130 Best Restaurants in Cape Town, South Africa

La Mouette serves an extremely reasonably priced tasting menu of modern French-fusion-style cuisine in a beautiful old Sea Point home that is all sash windows, working fireplaces, and bold color. With a choice of three or six courses, you'll be treated to inventive and delicious seasonal fare such as tuna tartare or duck breast with fermented red cabbage. Split into several different rooms, each of which seats only about 20 people, the restaurant allows for lingering conversation even on the busiest evenings. Friendly, competent service and a beautiful courtyard that is very popular in the summer complete the picture. Not all courses are winners, but at these prices, the overall experience is well worth a visit.

This quaint sidewalk café in the charming and pedestrian-friendly De Waterkant neighborhood above Green Point serves good coffees and teas, not to mention tasty breakfasts and lunches, both available all day. The quiches and savory pies are all flavorful, and the carrot-walnut cake remains deliciously moist. There are also more hearty options on offer—Karoo lamb shank, sticky spare ribs, and mac 'n' cheese—as well as a full bar and dinner service.

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.

A more casual offering at the Roundhouse, this outdoor restaurant overlooking Camps Bay relishes in the fresh air, sunshine, and enfolding nature while children can run around and pets are welcome. Although the menu of pizzas, salads, pasta, burgers, fish-and-chips, and lovely desserts will stave off hunger, the real attraction is the festive mood, so summer cocktails and bubbly tend to be headline acts. Parking is treacherous (and getting out after hours of celebration even trickier), so use Uber and lose yourself in the moment. 

At this heavenly little mezze spot, shelves are brimming with fresh-baked pitas and flatbreads, tubs of hummus, tabouleh, and baba ganoush, and loads more traditional Lebanese mezze. After browsing the deli selection, grab a table—there’s a lovely little courtyard at the back—where you can tuck into a falafel sandwich or order some of the best hawawshi (Egyptian stuffed pitas), shawarma, and Turkish doners in town. It's great for breakfasts, too; their shakshuka is an absolute joy.

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.

Located at the V&A's cruise terminal, Makers Landing is a collection of food stalls, casual sit-down restaurants, and even a culinary school. The initial aim was to showcase a diversity of local food, and even though a fast-food vibe has set in, you can get a proper taste of South Africa at Pitso's Kitchen, taste a unique range of spirits at the Pienaar & Son distillery, or satisfy your sweet tooth with some of the best chocolate at Afrikoa.

A traditional family-run Italian restaurant that has held a firm spot in the heart of Newlands. Expect classic Italian pasta, grilled fish, meats, and a lot of local favorites too. Although the restaurant is in the Dean Street Arcade - so no views - it is somewhere to get a generous and quality Italian meal. 

Delivering unfussy comfort food from a gorgeously casual, slightly theatrical space, Mantra's second-floor vantage provides sweeping views of the beach and sea while also lifting you above the street-level irritations of cars and hawkers. A great spot for breakfast or brunch, the range of heartier mains for lunch and dinner should lure you in for steamed mussels or pan-seared prawns, burgers, or a well-grilled steak. The décor is an eye-catching blend of photographs, vintage mirrors, dangling plants, and Moroccan-inspired tiles creating a warm ambiance that invites lingering, especially when the sun glints off the ocean and bathes everything in a golden sheen.

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 Greek taverna has been a Sea Point classic since the 1980s, and although it has been refurbished with modern Greek decor and bright-white interiors, it's still a great, down-to-earth place to watch the comings and goings on busy Main Road. The extensive menu features mezzes, souvlaki, dolmades, teropita, seafood, and hearty traditional main dishes like moussaka and kleftiko (slow-cooked lamb).

A four-generation family-run business, this fuss-free bagel shop and deli specializes in traditional boiled and baked New York–style bagels that are made fresh daily, with a number of delicious toppings—go with a simple schmear of cream cheese on a poppy-seed bagel or try the brisket, smoked salmon, or pastrami. They also serve great coffee, pastries, a few traditional sandwiches (like the Reuben and hot beef on rye), croissants, and an amazing New York cheesecake.

If you've always wanted to try Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa's famous Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine, but were put off by the potential bill in New York or London, this hotel restaurant offers a chance to sample what may not constitute exactly the same level of cuisine, but will nonetheless make for a highly enjoyable experience. A vast modern space in the Waterfront's One&Only resort provides a fitting backdrop for the splurge of the omakase multicourse tasting menu, which will likely include dishes such as the signature Alaskan black cod with miso, rock shrimp tempura, or Chilean sea bass with dashi ponzu. Service is gracious, and the selection of sake and local wines is superlative if costly by local standards.

Very popular sister restaurants located side by side, offering great noodles and sushi, with a minimalist modern Japanese decor. Service is fast and friendly and dishes are made with quality ingredients. The sushi can rival some of the best sushi in Cape Town and the noodles are flavor-packed and fresh. 

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.

From the 4Ps (pappardelle pasta, porcini mushrooms, Parmigiano Reggiano, pancetta) to the veal meatballs stuffed with mozzarella, everything's steeped in the Italian traditions of slow and simple cooking done properly. It's all thanks to the genuine family-run atmosphere, the careful attention to the freshly prepared pasta each day, and the traditionally inspired dishes that are created and prepared with carefully sourced ingredients. The chef-owner insists on personally attending to tables (and maybe slightly gruffly) so he can get a feel for what you feel like eating, there are no to-go orders, and it's a rather hidden-away spot in what feels like a cobblestone back alley of De Waterkant, but these attributes only add to the charm.

A new cozy cafe in Cardiff Castle known for great croissants and other French pastries. Breakfast and light lunch options are also on offer and there is pleasant seating outside, tastefully decorated with pretty pot plants, bougainvillea flowers, and greenery. 

If your reasons for traveling are to experience some of the world's most creative dining, then chef John Norris-Rogers has plenty to dazzle you with, as he experiments with flavors and inventive ways of presenting dishes. From a platter of seafood morsels to sourdough served with curried hake butter and lamb with morel and chimichurri, diners experience show-off levels of culinary virtuosity. Whether it's the between-course nibbles and palate cleansers, the astonishingly beautiful crockery, or the glittering harbor views, this will be a full-on, immersive dining experience. Children under 8 are not allowed. 

What started in Bo-Kaap as Cape Town's first vegan café can now be enjoyed with views of Camps Bay. This slightly hidden away space is good for a pre-beach breakfast or a bite between suntanning sessions and everything—from lasagna to wraps, burgers, and Asian-inspired meals—is prepared fresh. Apart from kombuchas and other healthier refreshments and coffee, there's a selection of scrumptious baked treats on display, so save some space.

Opened in 2024 by the same team behind Una Más (the city's first mezcaleria that's just a short distance down the road), this unassuming, over-performing tapas restaurant has quickly become one of Sea Point's go-to gems. From its selection of bite-size pintxos (appetizers on toothpicks) and small plates made for sharing with the entire table (order at least three), to full-blown epic-sized meals like seafood paella, rib-eye steaks with garlic baby potatoes and rojo chimichurri, or Halloumi baked in a delectable smoky tomato, garbanzo, and parsley sauce, everything that head chef Dian Botes creates has rich, satisfying flavors. It's got a bit of a taverna vibe, with lots of energy and bustle and relatively on-the-ball service, so come expecting a bit of fun, and don't forget a tequila or mezcal-infused cocktail to add sparkle to the evening.

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.

Known for its exceptional natural beauty, Cape Town is surprisingly short on restaurants with killer views; The Roundhouse, serving modern South African cuisine, is helping close that gap. Converted from its origins as an 18th-century Table Mountain–side hunting lodge, this unique fine-dining restaurant overlooking Camps Bay specializes in applying creative flavor combinations to local ingredients—think Karoo ostrich with a fennel seed glaze or hake with carrot and cashew puree. All three connected dining rooms exude a romantic warmth with their white tablecloths and copper hurricane lamps, with the Somerset Room enjoying the best sea views, and the private whiskey room being ideal for larger parties of up to eight guests.

Check out the adjacent "Rumbullion" picnic area, an excellent place to while away a summer's afternoon enjoying breathtaking mountain and sea views and a more casual burger-and-pizza-style menu. Opening hours vary with the season, so best to call and check.

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.

A tiny restaurant that packs a punch. Sundoo offers a South Indian-style menu (not as common in Cape Town) and creative twists on popular street foods. Order a few tapas to share or go with an individual main meal, you can't go wrong, either way, go early or make sure to reserve a table because the restaurant doesn't have many tables and they get full quite quickly. 

The savory buckwheat galettes and sweet crêpes are a great alternative to typical breakfast and lunch menus found elsewhere. The stylish, naturally lit crêperie exudes Parisian charm with its blue and red accents, dangling wooden birdcages, and pizzazz, all thanks to the inherent style of the French proprietor, a former model. Other French classics feature, too, like croque monsieur, ratatouille, raclette, and petite boulette (meatballs)—plus all the teas (and coffee) you’ll ever need.

Named for its altitude (1,067 meters above sea level), this cafe-style quick-eats venue has a captive audience at the top of the mountain. Usual suspects prevail: burgers, hot breakfasts, sandwiches, wraps, pizza slices, muffins, cakes, cool drinks, and beer and wine (there's a bar on the level below that serves spirits, too); most of the food sits pre-made behind glass so don't expect fresh, exceptional fare.

As one of the first Ethiopian restaurants in Cape Town (although originally in Long Street), Timbuktu has been a local favorite for close to two decades. The eclectic and visually stimulating decor welcomes you into this "observatory café" for a meal that includes generous helpings of injera with which to scoop up your food, using your fingers to eat in the traditional way.