Great Restaurants in Capetown
 

I am from NYC and I have eaten at alot of the NYC top restaurants and michelin rated top restaurants. Can you suggest some great restaurants in Capetown? I read that Ginja was good. Thoughts on this place or others? Thanks. (We like all kinds of food and NYC prices are ok) Nothing touristy though.

I wrote a lot of details about restaurants in CapeTown in my 2007 report; it is entitled something like "First Time In SA/Bots/Vic Falls.."

I also live in NYC and am very interested in food. CapeTown is a great eating city..Did not eat at Ginja so cannot help there....do a searchhere; I asked a lot about eating before I went last fall and got good responses here..

Fluke,

Firstly let me tell you about dressing for restaurants in Cape Town or for that matter South Africa. We are a VERY laid back country. You will never need to dress smartly however it could be handy to bring one set of smart semi formal clothing with you. Otherwise it will be jeans, t-shirts, track shoes and anything that you feel comfortable in. That’s one of the great features of coming to SA There is no formality whatsoever.

In terms of restaurants heres some interesting tips of Cape Town restaurants that I regard as my favorite eating places in my city.

If you are looking for a fish restaurant, after all Cape Town is a port town, my suggestions would be:

Willoughby's in the Waterfront (no pre-booking at this restaurant)

Baia in the Waterfront. (021 4210935) Excellent fish restaurant and first class dining facility however on the expensive side (by local standards).

Stopping in at Jimmy's Killer Prawns in Kloof Street is also a good idea when looking for fish.

The big hidden secret fish place in Cape Town is Tangos (021-7126631) This is a venue that locals seem to have kept to themselves. You will hardly ever see tourists at this local family type fish venue. It is rather far out of the city center (25 minutes away in Kendall Road) but imho this is the very best fish restaurant in Cape Town. When you are in this restaurant you soon realize that fresh fish is being brought through the door minutes after being caught in the local Kalk Bay harbour. Furthermore if you want to find great varieties of local fish Tangos is the place to eat.

If you have a lunchtime restaurant opportunity may I suggest that you stop at Kalkies in the Kalk Bay harbour. Now here’s a real typical Cape Town experience to want to savor with fresh fish being served that was caught on the day in the Kalk Bay harbour. Furthermore you wont find tourists at this venue as it seems to be too down market from the outside so what you finds is that all the locals eat there because it is such a treasure. Try and experience this great culinary experience when in our city.

Btw when it comes to eating fish most establishments will serve you local fish in the form of Cob (Kabeljou) , Kingklip (Local to Cape Town), Cape salmon and Yellowtail. When it comes to the shelled variety of fish you will be able to find crayfish (smaller than American lobster but definitely more substance to the meat and sweeter), prawns (Shrimp in the USA) and maybe giant prawns (prawns in the USA). All in all when it comes to shelled fish I say again be forewarned against being ripped off and DONT think in foreign currency terms when ordering, think in Rand terms relative to what you will have already learnt as far a local values are concerned.
‘
Spicy foods in Cape Town could land you up in many places:

Biesmiellah is a great Cape Malay restaurant specializing in curry

Wangthai is a Thai restaurant that serves very spicy foods.
and is a great place to visit.

Zorinas Cafe (021-4249301) at 172 Loop Street is a little hidden gem. It is actually a take-out venue with a little hidden restaurant behind it. No bookings, just arrive. Unquestionably the best samoosas and curry in town. Only open at lunchtimes and certainly worth the visit.

As per your request if you are looking for a quality dining type restaurant take a look at 95 Keerom Street. (4220765). Definitely an excellent dining at slightly higher than normal prices. Nice atmosphere too.

There is a small very unpretentious place in the centre of Town called Bizerka - 021 4180001. If you ask anybody about this restaurant they wont know of it as it is quite new and not well known as yet. I have visited this venue twice and on both occasions the food is different yet wonderfully delicious. My wife claimed that her grilled cape Salmon fish was the best she has ever had.

For a REAL African culinary experience with fabulous entertainment thrown in go to Gold restaurant. Also quite new and making huge strides in the restaurant scene of Cape Town. 021 4214653

For upmarket dining in my city there is very little to beat the Savoy Cabbage. Fantastic food, service and all else. There will be nothing you can fault at this restaurant. Wonderful choice for an eating experience.

I would definitely also include Ginga as per what you have already heard iabout which restaurants to visit. Be aware that Ginga has moved about two months ago out of the city centre to the Vineyard Hotel. I think the restaurant is even better in the Vineyard but then it is farther to drive if you are staying in the city.

Make no error there are many other wonderful restaurants in Cape Town that are well worth visiting. The above restaurants are NOT the normal run of the mill recommendations that will be made in most "eat out book" recommendations. Willoughbys , Baia, Savoy Cabbage, Ginja and 95 Keerom Street could well come in for mentioning in some of the travel books available or possibly by others writing to this page. Most of the restaurants mentioned in my list are the ones that locals frequent and my advice always remains "when in Cape Town do eat what the Capetonians eat".

Hope this helps.

Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r))nation of South Africa

Selwyn

WOW...what a great post. We will be in Capetown in July and can't wait to try out some of your recommendations!

Any recommendations for cool eateries which kids (9& 11) would like?

Tara

Hi twoboysmom,

I just checked my trip report [sadly deleted from this forum/untraceable, at least by me] and reminded myself that we ate one night at the city grill on the waterfront, and another night at Den anker - a belgian brasserie at the same place.

our kids [a bit older than yours, but still kids at 15 & 19!] really liked the city grill where they had their first taste of impala, springbok and kudu! i seem to remember that DD particularly liked the kudu in pepper sauce, and DH and i shared a very large mixed skewer. and even though it was July [winter in SA] it was warm enough to eat outside, with the help of some heaters.

another good thing about the Waterfront if you're with kids and a bit nervous about driving around a strange city at night in a hire car is that you can get a cab there and back very cheapy - it cost us £5 for both journeys [£2 there, £3 back]. your hotel will get you a cab there and there are taxi ranks at the exits for the trip home.

our third night we didn't want much to eat as we'd had lunch at the 2 oceans' restaurant at the cape which again I would highly recommend not necessarily for fine dining but for good well-priced food in a friendly and fun atmosphere.

for fine dining, what selwyn said.

if you are going to do any museums at all, i would say go to the slave lodge near the cathedral - it is very moving and brings the experience to life in a way that children can understand. and check out the planetarium in the south african museum - there is a show one night a week in the winter.

regards, ann

I topped my very long report on eating in CapeTown for you. I did, in fact, eat at Ginja and enjoyed the meal there. Savoy Cabbage was very good as well. But my favorite big-ticket place, by a long shot, was the Showroom which calls for "smart" clothing. (The others do as well but showroom is a bit more glitzy in a good way)

But two of my most enjoyable meals were at Panama Jack's and the Codfather; the latter in Camp's Bay. I would not miss one or both if you are a fan of shellfish...6 months after my return those two are my most enduring food memories of CapeTown.

I did not care for Africa Cafe, although it is on many "to go" lists. If you pull up my report you will find too-much detail and many fo my comments...

I would be sure to reserve in advance at places like Ginja.

We also had a lovely lunch at Beluga, in a renovated metal factory...

Not sure if you are going to Winelands but if so, you can find comments on a few places there from my trip..sorry I cannot link the thread here..I am on a computer far from home and cannot see how to post links...

I can second the thumbs up for Ginja. We thought it was the best meal of 5 days in Cape Town (in late '06). But since it has moved, according to Selwyn, can't vouch for the new venue. Check out the NT Times' report on 5 restaurants in CT in 2006 or 2005. He liked Savoy Cabbage (of course, chefs change).
Adn palates differ, but for another point of view we disliked Baia. A huge place (when the kitchen is cooking for hundreds, it can't be good), mediocre food, not cheap, and very touristy, but good, friendly service.
We walked by Willoughby's too, but didn't eat there. A chain-type atmosphere, not our style, but it seemed to be popular with locals. In the mall, like Baia.
A fun place is the Bascule whiskey bar in the Cape Grace Hotel. There's a room off to the side of the bar that is quieter and smoke free, and the food comes out of the same kitchen as the pricier moe formal hotel restaurant above, and for less money.
You will be amazed at how cheap the local wine is at even the highest-end places!
Leslie

You do not say if you are going to the Winelands but if so, we had our best meal there at Le Quartier Francais. The place is not stuffy as I feared and by NYC standards prices are not high. All this chat has made me wish I were going back to SA!!

About your comment that you are seeking nothing touristy..all of the top restaurants are going to have tourists...especially places like LQF which has exhorbitant pricing by SA standards...personally I would steer clear of the places int he V&A mall since those looked to me to be patronized mainly by tourists...instead of having a mix such as you will find at Ginja, Showroom, etc..

At the waterfront, we enjoyed Baia, but much preferred Balthazars

In the wineland - we stayed at Le Quartier Francais but didn't eat there. It was a fabulous place to stay, but the best meal of our trip was at La Petit Ferme.

..and I thought Le Petit Ferme was more about the setting than the food, so it just goes to show you....different opinions..

the setting at La Petit Ferme was definitely wonderful - but we also really enjoyed the food. Even my kids raved about it.

We never had anything but breakfast at Le Quartier Francais, but we really loved staying there.

I will be going to Winelands and was planning to eat at Reubens and Le Bon Vivant as I heard those two were great and LQF was 1) hard to get a firm reservation bc they cater to their guests first, and 2) that the food was hit or miss. Maybe I should reconsider and try to get into LQF if the majority of people think its so great.

NYT just ran an article on capetown yesterday in the travel section about things to do/places to eat in capetown! they named aubergine and africa cafe,

I am not sure if you read the reviews on the long report I pulled up for you, but I did not have a great meal at Reuben's, I am sorry to say. The meal at LQF was far superior. And I did not stay there, just walked in and got a table for the following night. (Stayed at Akademie Suites which we loved) Perhaps I ordered incorrectly at Reuben's..you can read my long thread and see if it is of interest..

WE also ate at Bouillabaise which is interesting fusion cuisine and mostly counter seating...

The place I might check out for lunch next time is called something like Bread and Wine, home to the guy famous for charceuterie. Sorry I am blanking on the name and am not at home so cannot access my notes, or the Trip Report, but you can find the latter here easily by scrolling down; I re-posted it within the last few days..

All places mentioned in this post are in the Winelands....

I do not see much value in that recent Times article that you mention..but then I do not know Aubergine and would certainly not eat again at Africa Cafe if I were looking for great food as you describe in your original post. I know the place has its fans here and perhaps for the setting and the experience......

Two of the best meals I've ever had in my life were at Five Flies in Cape Town, and at D'Vine in Somerset West. One day after the other.

I can also recommend Baia and Biesmiellah.

In case you are going to the winelands, a restaurant we really enjoyed was Bosmans. It has a gorgeous view and the inside is great too besides the food.

In the winelands, I, on the other hand, had a great meal at Reubens and a disappointing one at Le Bon Vivant (which was, tellingly, empty; very pretentious and putting fussy plating over taste). Have heard good and not-so about LQF. You can scope out many of these places menus online, which should help.

I am not going to Africa Cafe (thats what I mean by a restaurant catering to tourists).

I am going to try to get into LQF. I did read your post about the Wineland restaurants, very helpful thanks!

Seems like the prices in South Africa are reasonable for great food and ambience (or NYC is just so expensive! of course there are plenty of great cheap eats in NY)

just spent 1 week in winelands and 1 week in CT- our best meals were Haute Cabriere, Topsi, Ruebens and Bouillebase in Franschhoek (our meal at Ici in the QF was not good unfortunately)

In cape town one.waterfront, Fork and Savoy Cabbage were our best meals.

I can't speak to your specific question, although I've been to Cape Town a number of times, but today's NY Times Travel section has a piece on 36 hours in Cape Town (Sunday, January 27, p. 13) that mentions several restaurants as well as other points about visiting the city. You can view it on line. ZZ

Thanks Selwyn for the Gold restaurant tip. I've made a reservation and at Savoy Cabbage too. Rather looking forward to finally visiting Cape Town in a few weeks.

TTT

What a great selection of restuarants - we will try some when we travel to Cape Town and surrounds next January! Can anyone help me with a restaurant in Bloubergstand? About 14 years agao my husband and I had a wonderful meal in a little restuarant right on the beach at Bloubergstrand, looking over the waves at Table Mountain. As I recall, the food was lovely (we had seafood I am sure), the setting magnificent and price tag very reasonable. It is somethig we always remember of our time in Cape Town, BUT we cannot remember the name of the restaurant. It may, of course, no longer exist. Can any one tell us if there is something similar there now.

Hi, PRLCH

>About 14 years agao my husband and I had a wonderful meal in a little restuarant right on the beach at Bloubergstrand, looking over the waves at Table Mountain.<

waves at table mountain, hey?

that global warming must have been bad that night.

regards, ann

Sorry Ann, I don't follow your line of thought - beach = waves!? Table Mountain is on the other side of the bay - for a moment I thought I must have been imagining the scene, but no, I am looking at the "famous" picture of Table Mountain across the water from Bloubergstrand in a book right now. However, that is not the point - the point is the name of the restaurant. Can anyone help with that?

sorry, I'll read that again!

you were looking over the waves TOWARDS Table Mountain, not over the waves AT Table mountain.

My mistake!

regards, ann

PRLCH,

I think the the restaurant you are referring to is "Ons Huisie". I suspect that at the time of you visiting the venue it was run by a very flamboyant owner by name of ChiChee. During his reign the standard of te restaurant was exceptional.

To my knowledge the restaurant still exists however when I last visited the establishment (about 4 years ago) it had changed ownership. I dont know what the quality and standard of the venue is like these days.

By the way if you look over the seas you most certainly will have a great view of Table Mountain if you sit on the outside verandah of the restaurant.

Hope this helps and is the name you were looking for.

Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r))nation of South Africa

we had dinner at a place called On the Rocks that sounds just like the view of Table Mountain you are describing. The view was wonderful, the food just ok

Thanks so much - I think Ons Huisie may have been the restaurant I was thinking about. I have checked it on the internet and it seems to have some mixed reviews. I will keep an eye on it, else we may try one of the many others ones you suggest. I think we will be spoiled for choice! CAn't wait for our 5 week trip to SA in December!

I am just wondering why Selwyn doesn't know that Ginja is still located at Castle street 121 ...

Back to Tara's post about where to take kids.

We enjoyed 'Fork' in Long Street. It's a relatively new place I believe, and offers tapas. However, it's not tapas of the traditional type, but extremely innovative and with a definite South African touch.

The great thing is they come in 'fork' size portions so you can try as many or as little as you want.....great for the kids because they can chop and choose according to what they like or don't like.

I've never been in a city that has so many great restaurants that are superb value for money. Whatever you choose, it's unlikely you'll come away feeling disappointed.

Oh yeah.....Jimmy's Killer Prawns on Kloof was good as well (as recommended by Selwyn). Daft name, but great value for money seafood. They've got a good choice for kids as well, even if they don't like pink things that wiggle around the seabed.. :-)