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Cape Town is the culinary capital of South Africa and quite possibly the continent. It certainly has the best restaurants in southern Africa. Nowhere else in the country is the populace so discerning about food, and nowhere else is there such a wide selection of high-quality restaurants. Western culinary history here dates back to the 17th century—Cape Town was founded specifically to grow food—and that heritage is reflected in the city's cuisine and the fact that a number of restaurants operate in historic town houses and 18th-century wine estates.
Cape Town dining today offers a global culinary experience, with Cape chefs showing the same enthusiasm for international food trends as their counterparts worldwide. French and Italian fare has long been available, but with Thai, Japanese, and Pan-Asian influences flooding in, accents of lemongrass, miso, and yuzu have become de rigueur in fine-dining kitchens. Middle Eastern cuisine is finally making some headway, and the Americas have also come to the fore, with plenty of burgers and ribs, and even chicken and waffles popping up on menus these days, not to mention a few South American and passable Mexican eateries. Ubiquitous pan-Asian fare is probably not as good as what you might be used to in major American cities; sushi is also easily found, though largely limited to tuna and salmon, and often prepared with lots of drizzled mayo and sauces. The locavore trend toward organic produce and healthful dishes is also gaining popularity, though attitudes toward vegetarianism in this meat-happy land remain somewhat backward.
Very popular sister restaurants located side by side, offering great noodles and sushi, with a minimalist modern Japanese decor. Service is fast and friendly and dishes are made with quality ingredients. The sushi can rival some of the best sushi in Cape Town and the noodles are flavor-packed and fresh.
This all-white café on trendy Bree Street is the go-to place for delicious, creative, and relatively healthful Middle Eastern–style fare, which is heavy on salads like quinoa with roasted vegetables and cranberries, pesto potato with peas and olives, or green beans with orange and hazelnut. The few mains options like butter chicken or lamb-and-lentil biryani are also stellar. For a set price, you can load up with three or four salads plus one main, and eat at the counter inside, a handful of tables outside, or take away. Don't forget to save space for the fantastic desserts like date balls or poppyseed cake with white chocolate ganache.
From the 4Ps (pappardelle pasta, porcini mushrooms, Parmigiano Reggiano, pancetta) to the veal meatballs stuffed with mozzarella, everything's steeped in the Italian traditions of slow and simple cooking done properly. It's all thanks to the genuine family-run atmosphere, the careful attention to the freshly prepared pasta each day, and the traditionally inspired dishes that are created and prepared with carefully sourced ingredients. The chef-owner insists on personally attending to tables (and maybe slightly gruffly) so he can get a feel for what you feel like eating, there are no to-go orders, and it's a rather hidden-away spot in what feels like a cobblestone back alley of De Waterkant, but these attributes only add to the charm.
A new cozy cafe in Cardiff Castle known for great croissants and other French pastries. Breakfast and light lunch options are also on offer and there is pleasant seating outside, tastefully decorated with pretty pot plants, bougainvillea flowers, and greenery.
If your reasons for traveling are to experience some of the world's most creative dining, then chef John Norris-Rogers has plenty to dazzle you with, as he experiments with flavors and inventive ways of presenting dishes. From a platter of seafood morsels to sourdough served with curried hake butter and lamb with morel and chimichurri, diners experience show-off levels of culinary virtuosity. Whether it's the between-course nibbles and palate cleansers, the astonishingly beautiful crockery, or the glittering harbor views, this will be a full-on, immersive dining experience. Children under 8 are not allowed.
What started in Bo-Kaap as Cape Town's first vegan café can now be enjoyed with views of Camps Bay. This slightly hidden away space is good for a pre-beach breakfast or a bite between suntanning sessions and everything—from lasagna to wraps, burgers, and Asian-inspired meals—is prepared fresh. Apart from kombuchas and other healthier refreshments and coffee, there's a selection of scrumptious baked treats on display, so save some space.
Opened in 2024 by the same team behind Una Más (the city's first mezcaleria that's just a short distance down the road), this unassuming, over-performing tapas restaurant has quickly become one of Sea Point's go-to gems. From its selection of bite-size pintxos (appetizers on toothpicks) and small plates made for sharing with the entire table (order at least three), to full-blown epic-sized meals like seafood paella, rib-eye steaks with garlic baby potatoes and rojo chimichurri, or Halloumi baked in a delectable smoky tomato, garbanzo, and parsley sauce, everything that head chef Dian Botes creates has rich, satisfying flavors. It's got a bit of a taverna vibe, with lots of energy and bustle and relatively on-the-ball service, so come expecting a bit of fun, and don't forget a tequila or mezcal-infused cocktail to add sparkle to the evening.
The creation of Peter Tempelhoff and Ashley Moss, the same Japan-obsessed cheffing duo behind Fyn (located in the same heritage building), this is about as authentic and steeped in profound umaminess as ramen gets in South Africa, or anywhere in the world for that matter. Although there are a few other items on the menu (gyoza, karaage, tuna sashimi), it’s really all about bowls of noodles in a rich, satisfying broth. There are ramen options for vegetarians, and to accompany all that slurping there's a great selection of sakes behind the bar where you can also sit if you're dining solo.
Known for its exceptional natural beauty, Cape Town is surprisingly short on restaurants with killer views; The Roundhouse, serving modern South African cuisine, is helping close that gap. Converted from its origins as an 18th-century Table Mountain–side hunting lodge, this unique fine-dining restaurant overlooking Camps Bay specializes in applying creative flavor combinations to local ingredients—think Karoo ostrich with a fennel seed glaze or hake with carrot and cashew puree. All three connected dining rooms exude a romantic warmth with their white tablecloths and copper hurricane lamps, with the Somerset Room enjoying the best sea views, and the private whiskey room being ideal for larger parties of up to eight guests.
Check out the adjacent "Rumbullion" picnic area, an excellent place to while away a summer's afternoon enjoying breathtaking mountain and sea views and a more casual burger-and-pizza-style menu. Opening hours vary with the season, so best to call and check.
Serving locally and sustainably caught seafood, this bright and breezy restaurant has become the Bree Street go-to spot for oysters, cocktails, and fish and crustaceans prepared in a variety of ways. Bringing a contemporary take to traditional seafood dishes, expect to find things like line-caught hake and chips, Cape Malay seafood curry, game fish nicoise, fish pie, prawns and mussels in fish ink tagliatelle, and grilled whole fish. On warmer days, you can sit outside in the sunshine and watch the back and forth of pedestrians.
Serving yummy, organic fare from breakfast through lunch, this minimalist designer café is a popular downtown option where you will often find locals on laptops enjoying items like raw muesli with Greek yogurt or coconut quinoa porridge. Lunch includes several salad and sandwich options, and healthy mains like zucchini linguine.
A tiny restaurant that packs a punch. Sundoo offers a South Indian-style menu (not as common in Cape Town) and creative twists on popular street foods. Order a few tapas to share or go with an individual main meal, you can't go wrong, either way, go early or make sure to reserve a table because the restaurant doesn't have many tables and they get full quite quickly.
The savory buckwheat galettes and sweet crêpes are a great alternative to typical breakfast and lunch menus found elsewhere. The stylish, naturally lit crêperie exudes Parisian charm with its blue and red accents, dangling wooden birdcages, and pizzazz, all thanks to the inherent style of the French proprietor, a former model. Other French classics feature, too, like croque monsieur, ratatouille, raclette, and petite boulette (meatballs)—plus all the teas (and coffee) you’ll ever need.
Named for its altitude (1,067 meters above sea level), this cafe-style quick-eats venue has a captive audience at the top of the mountain. Usual suspects prevail: burgers, hot breakfasts, sandwiches, wraps, pizza slices, muffins, cakes, cool drinks, and beer and wine (there's a bar on the level below that serves spirits, too); most of the food sits pre-made behind glass so don't expect fresh, exceptional fare.
As one of the first Ethiopian restaurants in Cape Town (although originally in Long Street), Timbuktu has been a local favorite for close to two decades. The eclectic and visually stimulating decor welcomes you into this "observatory café" for a meal that includes generous helpings of injera with which to scoop up your food, using your fingers to eat in the traditional way.
Almost entirely comprised of outposts of the Cape's most popular restaurants, this food hall has more than a dozen different kitchens and four bars (one that's wine-focused). For immaculate sushi, try Sushiya, where Cape Town’s lauded chef Peter Tempelhoff has collaborated with a Michelin-star chef from Japan, or visit Barakat for a contemporary take on Cape Malay cuisine (order the bobotie, a curried beef mince dish, followed by a couple of donut-like koesisters) or maybe stop by Milo for sish’nyama—aka braai or barbecued food created by one of the country’s most exciting young chefs, Vusi Ndlovu. Plus there's Asian street food from How Bao Now; simply delicious cooking at celebrity chef Siba Mtongana's Siba Deli; and the best ice cream in town from Unframed. Most stalls get going at 11 am—Nosh opens for breakfast at 8 am—and the market stays open well into the night with occasional parties and live music.
This is a multi-venue Japanese cuisine destination that shares skilled chefs and bartenders, great design style, and a 200-year-old heritage building in the heart of Cape Town. On the ground floor, you have Torii, serving meals and snacks comprised of crowd-pleasing Japanese bar and street food—think deep-fried sushi rice, tempura, baos, and ramen; there's a fabulous rooftop bar; and on the middle floor, the excellent and very high-end Momiji serves refined journey-style omakase set menu (Saturday only, reservations essential; R725 per person) with slightly more traditional seating, a serene atmosphere, and a brilliant use of local ingredients to interpret Japanese culinary technique. Next to Momiji is a sophisticated lounge bar, where you can enjoy cocktails and a range of Japanese whiskeys, and food from an a la carte menu. Service is friendly and efficient and matches the prevailing atmosphere of each of the various spaces.
When self-proclaimed coffee evangelist David Donde moved into an old warehouse on Buitenkant, it was this venue that proved Capetonians (and tourists) were prepared to trek east for a quality caffeine kick. A vintage roaster (adorned with copper dispensers, gauges and contraptions)—the inspiration for the café's steampunk design—helps to create that sought-after coffee, and the barista academy and a bakery churning out kick-ass sourdough (used to fashion excellent breakfasts and sandwiches) add to the fun, but never frivolous, atmosphere where they take the provenance of food and beans very seriously. With its full bar, and live performances on many nights, Truth continues to capture the happening atmosphere in what has evolved into Cape Town's creative hub. Observing the ebb and flow of the always-bustling clientele, from mobile office workers to business folk and camera-toting tourists who almost can't believe their luck when they "stumble" into this slightly crazy alternate universe, is almost as good as the coffee. Note that Rapt, the weird little chocolate factory-cum-shop across the road, is also owned by Donde, and is worth a visit.
Despite the off-the-wall quirkiness of the concept—a bistro and bar that exists as an homage to the stylistic idiosyncrasies of film director Wes Anderson (he of The Grand Budapest Hotel)—the menu sticks with the classics, serving simple, straightforward food prepared properly. The small yet refined selection of no-nonsense, nostalgia-satisfying choices includes bouillabaisse with a slightly localized Cape Town twist; entrecôte (rib-eye) steak with frites and Café de Paris butter; beetroot tarte Tatin; catch of the day with fennel confit; and good old-fashioned moules marinière. The bar's a big draw, too; be prepared to step into a place that, like any Wes Anderson film, is a bit fantastical, and probably best appreciated with a glass of bubbly in hand.
Though unfortunately inside the mall, this buzzing hive of activity consistently churns out what many (but not all) say is the city's best sushi along with an array of other Japanese dishes and various seafood favorites like English-style fish-and-chips and prawn pasta. There will almost inevitably be a line during dinner hours (you'll be seated quicker if you ask to sit at the sushi bar, which is the place to be), which can create a fast-turnaround feel instead of a relaxing meal vibe.
For what many would argue is Cape Town's best sushi, head to Willoughby's, which is in the V&A's shopping mall, with seating both inside and out. But this is all about the food—there are no views.
You'll pay more for a sandwich here than you should have to, but excellent lighthouse and sea views from the balcony and free Wi-Fi are the draw. The shaved turkey is decent, or simply stick to coffee and a selection of Greek biscuits or a grilled Halloumi (a mild and salty Greek cheese) salad. This is a good spot to catch up on email while enjoying a coffee and a snack.
Claiming a sweet spot at the V&A Waterfront with fabulous harbor and mountain views, this versatile eatery focuses on updated versions of global classics. From fish tacos to a Wagyu beef cheeseburger to salade Niçoise, dishes that you wouldn’t normally expect to see on the same menu are harmonized by shared traits of freshness, flavor, and quality. With a sleek, warehouse-inspired interior and outside seating that maximizes its position overlooking both Table Mountain and the harbor, Mondiall is a highly agreeable culinary stop. Open all day, this modern brasserie is a welcome addition to the Waterfront's often ho-hum offerings.
In this raw-timber structure in the heart of the docks, about three miles north of other V&A venues, the music is loud, the tables are crowded, and the decor is nonexistent, but tourists come in droves to gorge on fresh seafood. Expect to pay through the nose for a kilogram for local crayfish (similar to lobster) or scarce and endangered wild abalone, which is being poached nearly to extinction. Large prawns are also pricey. There is plenty of less expensive seafood, and daily specials such as baby squid and local line-caught fish are competitively priced. Lunch specials are more reasonable, but this is still more of a tourist destination than a destination restaurant.
So much German is spoken by patrons here that it's easy to forget you're in Cape Town. People come to this pristine deli for the largest selection of raw sausages and authentic German breads in town and also for the great-value ready-made lunches. Expect pea or potato-and-leek soups as standards and entrees like farmer's omelets or smoked pork chops. It's easy to get carried away and ratchet up the bill while selecting cheeses and imported meats, so beware. Ask the helpful servers to slice your bread, cut a selection of cheese or meat, and package some salads for an impromptu picnic in the Company Gardens nearby. Another option is to grab a coffee and ready-made salami and mozzarella roll. Don't miss the great barrel sauerkraut and pickled gherkins.
