Cape Town – one of the cities in the world that suprised us the most in terms of food. The quality, affordability and creativity of the food in Cape Town is just insane. No wonder this article became pretty long, but take advantage! Our tips on breakfast, lunch, coffee and the best restaurants in Cape Town!
Looking for the best restaurants in Cape Town to have dinner or cocktails? These options are fancy, trendy but accessable!
⋆ We tend to be critical on Italian restaurants in other countries, but modern Italian @ariel_capetown in the middle of Sea Point is REALY good! The pizza and pasta is amazing, they offer lots delicious side dishes and the burrata is HUGE. Our personal favorite was the pumpkin risotto (for about € 8, all dishes are for a reasonable price).
⋆ Right across Ariel you’ll find @una_mas_mezcaleria. A Mexican restaurant with good cocktails and traditional dishes. We recommend you to make a reservation; the place is quite popular. We’ve had a very nice ceviche, fresh taco’s and home made nachos with guacamole.
⋆ If you’re looking for a fancy and sexy vibe, go to @asokakloofstreet. This atmospheric restaurant, located in City Bowl, has live music often and a sensual interior around an old Olive tree. The menu offers shared dining options from around the world and we would qualify the dishes as delicious comfort food. Loved the fried broccoli and the polenta fries! After dinner, stay and dance a little.
⋆ @hemelhuijs is definitely on top of our list! The perfect combination between healthy and indulgence with great dishes for sharing. Loved the eggplant, but also definitely try out the sweet ‘crêpe Suzette’ with fresh orange and cream.
⋆ @jarryds_eatery is very popular in Sea Point and rightly so! Serving a menu for everyone, from good burgers to healthy salads. They only allow walk-ins but they have plenty of space.
⋆ @theladderon136 offers very good sandwiches, smoothie(bowls) and other light meals. Also specialized in good coffee!
⋆ @arthursminisuper is a super cute joint in Sea Point where you can all day breakfast and lunch for both meat lovers and vegetarians. We’ve had ourselves a glass of perfect orange wine to go with it.
⋆ @wildeatery is a vegan spot in District Six with an artistic courtyard where you can sit back and relax. You can also visit the plastic free grocery shop @nudefoods.za when you’re there.
⋆ @wildsproutcpt has two branches in Constantia and Kenilworth and serves (very generous) healthy and local food. They also a have a store with delicious meals to go!
⋆ @rosettaroastery has award-winning specialty coffee with two locations in Cape Town.
⋆ @groundartcaffe is a micro art galaxy and coffee spot all in one, located in De Waterkant area.
⋆ @heavencoffeect – ever had coffee in a church? Heaven is a unique spot to have one! Don’t miss this one, it’s really cool.
⋆ @simplebrucoffee is a small and special place in District six and the first place we ever had tonic, espresso and spices – what a good combination on a hot day!
⋆ @truthcoffee.capetown: serves very good quality coffee but is also an amazing bakery. They have a gorgeous industrial cafe!
⋆ @nakedcoffee_ is located in Sea Point, also a great spot for breakfast and lunch.
⋆ @blackboxcoffee_capetown: a super cute stand located near Constantia and great for take away when going for a hike.
⋆ @streetcafecapetown is a nice stop if you’re driving from Cape Town to Houtbay. You can sit directly by the ocean, such a quiet and peaceful place.
⋆ On the farm market @ozcfarm on Saturdays and Sundays you’ll find the coffeemakers from @legadocoffee (has a branch in Stellenbosch). Loved their iced coffee!
⋆ We’ve mentioned @jarryds_eatery for a good breakfast and lunch, but they also have a very good coffee bar.
If you’re looking for a memorable culinary experience, two of the best restaurants in Cape Town that should be on your list are The Waterside and La Colombe. Both restaurants are part of the La Colombe group (7 restaurants in total!), but each has its own character. Nice to know; both restaurants are very suitable for vegetarians, as they offer an amazing vegetarian menu as well.
⋆ @thewatersidect is an elegant restaurant located in the heart of Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. They offer a sophisticated but more casual fine dining menu. We went for dinner indoors, but the outdoor deck also seems perfect for a summer lunch! We loved the playful details of the dishes and the vegetarian menu was outstanding. Also loved the staff, they’re so welcoming and friendly. They even gave us lots of tips on (special) things to do in Cape Town.
⋆ @lacolombect is located in Constantia and is world famous. Although very exclusive, we found it quite affordable by Dutch standards (extra tip; go for individual glasses of wine). La Colombe is on spot 56 of @theworlds50best and the menu is inspired by ‘Asian meets French’. Our menu had a bird theme and dishes were served in a beautiful, theatrical way. The vegetarian menu has been given as much attention as the regular menu. La Colombe was on our bucketlist and if you’re a true food lover like us, you really shouldn’t miss this one when in Cape Town. Book very early to secure a spot!
Happy with our tips on the best restaurants in Cape Town? Check out our other articles on places in South Africa here!
Go take a look at these two totally different but both very good foodmarkets in Cape Town!
⋆ The Old Biscuit Mill (@oldbiscuitmill) is a vibrant community in the middle of Woodstock and has a lot of shops and eateries. Every Saturday and Sunday from 9 am there’s a foodmarket with live music (the Neighbourhoods Market). There’s a very cool South African vibe around here and people actually dance to the music which we loved! If you’re looking for a more urban experience, we definitely recommend you to visit this foodmarket.
⋆ The Oranjezicht Farmers Market (@ozcfarm) is located near the famous Waterfront and is also on Saturdays and Sundays. This more fancy foodmarket has lots of foodstalls and you can get everything you can think of. This is more of a family foodmarket than the one at the Old Biscuit Mill, but we loved them both. It is actually very fun to see the difference between the two!