7 Best Restaurants in Cape Peninsula, South Africa

Located just off the beach, this excellent French-style bakery is an unexpected gem that serves some of the finest loaves of bread and baked treats you'll find for miles. Around the corner from the bakery, on Beach Road, their café serves dependable breakfasts and good light lunches (sourdough toasted sandwiches, burgers made with in-house rustic bread, and the like), plus coffee and fresh-squeezed juices.

Head up the stairs to grab a seat and choose from a delicious menu of carefully prepared toasted sandwiches, light meals, coffees, and various treats. Make time to browse the wonderfully assembled antiques and oddities that decorate the space, from furniture and clothing to Elvis memorabilia and old movie projectors, and all kinds of quirky vintage items—everything is displayed with a museum-grade dash of whimsy (you can even pose in a London telephone booth) and everything is for sale. There's seating on the balcony where you can catch a bit of a view, maybe even hear when a whale's been spotted—from up here you'll be able to see it. It's probably the most welcoming spot in town.

This cozy café is the perfect post-beach hangout. The food is lovingly prepared and delicious, with creative plant-centered dishes like arancini, kimchi fried rice, West African peanut stew, jackfruit curry, miso ramen, and lots of meat-free burgers, pasta, sandwiches, and breakfasts made with free-range eggs sourced from ethical farmers. It's also a collaborative space, created by a collective of artists and musicians, hoping to offer a welcoming place that promotes local culture and hopes to help stave off gentrification. 

For yummy bakes, creative meat-free burgers, and their famous crêpes (sweet or savory), this spot is a great antidote to the various chain restaurants found along this popular strip. It's low-key vegetarian and, aside from what you see displayed, they also make incredible healthy smoothies and protein-dense shakes, some with superfood ingredients, and serve freshly squeezed fruit juices, toasted sandwiches, all-day breakfasts, and good coffee. It shares an entrance with Gary's Surf Shop, a legendary place for surf gear and surf lessons.

Right on the harbor, this cash-only establishment (there's an on-site ATM) is the first choice for authentic, no-frills, from-the-boat-to-the-plate feasting. Once you've gotten in line and placed your order, grab a table to watch the waves break over the harbor wall as the little boats and their crews go about their chores; servers will bring you your food. Be aware that the seagulls will fight for your leftovers (or take a chance by stealing food from your table), as might a seal that happens to be lounging near the edge of the eating area.

It is a shack, albeit a very quaintly decorated one with all sorts of bric-a-brac, and perhaps the best scones you'll taste anywhere in the country. They also bake cakes and do a few desserts (try the Cape brandy pudding if available), and have milkshakes and kombuchas, teas, coffees, and the like. Plus it's simply a gorgeous setting, with pet pigs frolicking about and some chickens pecking the ground. It's run by a lovely couple who will also dish out advice on where to hike or what to see next, so it's well worth a detour.

This small but excellent bakery owned and operated by sibling chefs produces everything from kimchi and Grüberg sourdough croissants to scrumptious baguette sandwiches and expertly brewed coffee; this place is worth getting out of bed early to be there when the loaves exit the oven. There are a handful of tables so you can sit down and immediately tuck in, or grab whatever you need for a picnic or a take-out meal. Don't wait too late as there's a good chance everything will be sold out by the afternoon.