6 Best Restaurants in City Centre, Cape Town

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.

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.

Ornate, handblown glass chandeliers, lots of dark wood, marble and luxurious fabrics, and above all, pitch-perfect high-end new interpretations of classic cuisine from across the subcontinent converge to create a space of almost fantastical opulence. There's a choice of vegetarian and non-vegetarian "Gourmet Experience" tasting menus, or you can dip into the variety offered by the à la carte options, which include a signature butter chicken in a creamy tomato gravy with fenugreek, crispy Malabar style kingklip, and a delectable dal makhani (lentil) dish that's been simmered overnight. Everything, from the refined ambiance to the authentic spicing and slow-cooking approach will transport you to a dazzling night out in India.

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.

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.

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.