5 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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.