Where to eat in Sea Point

HeSheng is where to go for authentic Chinese food beyond the usual sweet-and-sour order. Bring a crowd and eat family-style: at least five main dishes, a big bowl of rice and everything on the lazy Susan in the middle. Spin, share and help yourself to a little of everything. This is a table best filled with people who want to try what everyone else is having.

Did you know? HeSheng built its following around Zeng Meie, affectionately known as ‘Ma’. When she sold the restaurant in 2023, people who had worked alongside her took over and kept much of the menu intact. Source ↗

Brash does American-style smashburgers with thin patties, deeply browned crusts and those gloriously crispy edges. The Mack Daddy sauce is crazy good, and the frozen 50/50 mix of lemonade and iced tea is exactly the refreshing hit you want alongside it. There are ice creams and shakes too, if you’re making a proper indulgence of it.

Did you know? Before the Regent Road diner, there was the Brashmobile. Friends Gabriel Wulfsohn and Benji Fisher built their burger following through food-truck pop-ups around Cape Town. Source ↗

Only Fools has the makings of a proper catch-up: a long communal table, wine by the glass and a relaxed bar setting. Add cocktails and a short burger menu, and you’ve got a very good reason to gather your people. The classic beef burger comes on a potato bun with aged cheddar, truffle mayo, pickles and onion. Come thirsty, order something to eat and settle in.

Did you know? Only Fools’ original lounge décor included photographs of an owner’s parents and their friends, from wedding-day moments to afternoons on the beach. Some of the furniture was found on Facebook Marketplace. Source ↗

The Tandoor makes a strong case for eating your dinner by the sea. This food truck serves tandoori chicken, curries and naan, with butter chicken made from tandoor-cooked pieces in a creamy tomato-and-cashew gravy. For something less saucy, the mixed tikka platter lets you try both tandoori and malai chicken. Pick up your food, find a spot nearby and make a meal of the promenade outing.

Did you know? The Tandoor’s Riyaz Mir comes from Srinagar in Kashmir. His interest in cooking began watching his mother, Mymoona, and grandmother, Khadija, work with spices and clay pots in the family kitchen. Source ↗

NV-80 does the classic grill-house celebration: steak, prawns, a bottle of wine and time to enjoy all three. The menu has plenty for a proper splurge, from chateaubriand with béarnaise and dauphinoise potatoes to surf and turf with queen prawns and your choice of ribeye or fillet. Victor’s Portuguese steak adds a fried egg, trinchado sauce and olives to the mix. Dress up a little and arrive hungry.

Did you know? The name is a little family history: NV stands for founding brothers Naldo and Victor Gonçalves, while 80 refers to 1980, a milestone in their restaurant journey. Source ↗

At Zest, seafood meets the wood-fired grill. Salmon, calamari and prawns are the draw, with the cooking bringing a little smoke to the plate. The seafood trio is a useful answer when choosing just one feels unnecessary. Upstairs at the NewKings hotel, the restaurant looks out towards the Atlantic. Book a leisurely lunch or catch the evening light with a glass of white wine and something from the sea.

Did you know? Zest’s wood-fired grill was built around cooking over kameeldoring coals, bringing a smoky note to fish and vegetables as well as meat. Source ↗

Take the lift to the ninth floor for cocktails with the Atlantic on one side and Lion’s Head on the other. Hugo’s rooftop has a pool, space to settle in and a menu that lets you start with small plates before deciding on dinner. The setting is the reason to make a plan here: gather a few friends, arrive while it’s still light and give yourselves time to enjoy the view.

Did you know? Hugo is run by the brothers behind JARRYDS and Ariel, so brunch, dinner and sundowners from this guide can all stay in the family. Source ↗

Ariel is for Neapolitan-style pizza, pasta and a proper Italian dinner out. The pizzas start with 00 flour, San Marzano tomatoes and fior di latte, while the menu also makes room for burrata with heirloom tomatoes. Start with something for the middle, then split a pizza and a pasta if you want to try both. Add a cocktail and leave the evening open.

Did you know? Ariel started out sharing a space with JARRYDS, before moving into its own spot nearby on Regent Road in November 2022. Source ↗

La Boheme keeps date night cosy, with a small bistro setting, a generous wine selection and tapas worth taking your time over. Think prawns in garlic and dried-chilli olive oil, with toasted ciabatta for the pan juices, or burrata with cherry tomatoes and basil pesto. Pick a few plates together and ask for a wine recommendation. There are hearty mains too, if sharing dinner isn’t your thing.

Did you know? La Boheme opened in June 2009, bringing together Faisal Khakoo’s wine background and Anna’s expertise in tapas. It has been part of Sea Point’s dining scene for well over a decade. Source ↗

Tacos, guacamole and a margarita are a good place to start at Una Más. This small Sea Point mezcaleria gives you a reason to explore the drinks list too, especially if you’re curious about mezcal. Order a mix of tacos for the table, with prawn and beef birria among the options to look for, and add street corn on the side. A casual dinner with plenty of lime, chilli and things to eat with your hands.

Did you know? Una Más means ‘one more’ in Spanish. The founders’ enthusiasm for mezcal helped shape the restaurant as a mezcaleria, giving the spirit as much attention as the food. Source ↗

Kiki’s Greek menu gives a big table plenty to pass around. Begin with pita, tzatziki and tarama, then add the giant butter beans with tomato and green chilli. For something more substantial, there are skinny lamb chops with Greek roast potatoes and salad. Get a few friends together and build a spread, leaving enough bread for the last of the dips.

Did you know? Kiki’s opening menu followed chef Scott Walker’s travels through Greece. The restaurant opened in December 2024 as a Greek sibling to Italian favourite Ariel. Source ↗

Maggy Lou’s has the sort of room you want to sit in for a while: warm wood, hanging plants, little nooks and a big table for catching up. Lunch is a fried chicken sandwich or a prego-style beef roll, with fries and the house chilli vinegar close by. It’s a relaxed corner café where you can turn up hungry, order at the counter and settle into a seat.

Did you know? Maggy Lou’s and Only Fools share a team, and the same people also opened Lucky Lou on Kloof Street. Two stops in this guide, with a connection you might not have spotted. Source ↗

Arthur’s takes a toastie seriously. Cheese and tomato is the classic, but the menu also ventures into a railway omelette sandwich with masala, chilli, coriander and cheddar, and sardines on sourdough with capers and lemon. The colourful café and superette has pavement seating, coffee and a mini bar for later. Grab a sandwich, watch the neighbourhood go by and stay for a drink if you’ve got the afternoon free.

Did you know? Arthur’s sandwiches began as a practical way to use the deli’s stock before it went to waste. Co-owners Will Hobson and Stephanie Anastasopoulos started turning their breads, meats and cheeses into sandwiches, then added toasties. Source ↗

Kleinsky’s brings the New York deli appetite to Regent Road. Bagels are rolled, slowly fermented and boiled before baking, and the house pastrami gets its own long preparation of brining, spicing and braising. Go for a bagel filled with pastrami or smoked salmon, then have a look at the bakery counter. This is a breakfast or lunch you can happily build around bread.

Did you know? Kleinsky’s began in 2014 as a small hole-in-the-wall in Sea Point. It outgrew the space and moved across the road, and the Klein brothers have since taken their bagels all the way to Mayfair in London. Source ↗

JARRYDS is brunch with an appetite. Eggs Benedict come in several versions, including thick-cut bacon and buttermilk fried chicken, while breakfast bruschetta piles eggs, bacon, avo and tomato salsa onto sourdough. There are pancake stacks for the sweet-toothed, too. Order coffee while you decide, and bring someone willing to split a sweet dish after the savoury one.

Did you know? Brothers Jarryd and Ariel Segal grew up partly in Australia and worked in Sydney’s café scene before returning to Cape Town. JARRYDS brought that experience back to their home city. Source ↗

Cozco is a place to fill the table with Mediterranean mezze. Start with zucchini roses, dolmades and dips, then add calamari orzo or lamb chops grilled with lemon and oregano. Costa and Natasha’s family-run spot has plenty for both the person who wants to graze and the one who wants a full plate. Order a spread, pass it around and keep the pita within reach.

Did you know? Cozco’s Costa grew up in Sea Point and started out supplying local restaurants. The deli grew from that business as he added more of the foods he thought his neighbours would enjoy. Source ↗

Head upstairs at The Point for sushi you can watch being made at the counter. Chef Chen’s menu covers sashimi and nigiri as well as more elaborate rolls: the Rainbow Reloaded has prawn and avo inside, salmon and tuna outside, and a finish of sauces and spice. Add a rock tempura prawn roll for crunch, or choose a mixed platter if you want a bit of everything.

Did you know? Chef Wanli Chen previously worked at Willoughby’s & Co before opening his own sushi bar in Sea Point. You can watch the preparation from the counter at his open-plan eatery. Source ↗

Head through the entrance on Regent Road and keep going: Kanéla opens up into a leafy courtyard with a stone fountain, made for a breakfast you can take your time over. There’s avocado toast and smoothie bowls for a lighter start, with plenty of plant-based options. Add a coffee, find a sunny table and settle in. On a chilly morning, the rooms inside have fireplaces to cosy up beside.

Did you know? Kanéla was created by siblings Viron and Corina Protoulis. Their parents run The Greek Fisherman on the same premises, making 78 Regent Road a family affair from breakfast through to dinner. Source ↗

A little green detour on Main Road. Nice to Matcha serves matcha whisked to order, hot or iced, with tea sourced from Uji in Japan. Go for an iced matcha on a warm Sea Point morning, or keep things cosy with a hot one. It’s an easy stop to build into a neighbourhood wander when you fancy something other than your usual coffee.

Did you know? The team’s sourcing trip took them to Wazuka and Uji in Japan. According to their own story, their matcha comes from the first spring harvest, with leaves grown under shade before being slowly stone-ground. Source ↗

Two cookies with gelato in the middle: Crumbs and Cream keeps the dessert plan straightforward. Choose from the cookies and gelato flavours in the counter to build your ice-cream sandwich, then get stuck in before it starts escaping down your hand. It’s a properly indulgent sweet stop after lunch, dinner or a walk along the promenade.

Did you know? Crumbs and Cream started in 2016 selling ice-cream sandwiches from a brightly coloured truck, before opening its first shop. The cookie-and-gelato combination came before the storefront. Source ↗