Eating in Cape Town

by Travel Writer Sasha Arms


For those who consider themselves foodies, or if you just like to have a lot of choice when it comes to your dining options, there’s no other place quite like Cape Town. From budget to bourgeois, African to international, quick bites to seven-course signature menus, it’s impossible for any visitor not to find something that suits their taste.

Budget and breezy

If you’re on a tight budget, or just like to keep things simple and unfussy, you’ve definitely got options on the Cape. ‘Arnold’s’ on Kloof Street is cheap and cheerful, especially at breakfast-time – it gets cheaper the earlier you go.

Over in Tamboerskloof, try ‘Rafiki’s Bar’. It’s so laidback it could be horizontal and is especially popular with travellers. Nearby ‘Beleza’ is also a good option.

The ‘Jive Food Bazaar at The Wellington’, near Castle of Good Hope and Darling Street, is a great choice for dinner and is probably the cheapest evening meal out you can have in Cape Town. It serves a huge array of Indian favourites that you have to go and collect from different counters. Don’t worry, the service is fast and it’s worth the legwork.

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Middle of the row

Even the more exclusive restaurants in Cape Town are good value, comparative to other world cities. This means that you can get great quality food for even better value than you might have previously imagined.

The V&A Waterfront is a hub of eateries offering cuisine at all ends of the spectrum. Mid-range options covering many corners of the globe include ‘The Greek Fisherman’, ‘Meloncino’ and ‘Jewel of India’. ‘Emily’s’ and ‘Paulaner Bräuhaus’ sit adjacent to each other, and serve international favourites and German specialities respectively. ‘Den Anker’ isn’t far away either and the inviting wooden hut of a restaurant bathed in yellow light is top-notch for moules frites. ‘Tasca de Belem’ and the ‘Green Dolphin’ are also worth trying, the latter for its live music as much for its food.

The buzzing Kloof Street in the centre of town is more about cafés than restaurants, and a handful are good for a bite to eat and a retreat from the buzz of the street. Try ‘Melissa’s’, ‘Café Gainsbourg’, ‘Manna Epicure’ or ‘Greens on Park’, which overlooks Kloof St.

If you’re heading down the peninsula or even staying there, make sure you check out some of the reasonably priced restaurants there too. ‘The Meeting Place’ in Simon’s Town is a must for fresh food accompanied by live music, or try ‘Blue Water Café’ at Imhoff Farm.


Expensive and exclusive

If you really want to push the boat out, Cape Town has an extensive selection of upmarket and chic restaurants.

Many of these said exclusive eateries are found in the city’s top-end hotels. You’ll find Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Maze’ restaurant in the six-star One&only resort on the Waterfront, the ‘Show Room Café’ in Grand Daddy’s Hotel on Long Street and ‘Azure’ at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa in Camps Bay. They are all of absolutely outstanding quality and tend to combine European flair with South African ingredients. ‘Azure’ even uses the Cape’s indigenous vegetation – fynbos – in its dishes.

Outside of the hotels, there are plenty of other upmarket dining choices. The dinner-only ‘Jardine Restaurant’ on Bree Street comes highly-acclaimed and is especially noted for Chef Eric Bulpitt’s seven-course signature menu. ‘Savoy Cabbage’ on Hout Street is also popular – try the rare spice-rubbed kudu loin with chestnut spätzle, braised savoy cabbage and liquorice sauce.

Over in Camps Bay, ‘The Roundhouse’ sits on the outskirts overlooking the Twelve Apostle mountains and the bay itself. The menu matches up to the outstanding views. Back at the Waterfront, ‘221’ is popular with the in-crowd, as is ‘Belthazaar’, which has particularly good wine and whisky.

The French fusion ‘Bizerca Bistro’ in Foreshore is another top eating spot, as is the more traditional ‘Harveys at the Mansions’ in Sea Point.

For the unusual combination of French, Asian and South African, head over to Constantia’s ‘La Colombe’ on the Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate – try the springbok.

African

While it’s a real treat to have cuisine from across the globe on your doorstep when you come to Cape Town, what is really appealing to the world traveller is to be able to get their fair share of African flavours too.

For some African pastries with coffee, ‘Nzolo Brand Café’ on Church Street is the place to get it.

‘Nyoni’s Kraal’ on Long Street describes itself as serving modern African cuisine. You can find more internationally recognisable foods on the menu as well as game and braai. Try the Pap and Meat Towers – corn discs layered with steak, spinach and creamed butternut with a rich gravy – or the typical smiley (half a sheep’s head) if you’re feeling more adventurous.

‘Mama Africa’, also on Long Street, has some South African favourites too, including Mama’s Bobotie, Springbok steak, warthog, Mama’s crocodile kebabs, kudu steak and ostrich steak. ‘Khaya-Nyama Game Restaurant’ on Long Street has similar food on the menu, except the restaurant is designed in the style of a bushman’s cave.

‘Rooti’s Cape Malay’ at the Waterfront is a great option for some spicier Cape flavours.

For food from other African countries, head over to ‘Addis in Cape’ on Church Street for some Ethiopian fare. You’ll find that a lot of African food focuses on meat dishes, but ‘Addis in Cape’ has a great range of vegetarian options too. Kek Alicha Wot is particularly good – it’s split yellow chickpeas sautéed with onions, garlic, ginger and turmeric. A delicious meat option and Ethiopian delicacy is Kifto –beef tartar mixed with Kibe, chilli, cardamom and herbs. You can choose it to be cooked rare, medium or well done.

‘Birds Café’ on Bree Street is a bit different. The Namibian owners have a penchant for birdsong, which you’ll listen to while you eat your food off milk bottle crates.

Café culture

It’s all about doing coffee in Cape Town at the moment. Capetonians have some favourite chains like ‘Vida e Caffe’ – you’ll find them dotted across the city.

The trendy ‘Café Caprice’ in Camps Bay is another place Capetonians and international visitors like to go for coffee, but open until 2am, it’s also a place for drinks and partying.

‘Café Sofia’ is a chain restaurant that is more like a tapas bar, but given its laidback Mediterranean feel, it’s also great for a coffee.

In Green Point, ‘Miss K Food Café’ on Main Road is a hip little place to hang out for a while. ‘Ngiro Tea’ and ‘La Petite Tarte’ in De Waterkant are quiet spots for a tea or coffee and snack.

Kloof Street in the centre of town is heaving with cafés, and it’s very much the place for people-watching more than relaxing.

Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is about an hour’s drive from Cape Town, but a lot of visitors are drawn here for the lush scenery and abundance of wine estates. Once again, there is plenty of choice in terms of eateries too.

There’s no shortage of wine estates and farms in and around Stellenbosch, and with them usually comes a restaurant overlooking the vineyards and beyond. For fresh and traditional farmhouse flavours, try ‘Bodega @ Dornier’ on Blaauwklippen Road. The menu changes often to reflect what’s fresh, but the platters are delicious and include foods such as home-made lamb dolmades, babaganush, picnic bean salad and freshly baked breads with olive oil. Alternatively, try ‘Rust en Vrede Wine Estate’ on Annandale Road for a more polished wine estate meal. Their award-winning chef offers a four or six course meal, with or without wine, which includes the likes of cocoa crusted foie gras with chai tea crumble, seared tuna and scallop salad, rabbit loin with tarragon, and beef with veal tongue and capers. Round it off with the ultimate dessert – chocolate marquis, salted banana and 12 year old brandy ice cream. The wine estate offers a shuttle service if you really want to indulge on what they have to offer – just make sure you book in advance.

‘Raphael’s’ restaurant on the Asara Wine Estate is also worth considering – it has spectacular views overlooking the vineyards, dam and mountains beyond.

Away from the wineries, try ‘Café Dijon’ on Plein Street for relaxed French dining, or ‘De Volkskombuis’ for traditional Cape cuisine. Try the Cape Country Sampler for a selection of traditional dishes on one plate.

For intimate European dining, ‘La Pineta’ – located in a pine forest – is the place. The Italian and seafood dishes are especially good. ‘The Big Easy’ might not sound like it, but is a popular choice for contemporary and trendy dining. It can be found on Dorp Street and has an impressive take on wall-art. Try oysters with Cabernet Sauvignon dressing to start followed by tandoori and buttermilk loin of venison with butternut atchar on crispy parmesan polenta, if you really want to treat yourself.

© capespirit.com™

Sasha Arms is a freelance writer, editor and web communications strategist. She has travelled extensively, particularly across South Africa, Europe and the Americas and has contributed to a number of notable publications, including the Lonely Planet Bluelist. Read more about Sasha Arms

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