De Vette Mossel Hermanus | Beach Seafood Restaurant Experience

At De Vette Mossel, you'll experience a truly South African seafood feast unlike anything else in the area. Located right on the Klein River Lagoon at the Prawn Flats, around the corner from Grotto Beach, this family-run establishment brings authentic West Coast flavors and traditions to the Whale Coast.

A Unique Dining Experience

This isn't your typical restaurant visit - it's a "lekker kuier" (enjoyable hangout) that lasts for two to three hours. Expect to kick off your shoes, feel the sand between your toes, and enjoy a rolling buffet of seven courses featuring 13 different dishes prepared over open fires right in front of you.

The feast includes freshly baked potbrood (pot bread) with farm butter, mussel meat sautéed with garlic, mussels in half-shell steamed with white wine, West Coast snoek with sweet potato, a seafood pot with three types of fish, calamari strips, mussels and prawn tails, and even a meat potjie for non-seafood eaters. Everything is followed by seasonal fruit, coffee and traditional koeksisters.

Local Tips

• Pacing is key - locals warn that the potbrood is dangerously good and filling. Don't make the rookie mistake of filling up on bread before the seafood arrives!
• Booking is essential - they offer two sessions daily (midday 12:00-15:00 and evening 18:30)
• Kid-friendly - there's a wooden play area with a bridge, sandpit, climbing wall, traditional games, hammock, trampoline and zipline
• Wheelchair accessible - the facility can accommodate guests with mobility needs
• Cash bar available - with card facilities for payments

Cultural Context

This establishment embraces sustainable fishing practices and proudly serves SASSI Green-listed seafood (except for the additional prawns and rock lobster which aren't part of the main buffet). The informal, communal dining style reflects traditional South African beach braais and West Coast hospitality.

From your first welcome glass of "Hello-sê" wine or organic rooibos ice tea to the final koeksister with moerkoffie, this is authentic South African coastal dining at its most relaxed. As the locals say, "voel die sand onder jou voete – jy is reg by die see!" (feel the sand beneath your feet – you're right by the sea!).

For special occasions, De Vette Mossel can host up to 200 guests for weddings, functions and events, all under a roof that can be quickly enclosed if the weather turns.