their local cuisine, he brought his newfound knowledge to South Africa. Combining this knowledge and his passion for good, honest, and healthy food, he founded Graze by the River. 

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner by reservation only, the menu is crafted from locally sourced ingredients. Start the day with energizing breakfasts such as the Simple Graze, Morning Graze, or Avo toast. Lunches and dinners, known as the Feed, consist of Fresh Mussels, a Smoked Calamari salad, a Vegan casserole, Karoo Lamb Chops, and their signature dish – their Line Caught Fish. Alongside the restaurant the coffee bar offers freshly roasted coffee and sweet treats. 

Since its opening, the restaurant and coffee bar have won many awards showcasing their excellent service, atmosphere, and food. From renowned awards such as the Restaurant Gurus Award for Best Atmosphere in 2019 to another Tripadvisor Award just last year in 2024. Also in 2025, the restaurant was nominated and even short-listed in the Best Restaurant of the Eastern Cape section of the SA Restaurant Awards. 

Wine clubs and special events  

Graze by the River offers more than just freshly roasted cups of coffee and homemade meals. Once a month, primarily on the first Friday, wine lovers are invited to join the Graze Wine Club. Sip on glasses of exquisite local wines and savour complimenting bites from the light snack platters. 

This historic venue, with its lush, well-maintained private back garden, serves as a prime location for a variety of special events. From intimate wedding celebrations to festive birthday parties and memorable baby showers, guests appreciate the personal touches from the staff and Chef Nick, who designs a special menu based on individual needs and requirements. 

Contact details 

For more information about Graze by the River call 063 644 3878 or email nijh4665@gmail.com.  

Graze by the River is located at 38 Van Der Riet St, Port Alfred, 6170.  

Facebook: @grazebytheriverPA 

Website: www.grazebytheriver.co.za

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Actually, Home Food and Travel offers a lot more than just reviews of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities.  We also visit great destinations, receive advice from interior designers and stop to smell the roses and taste the coffee.

Our team of journalists are seasoned travels and love visiting the myriad of exciting places around South Africa.  Whether it is off the beaten track or in the heart of the top attractions of the country, we’ll be there,

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Expensive is not always better.  Our team at Home Food and Travel will tell you that they have camped in areas with limited ablutions and had a wonderful holiday.  They have also spent a night in a five star hotel only to be disappointed because their expectations exceeded the experience.

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Restaurants with a good mix of service, food and ambiance

To my mind a great restaurant offers three things – excellent service, great food and a wonderful ambiance.  Of these, service is the most important. 

No matter that the food is delicious and the setting delightful, poor service can ruin the occasion.  However, great service combined with mediocre meal and a plane jane restaurant can still be a pleasant night out.

We’ve eaten in restaurants that are really dirty but with incredible food and couldn’t help but give a rave review.  We’ve also hardly noticed what we ate because the setting was just amazing.

However, the best restaurants come with the best of service, food and ambiance.

Spas are the ultimate relaxation aid

How do you know when you have had a great spa experience?  The answer, of course, is when you doze off on the treatment table. 

Well that’s our theory anyway.  It also doesn’t take a grand location with enormous facilities for a spa to be really good

A small, personal spa that is owner run can result in the best massage you have ever experienced.  However, the grand spas in five star hotels offer unsurpassed facilities in an environment that just makes the stress in your shoulders and neck melt away before you even finish checking in.

Adventure!

You don’t have to be an adrenaline junky to enjoy an exciting experience.  In fact, what are commonly termed adventure activities usually have incredibly high safety standards and unblemished safety records.

Ziplining, bungy jumping and shark cage diving are all very safe.  It’s just that our mind tells us we are craaazzzzyyyy to be doing this.

On the road to great places of accommodation, restaurants, spas and adventure activities

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