115 Best Restaurants in Cape Town, South Africa

With great harbor and mountain views from its position on the sixth floor of a renovated silo, this hip tapas-style restaurant serves an eclectic but clearly Asian-influenced array of small plates. Helmed by the young and highly creative Greek-born chef, Jason Kosmas, the regularly changing menu contains dishes like smoked beef fillet with truffle café au lait; ceviche avocado tacos; and fish sliders. You'll want to order about three plates per person, and be sure to ask about whatever fish is most recently off the boat (Kosmas is a fisherman who takes marine sustainability very seriously). Drink service is excellent, too, with imaginative and delicious cocktails and a well-curated selection of wines from the Cape. The atmosphere, enhanced by tip-top servers, is pleasantly relaxed, and stepping into the handsome space is always a great treat.

Like so many of chef Luke Dale Roberts's restaurants—such as The Test Kitchen, the former fine-dining establishment that truly put Woodstock on the international culinary map—Salon transports diners to another era with its rich golden hues, velvet banquettes, art deco artwork, fringed vintage-style lamps, and tinted, textured glass panels. Along with executive chef Carla Schulze, Roberts takes diners on a global culinary journey inspired by the international places he's cooked, eaten, and learned about food. Without too much complication, diners are surprised again and again by inventive ideas that have their roots in Mexico, the Philippines, Morocco, Mexico, South Africa, and elsewhere—a literal culinary journey that's equal parts nostalgia and innovation.

Chef Nolu Dube-Cele has created one of Cape Town's absolute must-try restaurants, a place where you can enjoy many of the country's diverse traditional dishes that haven't yet made their way from the home kitchens to restaurant menus (although this is steadily changing). At this lovely spot by the canal that runs through Battery Park, you can tuck into a variety of dishes like chicken sosaties (skewered meat), meat potjie (stew), tripe, and the crowd-pleasing "roadrunner," a free-range chicken cooked slowly in its own juices. There's a great selection of vegan dishes, too, including salads made using healthy grains such as sorghum, as well as "roosterkoek" breakfast buns and sandwich buns stuffed with mince and chakalaka. It's everything necessary to get you properly acquainted with the real-deal gastronomy of this country. The eponymous "seven colours" is a nickname for meals traditionally served at special gatherings, when there's an assortment of differently colored foods on the plate: yellow rice, orange pumpkin, green spinach or beans, red beetroot, and brown meat. 

Amid the tribal masks, beaded place mats, and raw-wood headrests, this vast café is a breath of fresh air tucked away from the mainstream in a historic building in the backstreets of Green Point. It's such a secret that you could walk right past it without knowing it's there, but do seek it out because it's not only a lovingly restored oasis, but the food (mostly breakfasts and brunches, but also excellent lunches) is wonderful and the kitchen is always striving to bring more creativity to the menu. Expect dishes like Turkish eggs (homemade labneh topped with poached eggs), chicken livers with mosbolletjie (a traditional Cape Dutch sweet bun), and some super-healthy and entirely vegan options, plus salads, burgers (falafel, beef, or chicken), grilled sandwiches, and freshly baked cakes for lunch.

What began as a mere ramen outpost has expanded its menu to include sushi and bao (silky soft steamed buns), crispy tofu, and a bunch of delicious experiments like yakitori sticky wings, bao dogs tuna, and salmon sushiritos (burritos with sushi inside). They've also done taiyaki (fish-shaped cakes stuffed with red bean paste or Nutella) and have matcha-infused steamed buns stuffed with salted custard filling for dessert (a must-try). Their ramen continues to be a favorite luring folks from across the city, so it's usually bustling, but tables turn quite quickly though, so get yourself on the waiting list or grab a drink from the bar while you watch all those happy diners slurping up their noddles, chins glistening with delectable, umami-rich broth.

At the top of the Helshoogte Pass with simply amazing views of the valley and mountains, Tokara is a Winelands must-visit. Chef Carolize Coetzee grew up in small-town South Africa and honors local ingredients and cooking methods in her wide range of dishes. Lunch is à la carte, while dinner guests choose between four- or six-course set menus, each with a wine-pairing option.

At this restaurant—part of Cape Cadogan, the boutique hotel next door—chef Amori Burger's (who has done time on TV food shows and worked in the bush cooking at safari lodges) concept revolves around the idea of a family feast. Menus change with the seasons and gravitate around a theme Amori and her squad of chefs are exploring, but guests can choose between a couple of tasting menus or dip into the à la carte selection of small plates, all of it made to be shared. Think of it as food cooked by your (South African) grandmother if she were a world-class professional chef with a contemporary outlook: sharing plates of tasty vegetables, mains with hints of nostalgia, everyone reaching across the table, and lots of fine wine. Just off Kloof Street, the venue is a double-story colonial-era manor house that's been jazzed up and turned into a seriously eye-catching space, decorated in green and white, with tables that spill onto the outside terrace. 

A true survivor, this authentic Thai restaurant on a busy Kloof Street intersection has been around for what seems like forever. Barely a thing has changed, and it still entices its regulars with fragrant curries, delectable stir-fries with cashews or roasted chili, and of course, the spicy tom yum soup. The menu is extensive without being overwhelming, and you can mix and match your choice of meats, vegetables and tofu, or prawns with a choice of curries (their red curry is a favorite), or pick a straightforward rice or noodle dish.

With its superb cuisine and excellent service, diners adore this French bistro located in an old Cape Dutch building on Heritage Square. Using classic French techniques but drawing on local produce and adding some fusion twists, dishes like the signature raw Norwegian salmon salad with ginger, soy, and shallots are served in a warm wood-floored dining room with a vertical garden feature, as well as in a lovely outside courtyard. The culinary magic is mostly found in the form of daily specials presented chalkboard-style, including dishes like a duo of tuna with avocado wasabi-and-jalapeño dressing, or the veal tongue with Gruyère and local waterblommetjies (water lily). Lunch is buzzier than dinner, but the food is splendid every time. In the summer enjoy a tapas and drinks menu from 3 to 6 during the week in the courtyard.

In this warm space of yellowwood tables, sash windows, and reed ceilings, chef-owner Harald Bresselschmidt has served classic European-with-a-twist cuisine since 1996 at one of the city’s oldest fine-dining establishments. Using the freshest South African produce prepared with classical European methods, the chef cooks with wine in mind, and Aubergine's cellar and pairings are unsurprisingly superb. Seafood options are excellent, as are meat dishes like the gemsbok sirloin with chestnut puree. In summer, the garden seating of this historic 1830s home is recommended. Lunch and winter specials are more affordable ways of enjoying this classic restaurant, and apart from its à la carte options, there are degustation menus available.

This relaxed but glam eatery in the posh Vineyard Hotel & Spa outside Cape Town attracts well-heeled regulars, who come for chef Mike Basset's consistently excellent fusion flair, evidenced in dishes like squid ink spaghetti with yuzu pearls and the divine truffle-teriyaki beef fillet topped with perfectly crisped tempura vegetables. Evenings are all about the amazingly good-value seven-course tasting menu. Lunches are more casual but also offer a five-course tasting menu option. Black chandeliers and tones of gray and silver make for an ambience of cool evening elegance, while daytime diners will appreciate the gorgeous garden and mountain views. Don't neglect the fabulous wine list, which features many of the country's best.

Originally on Long Street, this restaurant was created in 2007 by Senait Mekonnen with an emphasis on authentic Ethiopian recipes served in the traditional way—guests sit at low tables and eat with their fingers. Although the menu gives detailed and vivid descriptions of what you can expect from each dish, a tasting platter that samples about five different main course items (vegan options available) is a good place to start. Each dish comes with injera flatbread made from gluten-free teff flour, the Ethiopian staple, which you peel off and use to scoop up the various stews, vegetables, and meats steeped in beautifully spiced gravies. You can also ask for a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, and on certain nights there's live Afro-jazz. Service is friendly and on the ball, and Senait studiously ensures that the food is consistently reminiscent of home.

This super little retro-themed deli-cum-pantry-cum-café serves beautiful breakfasts and low-key lunches with a side-order of authentic Cape Town too-cool-to-care swagger. You can pick up essentials like butter or fruit and veg (from Umthunzi Farming Community), find ethically sourced cold meats (Frankie Fenner), jars of Willy’s Chilli (by owner Will Hobson) and get tasty pastries, or sit down for the city’s finest hot dogs and top-notch toasted sandwiches. Tuesday through Saturday nights, it gently transforms into a bar, and there's the occasional dinner, too.

Although Azure's blue-and-white nautical-theme decor may feel a bit outdated to some, the restaurant's jaw-dropping sea and mountain views are reason enough to experience the mostly inspired menu. Dishes like the Malay-style mussel curry, venison loin, and roast chicken may sound simple and old-school, but the treatment is top-notch, the focus on proper cooking techniques, Cape produce, and clean flavors rather than trying to wow you with fancy trimmings, a reminder of what's important when eating out. Diners can choose between the à la carte or tasting menu.  Ask for a window table.

Boasting one of the largest selections of wines by the glass (more than 250) in the world, Belthazar is also recommended for its consistently good if pricey steak and seafood. Enjoy gorgeous Table Mountain and harbor views from the all-weather outdoor seating at lunch, or at dinner, the moodier interior, where a team of sommeliers can recommend the best wine match for your meal. Venison options like the springbok fillet served with a chocolate-chili sauce are delicious, and the Chicago-cut beef is more than a pound of on-the-bone heaven. Mozambican seafood options like prawns and langoustines are also very popular.

On the historic Buitenverwachting wine estate in Constantia, this fine-dining establishment spares no punches in the flavor department with its Japanese-inspired dishes. The warm, wonderful service and the graciousness of the space fit perfectly with the tranquil countryside setting. An unpretentious tasting menu that sounds elaborate but is actually a pretty straightforward distillation of uncompromisingly high-quality ingredients, expert kitchen technique, and wondrous culinary creativity means that everything just works. The full 6-course "Tasting Experience" is R1,250 (plus R850 with paired wines). Request a table on the balcony in warm weather to enjoy the wonderful vineyard views.

This much-loved Bo-Kaap landmark keeps it real with its non-frills, homestyle approach to traditional Cape Malay cuisine. Dishes include bredies (thick slow-cooked stews, usually tomato-based and made with spices, meatballs, mutton, or lentils and vegetables), denning vleis (a traditional dish made with lamb or mutton and cooked with tamarind), curries, and of course beloved snacks like samosas, half-moons (savory breadcrumb-covered, fried dough bites filled with meat or vegetables), and chili bites (spicy deep-fried morsels, usually chickpea flour–based, made with onion, spices, and herbs). The menu isn't limited to Cape Malay cuisine offering Indian dishes and light meals like toasties (toasted sandwiches like grilled cheese) and wraps.

Located in a historic manor house, this hotel restaurant serves tasty and hearty Italian fare from multiple dining rooms whose white walls are adorned with edgy South African art and or shelves packed with books. As much as this place is about atmosphere and socializing, its menu is packed with classic crowd pleasers like seafood linguine, Bolognese rigatoni, steak Florentine, and osso buco—hardly groundbreaking, but the basis for a pleasant night out, especially if you splurge on wine and save space for dessert. And there's lighter fare, such as burgers, garlic prawns on a bap, and salads, too  On a summer's day it's worth coming early for a drink at the lovely outdoor Rose Bar in the garden adjacent to the restaurant.

With tables spilling onto the sidewalk, there's almost always a buzz at this vibrant neighborhood café. Expect all-day traditional breakfasts and café fare with a Cape Malay twist—spicy masala mince shakshuka, burgers with cheese and macon (a halal-friendly bacon substitute), pastas, smoothies, and flat whites alongside baked goods and sweet treats like koesisters (a fried dough dessert steeped in syrup). If you can't find a table, head across the street, where the annex also incorporates The Sweet Spot, a good place to find imported sugary treats. 

From their Wagyu beef burgers and steak tartare to slow-cooked oxtail and lamb cutlets dusted with biltong spice, the focus here is meat, meat, and more meat. That's not to say that they don't cater to vegetarians and seafood-seekers, but to be totally honest, if you fall into either of those categories you'll be far better off elsewhere. Pride of place here goes to the selection of dry-aged and wet-aged cuts of steak, plus a supporting act in the form of an extensive wine selection. Ultimately, it's a fancy steak house, but with the beach across the road and the option of al fresco seating in summer (and a fireplace inside in winter), it's sure to hit the spot if you need to satisfy a carnivore craving.

With a prime location for views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Twelve Apostles mountains, Bungalow has plenty of outdoor seating that makes this the place to be on a warm, sunny day. The menu features beautifully plated sushi, plenty of classic meat dishes, burgers, roasted chicken, and good options for vegetarians. Trendy is indeed an applicable word, so don your chicest aprés-beach outfit and make a booking.

From a thick slice of buttered banana bread to lunchtime mushroom and Parmesan risotto, this all-day breakfast bistro in the heart of Cape Town serves yummy and diverse light and not-so-light meals that are unafraid to lean into their decadent side. Whether that means flapjacks or French toast, sourdough or scrambled eggs, you can be sure to taste the buttery goodness that oozes from the wide array of comfort foods on offer. Although there's a salad or two, virtually the only other things on the menu that don't get the butter-love treatment are the drinks, which range from coffee to cocktails and include beer and wine as well as all-day cocktails and great coffee. 

It may be laid-back, shabby, and a bit out of the way, but this locally beloved eatery in a former fishing village enjoys views overlooking a stretch of pristine beach and extremely fresh line-caught seafood. There are salads, burgers, and toasted sandwiches on the menu, but the seafood combos and baskets—which combine fish with calamari, shrimp, mussels, or chicken—are the most popular items. At R439, the seafood platter for two is probably the best bargain of its kind. Don't be tempted to order a garlic-and-cheese roll; you need to save space for what's to come. Service is friendly but can be slow.

Serving good, unpretentious fare in an elegantly quirky space with lovely views across the historic Steenberg wine estate, this is a decent fine-dining go-to no matter the time of day. An oak-shaded terrace overlooking manicured lawns makes for a lovely, lazy lunch spot, and the restaurant's interior with its origami swans hanging from high ceilings and huge windows is a stylishly bright space. The lunch and dinner menu feature dishes like pork belly with butternut puree and a cashew-crusted fillet. A Sunday lunch buffet with a South African theme and accompanying live music is a family affair, and various canapé platters are also available throughout the day and can be taken in the delightfully plush bar and lounge area. A private dining room seats up to 24 and is a gorgeous and intimate venue for a special occasion.

This is a café in wine country, but its in-house bakery has made this place justifiably famous for its exquisite breads, pastries, and cakes. If you're going to have wine and want something more substantial, menu items range from nourishing bowls and breakfasts that lean into organic, clean, nutritious ingredients, to full-blown fried eggs and bacon "Piggy" breakfast. Their burgers, wraps, smoked salmon bagel, and falafel bowl all hit the spot as well.

The front door provides access to two distinct restaurants (one up, one down) both overseen by the same brilliant team and dreamed up by chef and restaurant empire-builder Liam Tomlin who began enthralling Capetonians with his shared tapas menu concept at his first Chefs Warehouse. Now, in another handsomely transformed historic building, three chefs are using their skills and knack for sharp flavors to create more of the same, with a twist—Chefs Warehouse & Canteen (downstairs) is shared tables and global tapas like flavorsome lamb dizi while the somewhat clubby Merchants Bar & Grill (upstairs) offers a choice of an a la carte or set menu, and seating is at individual tables. The food focus is nose-to-tail cooking and slow-prepared dishes, some of them made from ingredients that have spent time in the fermentation and preservation larder. Don't miss the scotch eggs, which you can even order at the bar.

One of Camps Bay's long-standing institutions, this is still considered the place for seafood. Rather than bothering with the menu, guests head to a display of fresh seafood on ice, where, with the help of a waiter, you select everything from fish to shellfish in the quantities and style of your choosing (it's charged by weight). Possible selections include calamari grilled Cajun-style; kabeljou, yellowtail, or bluenose grilled and served with a choice of sauces; or Mozambican langoustines. All orders come with side dishes of stir-fried vegetables, rice, or fries. A conveyor belt of sushi is also on offer, and there are non-fishy and even vegetarian and vegan options, too. Although it is set back from Camps Bay's typical sea views, there are mountain views from an outdoor terrace. The food here is pricey but immaculately cooked (rather than lavishly plated), and always fresh.

Discover the wonders of South African haute cuisine in this modern, glassed-in conservatory overlooking the beautiful gardens of swanky The Cellars-Hohenort hotel. The food is playful but high-end, with various multicultural techniques and flavors used to great effect on local ingredients, resulting in dishes like a springbok (local venison) shank served with shimeji mushrooms in a rich raviolo, Klein Karoo rack of lamb, and traditional Cape Malay babotie. The chef's Boland cheese soufflé is made with a gin-infused sauce that keeps it light, while crispy tempura prawns and charred springbok tataki reference Asian inspiration. A stylish room in tones of silver, gray, and dark chocolate with bare dark-wood tables allows the garden views outside to shine and if you're seated alongside one of the windows, you'll feel almost as though you're outside. In fact, you can sit outside at tables under the trees, between the foliage.

Just a few blocks from the bustle of Greenmarket Square, this airy comfortable café serves delicious breakfast and lunch fare. Lunches tend to have some Asian influences, but you can also expect a good array of salads, pastas, and sandwiches.

Take a break from your Waterfront wanderings at this Belgian-style eatery, where you can enjoy great views while also savoring an impressive range of Belgian beers and as good a pot of moules et frites as you're likely to find anywhere in Cape Town. With its focus on meat and seafood, expect other dishes like fillet béarnaise, rabbit simmered in Belgian beer, or Norwegian salmon in a beurre blanc. Sitting on the pier between the Albert Mall and the Clock Tower (where boat trips to Robben Island depart), this glassed-in Belgian-themed space with a fireplace in winter enjoys lovely harbor and mountain views whether you sit inside or out, and makes for great people- (or seal-) watching.