46 Best Restaurants in Cape Town, South Africa

Named for the year the Steenberg wine estate on which it sits was established, this not-to-be-missed bistro serves dishes intended to be paired with the estate's vintages, but remains the opposite of hoity-toity fine dining. Dishes like beef tataki with shimeji mushrooms or sustainable fish with kimchi and umami cream are the perfect foil to a minimalist environment of bleached wood, metallic accents, and high ceilings. The outside terrace with its gorgeous mountain views is the perfect setting for brunch or lunch. If you miss lunch, you're in for a treat with a tapas menu that includes the likes of polenta frittes with baba ganoush, sticky harissa lamb ribs, and rosti with goat feta.

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.

Although it's on Canterbury Street, this community-building café is also accessible from Harrington via the "Electric Avenue" alleyway. Occupying a former mechanic shop, expect good, wholesome food, fresh juices, music events and social happenings, and an effort to help feed the local homeless and hungry. If you're looking for a spot to linger, fill up on nutritious drinks and bites, and maybe start a conversation with a stranger—this is a good place to make that happen. At the same time, there's plenty of choice in terms of salads, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, flatbreads, and an extensive choice of beverages, both healthy and boozy.

Serving a range of exquisitely prepared international fusion cuisine in a casually elegant industrial setting, this restaurant and bakery in the heart of leafy Constantia is a true gem. The various dishes, each one a little more mind-blowing than the last, might incorporate flavors from harissa to ponzu to smoked garlic and feature dishes like coal-roasted lamb with brinjal curry, cauliflower parfait with baharat (an Middle Eastern spice mix), or honey-glazed duck with gem squash, turnips, and chard. The various seasonal set menus include the main chef's menu, reduced menus, and lunchtime-only winter and spring menus.

Hidden in the Montebello Design Center and Nursery is this quaint little cafe that has been serving locals for decades. Serving thoughtful breakfasts, light lunches, sandwiches, and a select number of delicious hot meals. There is an extensive cake, pastry, and deli counter with all kinds of homemade goods. On warmer days, a seat outdoors allows you to view the wonderful plants in the nursery next to it and there's a small play area for kids to enjoy. 

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.

This friendly daytime bistro serves a variety of globally inspired breakfasts (from shakshuka to huevos rancheros and everything in between), brunch classics with a modern and imaginative twist, and an all-day lunch selection of burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more. They have a few inspired, must-try desserts, like cheesecake French toast and a lotus pancake stack, but you might simply want to be here with a coffee and an eye on the parade of passersby—the people-watching is top-notch.

This much-loved bakery and café is where locals meet for coffee, all-day breakfasts, or to tuck into some of the city's most scrumptious toasted sandwiches, stuffed croissants, fresh pastries, baked goods, burgers, and elevated hot dogs. The "kick-ass pies" are indeed kick-ass, as are the filled bagels, and the fast-flying croissant-doughnut hybrids ("doughssants") that Jason (the real-life owner-baker behind the name) regularly invents and advertises only on social media (they're usually available Saturdays, and sell out quickly).

A Sea Point institution since 2014, this New York–style deli blends traditional Jewish recipes with the best local ingredients to bring freshly baked bagels and an assortment of schmears, toppings, and homemade sauces. Be sure to try out a few of their pastries like babka and rugelach, and their New York cheesecake which has a choc-mint crust (when not sold out). They've expanded and now have a branch in Gardens (and one in Mayfair, London).

Located on vibey Dunkley Square, this lovely restaurant is one of Cape Town's oldest dining establishments, initially started to provide traditional dishes to Greek immigrants. Its owners, one of whom dined here as a boy, continue that tradition, serving all kinds of mezzes which can be ordered as a platter, as well as traditional dishes like moussaka, calamari, lamb chops, pitas, souvlaki, and even burgers, plus new recipes and ideas to keep things interesting.

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.

Entirely vegan and plant-based with health front of mind, the food here is nutritious and utterly delicious. From freshly-squeezed juices to incredible smoothies (ideal on hot days), and dishes like chickpea curry, butter bean stew, and tacos filled with spicy cauliflower, avocado, cashew nut cream cheese, and Mexican beans and brown rice, no corners are cut and the emphasis is on making every mouthful delicious, rich, and packed with nourishment. There are also homemade bagels, wraps, soups, and pasta with some sort of cheesy-tasting alternative made from nuts. There are two more locations, the original in Gardens, just off Kloof Street, and another in Observatory.

A surprise repurposing of a former auto repair shop, this vast warehouse-like space is full of mix-and-match furniture and packed to the rafters with plants—whether it's a nursery with a restaurant or a restaurant with a nursery is beside the point—and has become a true neighborhood gathering spot. You come here for the personality of the waitstaff, the comforting food (breakfasts, lunches, toasted sandwiches, and dinners, plus all manner of baked goods, and no expectation that you sit down for anything more than tea or coffee), the buzz, and the marvelous assortment of people, many of them strangers sharing tables. There's a separate room at the back where free-roaming laptop workers are often connected to the outside world via free-flowing Wi-Fi.

Chef Nolu Dube-Cele has created one of Cape Town's absolute must-try restaurants, a place where you can enjoy many of the country's diverse traditional dishes that haven't yet made their way from the home kitchens to restaurant menus (although this is steadily changing). At this lovely spot by the canal that runs through Battery Park, you can tuck into a variety of dishes like chicken sosaties (skewered meat), meat potjie (stew), tripe, and the crowd-pleasing "roadrunner," a free-range chicken cooked slowly in its own juices. There's a great selection of vegan dishes, too, including salads made using healthy grains such as sorghum, as well as "roosterkoek" breakfast buns and sandwich buns stuffed with mince and chakalaka. It's everything necessary to get you properly acquainted with the real-deal gastronomy of this country. The eponymous "seven colours" is a nickname for meals traditionally served at special gatherings, when there's an assortment of differently colored foods on the plate: yellow rice, orange pumpkin, green spinach or beans, red beetroot, and brown meat. 

Amid the tribal masks, beaded place mats, and raw-wood headrests, this vast café is a breath of fresh air tucked away from the mainstream in a historic building in the backstreets of Green Point. It's such a secret that you could walk right past it without knowing it's there, but do seek it out because it's not only a lovingly restored oasis, but the food (mostly breakfasts and brunches, but also excellent lunches) is wonderful and the kitchen is always striving to bring more creativity to the menu. Expect dishes like Turkish eggs (homemade labneh topped with poached eggs), chicken livers with mosbolletjie (a traditional Cape Dutch sweet bun), and some super-healthy and entirely vegan options, plus salads, burgers (falafel, beef, or chicken), grilled sandwiches, and freshly baked cakes for lunch.

This super little retro-themed deli-cum-pantry-cum-café serves beautiful breakfasts and low-key lunches with a side-order of authentic Cape Town too-cool-to-care swagger. You can pick up essentials like butter or fruit and veg (from Umthunzi Farming Community), find ethically sourced cold meats (Frankie Fenner), jars of Willy’s Chilli (by owner Will Hobson) and get tasty pastries, or sit down for the city’s finest hot dogs and top-notch toasted sandwiches. Tuesday through Saturday nights, it gently transforms into a bar, and there's the occasional dinner, too.

Although Azure's blue-and-white nautical-theme decor may feel a bit outdated to some, the restaurant's jaw-dropping sea and mountain views are reason enough to experience the mostly inspired menu. Dishes like the Malay-style mussel curry, venison loin, and roast chicken may sound simple and old-school, but the treatment is top-notch, the focus on proper cooking techniques, Cape produce, and clean flavors rather than trying to wow you with fancy trimmings, a reminder of what's important when eating out. Diners can choose between the à la carte or tasting menu.  Ask for a window table.

With tables spilling onto the sidewalk, there's almost always a buzz at this vibrant neighborhood café. Expect all-day traditional breakfasts and café fare with a Cape Malay twist—spicy masala mince shakshuka, burgers with cheese and macon (a halal-friendly bacon substitute), pastas, smoothies, and flat whites alongside baked goods and sweet treats like koesisters (a fried dough dessert steeped in syrup). If you can't find a table, head across the street, where the annex also incorporates The Sweet Spot, a good place to find imported sugary treats. 

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. 

Serving good, unpretentious fare in an elegantly quirky space with lovely views across the historic Steenberg wine estate, this is a decent fine-dining go-to no matter the time of day. An oak-shaded terrace overlooking manicured lawns makes for a lovely, lazy lunch spot, and the restaurant's interior with its origami swans hanging from high ceilings and huge windows is a stylishly bright space. The lunch and dinner menu feature dishes like pork belly with butternut puree and a cashew-crusted fillet. A Sunday lunch buffet with a South African theme and accompanying live music is a family affair, and various canapé platters are also available throughout the day and can be taken in the delightfully plush bar and lounge area. A private dining room seats up to 24 and is a gorgeous and intimate venue for a special occasion.

This is a café in wine country, but its in-house bakery has made this place justifiably famous for its exquisite breads, pastries, and cakes. If you're going to have wine and want something more substantial, menu items range from nourishing bowls and breakfasts that lean into organic, clean, nutritious ingredients, to full-blown fried eggs and bacon "Piggy" breakfast. Their burgers, wraps, smoked salmon bagel, and falafel bowl all hit the spot as well.

Discover the wonders of South African haute cuisine in this modern, glassed-in conservatory overlooking the beautiful gardens of swanky The Cellars-Hohenort hotel. The food is playful but high-end, with various multicultural techniques and flavors used to great effect on local ingredients, resulting in dishes like a springbok (local venison) shank served with shimeji mushrooms in a rich raviolo, Klein Karoo rack of lamb, and traditional Cape Malay babotie. The chef's Boland cheese soufflé is made with a gin-infused sauce that keeps it light, while crispy tempura prawns and charred springbok tataki reference Asian inspiration. A stylish room in tones of silver, gray, and dark chocolate with bare dark-wood tables allows the garden views outside to shine and if you're seated alongside one of the windows, you'll feel almost as though you're outside. In fact, you can sit outside at tables under the trees, between the foliage.

Cute, sassy and retro-themed, this eggceptionally handsome diner has established itself as a reliable purveyor of tasty comfort food, specializing in anything and everything related to eggs. Foodwise, the focus is on dishes that transport you back to simpler times––steak and eggs; adventurous-sounding egg-themed sandwiches; or a soft brioche bun burger with an egg in there for that extra bit of taste bud–pleasing protein. If eggs aren't your thing, they have wagyu beef burgers, perfectly grilled cheese sandwiches, and tortillas with vegan fillings. What's ineggscapable, though, is the eggy-color scheme: the deep-yellow banquettes; light fittings resembling eggs; adorable yolk-hued outfits worn by on-the-ball waitstaff; the central bar area, adorned with vintage radios and ancient TVs, is infiltrated with golden glass panels; and even the coffee machine is yellow. 

With floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with everything delicious from French champagne to truffle oil, Giovanni's is a classic Italian deli with global ingredients unavailable elsewhere, making it a great place to stock up for a gourmet picnic or to enjoy a bite to eat at the counter. There's always a wide selection of hams and cold cuts as well as fantastic cheeses, and the display counters and fridges have a wide selection of pay-by-weight pasta dishes, salads, and other ready-to-go meals. Though a little chaotic at peak times—and to be honest, the raised counter seating is not especially comfortable—this place shouldn't be missed for its unflinching sense of being part of the Green Point "scene."

Delicious daytime meals are just one reason there's almost always a crowd in this friendly corner spot on the outer edge of De Waterkant. It could also be the changing art exhibit on the walls or the warm service, but it's probably the tasty meals conjured from nourishing ingredients, the excellent coffee, smoothies, and freshly squeezed juices. The menu adapts according to the seasons as the emphasis is always on fresh, healthy flavors (they have plenty of gluten-free and vegan options available), and the food is exquisitely presented (don't come if you're in a hurry as they do everything to order). You can sit inside or on the sliver of space outside—sometimes there are even people sitting across the road with their mugs in hand. It feels as much like a community get-together as a gracious, intimate neighborhood breakfast spot, and being here always feels like you've discovered a secret hub of culinary excellence.

For a quintessential hippie-chic "Obs" experience, step inside this ultra-friendly "conscious café" which has a health-food focus, but never in any kind of pretentious or excessive way. There are great-tasting breakfasts, falafel sandwiches, wraps with plant-based "chicken," esoteric-sounding health bowls, soups, veggie burgers, and smoothies with names like Gaia and Aphrodite. The health focus also doesn't detract from the fact that, in the back room (entered by ducking under the counter and heading through the passageway), you're allowed to light up your cannabis cigarettes. Many regulars do just that, even at breakfast time. Excellent coffee, beautifully prepared food, and service with a joyful attitude are all part of the vibe here, so it's worth stopping by even if just for a light bite or a drink.

There are stories of people coming to Cape Town just for the meat that's served at this deli-cum-grocer-cum-butchery-cum-diner on Green Point's main road. What's different here is that every effort is made to grow healthy animals that produce meat that nourishes and restores health, so everything is free-range and grass-fed, and almost everything on the menu is organic. Expect four-egg scrambles, judiciously spiced, and served with sourdough, or Wagyu macon (a bacon alternative made from beef) and egg sandwiches for breakfast, and beautiful steaks and burgers for lunch. There are Angus beef and Wagyu beef fillet sandwiches that will blow your mind, too. The meat is incredible, but they also take immense care with their small selection of chicken, lamb, and vegan options.

This wonderful inside-outside cafe manages to pull in every imaginable kind of customer, from businessmen doing deals over espresso to ladies from the suburbs out for tea and maybe a full-blown lunch. Apart from being a great breakfast spot, there's also a packed lunch service, with salads, pies, fish dishes, burgers, and lots more to tempt you, so much so that you need to watch yourself if you still have dinner plans (Although you could reasonably stay here for that, too).

This buzzy, bright, light-filled café enjoys a prime spot facing the beach, while being removed from the crowds, so it offers a sense of respite—plus you can enjoy freshly baked pastries, terrific breakfasts, or a heartier lunchtime meal while keeping watch over the shimmering ocean. French toast, eggs Benedict, and buttermilk pancakes are crowd favorites, as are the smoothies, freshly pressed juices, and difficult-to-resist cakes.