25 Best Restaurants in City Centre, Cape Town

A Bree Street institution beloved by the hip, the young, and the young at heart, Clarke's is known for many things, among them its burgers (with their famously butter-fried brioche buns), drinks (from smoothies and fresh juices to excellent cocktails and everything else you'd expect from a place with the word "bar" in its name), and delicious breakfasts (the huevos rancheros are yummy if not strictly authentic). As day turns to night, this light-and-bright restaurant (seating options range from a few tables on the sidewalk to a designer-diner interior, to a small plant-filled courtyard) morphs from a child-friendly brunch spot to a casual coffee and burger joint, to a vibey nighttime bar, where DJs and parties are not unusual. Service is friendly and fast.

Arrive at acclaimed chef Peter Tempelhoff’s exquisite glass-walled restaurant on the fifth floor of the Speakers’ Corner building when the sun's still shining, and you'll be treated to soaring views of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head. The real focus, though, is on the open kitchen, where you can also sit at the counter and watch or interact with the team as they prepare multicourse kaiseki menus that focus intently on giving fresh and often unexpectedly local ingredients a Japanese treatment while refraining from overcomplicating what’s on the plate. There are multiple courses (fewer at lunch, and cheaper at R1,375) in this profound showcase of culinary imagination and skill: think burnt mushroom custard in a Hokkaido milk bun, Cape wagyu temaki, seared chokka, tuna with tomato ponzu and kelp biltong, and a gorgeous xigugu ice-cream sandwich or amasi cheesecake.

With its unrivaled atmosphere, whimsical decor, and personality-forward waitstaff, this wonderful farm-to-fork restaurant showcases the chef's respect for local ingredients and his interest in the provenance of what he cooks with. Menus respond to the seasons and feature wonderfully uncomplicated dishes you might call "classics with a twist," such as a twice-baked cheese soufflé that will knock your socks off, and a simply wonderful French onion soup. Whether it's springbok loin with smoked artichokes and zamli dates or fish en papilotte done in a shakshuka-style miso tomato sauce, you can rest easy knowing the chef knows precisely where each ingredient came from, and possibly how it was grown or raised. Apart from the wonderful food and spirited cocktails (there are many classics and a number of in-house signature concoctions), there's the sense of being somewhere quite special so you might want to linger. So set aside enough time to let it all sink in.

Super-chic Hemelhuijs is both a showcase for a range of exquisite and fanciful ceramics, and a centrally located restaurant serving equally fanciful and exquisite food. Though a little pricey for lunch, the owner-chef's inventive and sometimes quite daring seasonal dishes burst with freshness and flavor (think salads composed of beets, summer orange, and fresh dates, or a crispy pan-fried veal served with artichoke, lemon, and parsley) and are worth the splurge. On one of Cape Town's few pedestrian walkways (near the footbridge crossing busy Buitengracht Street), this tiny space serves food on dishes specifically made for the restaurant and is lit by chandeliers bedecked with beads, driftwood, and star-shaped seedpods; it's an eye-catching (and impossible to replicate) retreat from the bustle outside. Breakfasts, which are served all day, are also divine, making this perhaps the ultimate brunchtime indulgence.

Delicious things—think eggs Benedict, French toast, American-style pancakes, ostrich bacon with smashed avocado on toast, warm polenta porridge, and buttermilk-fried chicken with waffles—are the norm at this designer space (with its dark-wall exterior and pale pink interior). With an all-day breakfast menu that's purpose-made for the brunch crowd (lots of drinks options), this feel-good space is a favorite for lingering catch-up sessions (over coffee or over mimosas), perhaps after a late night on the town or as a preamble to a day's exploration.

You step into this revitalized historic space as much for the upbeat atmosphere and heartwarming service as you do for the delicious Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine that's distinctive enough to be its own genre. Order from the large and diverse menu, or select one of the set menus that will give you a good overview of the offerings like braised sesame-coated short rib with yam mash, tea-cured apricots, and black truffle sauce, or yellowtail hamachi with fermented chili, black garlic and confit yolk. If you opt for a la carte, you'll need to order quite a few of the tapas-style sharing plates. You'll probably want to linger, so book the later dinner seating so there's no time limit.

"No drama, just shawarma" is the motto of this cute Middle Eastern street food joint started by Israeli-born Ofer Hollinger in the stone-walled bowels of the repurposed St Stephen's Church. If you're looking for the juiciest shawarmas and the best-tasting falafel in town, not to mention wonderful stuffed pitas topped with hummus and tahini, there's nowhere quite like this. They also do Lebanese arayes, Yemeni zhouk, burgers with either kofta or falafel, and absolutely delicious Iraqi-style sabich pita with eggplant and boiled egg. Order some mezze to share, along with crispy fries served with spicy mayo, and a bowl of hummus for dipping. You can grab a seat (there is a small outdoor courtyard at the back, and you might find tables of backgammon players out front on the sidewalk) or grab it to go, best washed down with a homemade lemonita (although they do have wine and beer, too).

Both Cyprus and Greece have a fondness for local tavernas known as ouzeri, where people hang out over plates of meze and drink barrel wine in tumblers. Close to the very heart of the city, this Greek-Cypriot restaurant established by the young, brilliant chef Nic Charalambous pays tribute not only to his upbringing in a traditional, Orthodox Cypriot household, but also to the many sociable eating-and-drinking-and-schmoozing experiences he’s had on Cyprus and across the Greek isles. The atmosphere, mood, and charm are straight from another world, and the food's unlike anything else in the city. Each dish beautifully showcases Nic's special way of taking genuinely home-style, traditional dishes and giving them a contemporary, highly creative twist, with a firm focus on utilizing local ingredients. The feasting might include warm green olives (a standard at any Cypriot mealtime), taramasalata in which to dip homemade chickpea fries, eliopita (olive bread) stuffed with butter-soft roasted garlic, and Macedonian lamb manti or braised lentils with squid and youvetsi (a dish from Corfu) made with beef shin.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

This centrally located and very popular pan-Asian restaurant's complex menu of dim sum, sushi, grilled, and wok-fried items has something for everyone, but picky connoisseurs of Asian cuisine might find the lack of specialization problematic. Popular with business and leisure diners alike, the darkly elegant lacquered box dining room affords partial views of chefs in the four kitchens preparing your food. The dim sum is probably the best option (the crispy prawn cheung fan is excellent), and the Peking duck with paper-thin pancakes are a favorite. Grills include mint lamb chops served with dry red chilies and garlic. Four kitchens mean that dishes arrive when ready, which translates into efficiency, but also the possibility of fellow diners watching while you eat, or vice versa. The owners of Haiku also own Bukhara, the very good Indian restaurant next door.

In a light-filled space that feels a bit like a community hub (there's a church on the top floor and an art studio that offers classes), the menu focuses on nourishing, mostly healthy meals like chia and fried banana oat bowls; brunch-time croissants filled with Halloumi and a pork banger; or one of their double-patty burgers with roast potatoes on the side. Service is with a smile and the atmosphere pretty exuberant, even when people start setting up their laptops to work while they nibble or settle in to talk business over coffee.

Prepare to eat with your fingers at this unassuming hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where chef and owner Yeshi Mekonnen demonstrates her deep love for the food of her homeland, evident in the traditional and fresh dishes she prepares from scratch. Meals are served on large sharing platters or individual plates and come with the traditional injera (naturally gluten-free flatbread made from teff flour) that you use to scoop up each mouthful; ask Yeshi to guide your choices according to your mood and level of hunger. Decorated with trinkets from Ethiopia, this quaint spot has low-to-the-ground seating (in the traditional style), which adds to the feeling of being worlds away from the street outside.

The smells of freshly baking bread will immediately whet your appetite at this friendly café serving delicious breakfasts, lunches, and treats daily except Sunday.

This stylish and centrally located Bree Street bistro draws diners with exquisitely rendered food in an elegant heritage building where exposed brick and ancient yellowwood beams contrast with chartreuse velvet banquettes and sleek furnishings. The menu is small and changes regularly, but the inspiration is modern European served in three courses; expect dishes like risotto arancini, duck confit with braised cabbage, and crème brûlée. Everything is made daily by the co-owners/chefs (who were also the masterminds of Birds, the beloved café that previously occupied the same space). A handpicked selection of boutique local wines which you can also enjoy at the gorgeous old oak bar completes the picture.

From the chefs behind Tjing Tjing, this Japanese sweet and savory, quick-fix café is a breath of fresh air. Huge effort goes into replicating the authentic tastes and textures you'd find in Tokyo. Showcasing squishy little mochi cakes that are made from glutinous rice and come in an assortment of flavors from milktart to macha and black sesame, this place also serves filled steamed buns, okinomiyaki (pancake) dogs, and nikuman (steamed buns). It's a big, cool, anything-can-happen space to linger as you try out a variety of little treats and morsels, and they also have matcha soft-serve ice cream, sweet buns, daifuku doughnuts, and slices of crustless, fluffy, souffle-like Japanese cheesecake. Plus there's a selection of Japanese green teas.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.