3 Best Restaurants in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal and Durban

Located in the small suburb of Glenashley, just a short drive south of Umlanga Beach, this restaurant has an elevated position that offers diners a pleasant sea view, but it's the fresh seafood, prepared in unique and traditional ways, that's the drawing card, with excellent service keeping the place busy during lunch and dinner. For starters, opt for the sushi or the grilled Falkland Island calamari, served with your choice of sauce, followed by any of the seafood entrées, and if you have room, round out the meal with a panna cotta—flavors change daily.

An unexpected find within a residential section of the Morningside neighborhood, Mali's is loved by chefs and locals for its broad Indian menu serving specialties from the North and South, like steamed idli with sambar, masala dosa, and vadai—dishes you'll be hard-pressed to find in many Indian eateries. Don't miss the mango lassi and good ol' favorites such as biryanis and tandoori dishes.

No trip to South Africa would be complete without a good traditional steak, and without a doubt, Joop's (pronounced yopes) is the best and most popular steak house in Durban. It goes without saying that most customers are regulars. It has an intimate, homey atmosphere, though the interior design is certainly nothing special. The food is the true focus, with Joop—a butcher by trade—himself selecting and preparing the steaks in an open kitchen. The specialty here is panfried steak; the pepper steak and Hollandse (Dutch-style) biefstuk (a center-cut fillet panfried in black butter and flambéed in brandy) are tasty favorites. The exceptionally hungry should try the 800-gram (about 21-ounce) T-bone.