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Cape Town has grown as a city in a way that few others in the world have. Take a good look at the street names. Strand and Waterkant streets (meaning "beach" and "waterside," respectively) are now far from the sea. However, when they were named, they were right on the beach. An enormous program of dumping rubble into the ocean extended the city by a good few square miles (thanks to the Dutch obsession with reclaiming land from the sea). Almost all the city on the seaward side of Strand and Waterkant is part of the reclaimed area of the city known as the Foreshore. If you look at old paintings of the city, you will see that originally waves lapped at the very walls of the castle, now more than half a mile from the ocean.
Noon Gun Tearoom and Restaurant up the very steep slope of Signal Hill is a good place to stop for a breather and some traditional, home-cooked Malay food. Your entertaining hostess (and TV chef) Zaine Misbach cooks up a mean curry and biryani (a spicy rice-based dish). And her samosas are to die for. The menu is limited, but Zaine's repertoire is anything but; she's chatty and engaging and also offers cooking lessons.
The Rhodes Memorial Restaurant, tucked under towering pines behind the memorial, is a pleasant spot that serves breakfast, tea, and a light lunch. Unremarkable food, although it is under new management.
San Marco Bistro offers a wide variety of options from sandwiches and salads to pasta, meat, and seafood entrées. Although it's expensive for locals, most visitors find it very affordable. There are hundreds of places to eat at the Waterfront but not many such alfresco locations that are really outdoors in such close proximity to the working harbor. It's a good place to refuel and people-watch while shopping—or waiting to tour one of the naval vessels that occasionally open their doors to the public.
Amid the dozens of great joints around Long and Loop streets, Zorina's is a hole-in-the-wall that's famous for great Cape Malay curries and samosas.
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