3 Best Restaurants in Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town is the culinary capital of South Africa and quite possibly the continent. It certainly has the best restaurants in southern Africa. Nowhere else in the country is the populace so discerning about food, and nowhere else is there such a wide selection of high-quality restaurants. Western culinary history here dates back to the 17th century—Cape Town was founded specifically to grow food—and that heritage is reflected in the city's cuisine and the fact that a number of restaurants operate in historic town houses and 18th-century wine estates.

Cape Town dining today offers a global culinary experience, with Cape chefs showing the same enthusiasm for international food trends as their counterparts worldwide. French and Italian fare has long been available, but with Thai, Japanese, and Pan-Asian influences flooding in, accents of lemongrass, miso, and yuzu have become de rigueur in fine-dining kitchens. Middle Eastern cuisine is finally making some headway, and the Americas have also come to the fore, with plenty of burgers and ribs, and even chicken and waffles popping up on menus these days, not to mention a few South American and passable Mexican eateries. Ubiquitous pan-Asian fare is probably not as good as what you might be used to in major American cities; sushi is also easily found, though largely limited to tuna and salmon, and often prepared with lots of drizzled mayo and sauces. The locavore trend toward organic produce and healthful dishes is also gaining popularity, though attitudes toward vegetarianism in this meat-happy land remain somewhat backward.

Addis in Cape

$$$ | Cape Town Central

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.

Little Ethiopia

$$ | Cape Town Central

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.

Timbuktu Café

$$ | Observatory

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.

Cape Town

Cape Town

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