7 Best Restaurants in City Centre, Cape Town

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.

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.

This once-great Italian restaurant is still a pleasant stop, but with all the other fabulous food in Cape Town, it no longer rates as a must-do. Expect classic Milanese cuisine, including fresh salads, a whole section of carpaccio options (perhaps the stars of the menu), fresh pasta like butternut-squash-filled ravioli with brown sage butter, and plenty of fish and meat dishes. The upstairs interior is Eames-inspired with its bentwood chairs; downstairs, the exposed stone reveals the building's ancient history, which began in 1682.

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.

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.

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.