Where to Eat in Cape Town
Honest reviews, spotlights and our definitive picks — from date-night gems to the best cheap eats in the city.
Ariel
Neapolitan-style pizza, pasta and cocktails on Regent Road.
Arthur’s Mini Super
A colourful café and superette on Arthurs Road with serious toasties, coffee and a mini bar.
Bistro Sixteen82
A wine-estate bistro at Steenberg, where breakfast can easily turn into a day out.
Brash
American-style smashburgers with crispy edges on Regent Road, from the team that started with the Brashmobile food truck.
Butter
A sweet-leaning brunch spot in Sea Point and the city centre, where flapjacks are the headline.
Chef Chen Sushi Bar
Sushi made in front of you at the counter, upstairs at The Point.
Chefs Warehouse Tintswalo Atlantic
Chefs Warehouse sharing plates on a pebbled beach at the foot of Chapman’s Peak, with the waves right beside the deck.
Chuck Yang’s
A long-standing neighbourhood Chinese restaurant in Rondebosch for comfort food, eaten in or taken home.
Clarke’s
A Bree Street diner, open since 2011, with a substantial breakfast menu, coffee and cocktails.
Clay Cafe Century City
Paint a ceramic piece over tapas and drinks at Clay Cafe’s Century City studio.
Cozco
A family-run Mediterranean café and deli on Main Road, made for filling the table with mezze.
Crumbs and Cream
Build-your-own cookie and gelato ice-cream sandwiches, from a brand that started out as a food truck.
Curry Club
A casual, colourful Punjabi kitchen in De Waterkant serving curry, rice, naan and sharing dishes based on family recipes.
Dawn Asian Restaurant
A dramatic, richly decorated Cape Quarter dining room with refined dishes from several Chinese regions.
Florentin
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean breakfast plates on Loop Street, with labneh, chilli butter and falafel.
Food Joy
A bright, no-frills Milnerton spot where the handmade noodles and cold salads do all the talking.
FYN
South African ingredients meet Japanese-inspired technique at one of Cape Town’s most celebrated tasting-menu restaurants.
Hemelhuijs
Seasonal breakfasts in the city centre that put South African ingredients like mosbolletjie and mieliepap to imaginative use.
HeSheng
A Main Road favourite for authentic Chinese food, best eaten family-style around the lazy Susan.
Hot Chinese Food
A converted house on a quiet Sanddrift street, serving fiery Sichuan-style cooking and hotpot.
Hugo Social Club
A ninth-floor rooftop with a pool, cocktails and small plates, looking out over the Atlantic and Lion’s Head.
JARRYDS
All-day brunch with an appetite in Sea Point, from several kinds of eggs Benedict to pancake stacks.
Jason Bakery
A Green Point bakery serving breakfast all day, best known for its croissants and ever-changing doughssants.
Kanéla Café
A family-run café on Regent Road with a leafy courtyard, a stone fountain and fireplaces for winter.
Kiki
A Greek restaurant on Regent Road from the team behind Ariel, with dips, pita and grills made for sharing.
Kleinsky’s
A New York-style deli on Regent Road, famous for its slow-fermented bagels and house pastrami.
Kloof Street House
Kloof Street House is one of Cape Town’s most iconic dining destinations, serving contemporary international cuisine in a beautifully restored Victorian house. Known for its romantic atmosphere, lush gardens and excellent cocktails, it’s a favourite for date nights, celebrations and long, leisurely dinners.
La Boheme
A cosy Main Road bistro and wine bar, open since 2009, with tapas made for taking your time over.
Maggy Lou’s
A cosy Main Road corner café with warm wood, hanging plants and a fried chicken sandwich worth the visit.
Make
A busy Main Road favourite serving familiar Chinese dishes alongside Japanese food and sushi.
Mischu
A Sea Point café where you can still get a proper sit-down brunch for a reasonable price.
Mojo Market
An indoor food market on Regent Road with food stalls, bars, live music and big sports screens under one roof.
Mr Moustache
A casual spot in Sable Square’s Chinatown with a huge menu of dishes beyond the takeaway usuals.
Nice to Matcha
A little matcha bar on Main Road, whisking Uji-sourced matcha to order, hot or iced.
NV-80
A classic family-run steak and seafood grill at The Point, made for celebrations.
Only Fools
A relaxed Regent Road wine and burger bar with a long communal table, cocktails and a short menu.
Ouzeri
Cypriot- and Greek-inspired small plates in a whitewashed city room inspired by traditional Cypriot cafés.
Pajamas + Jam
A Strand café with an inventive menu, including savoury focaccia French toast.
Sake
A Sable Square sushi and Asian restaurant that’s also a good place to try Chinese-style hotpot.
Salsify at the Roundhouse
Fine dining with personality at the historic Roundhouse above Camps Bay, with Atlantic views from the dining room.
Scala Pasta Bar
A warm, low-lit pasta bar in the city centre with handmade pasta, good wine and a menu made for sharing a few plates.
South Yeaster
A Hout Bay bakery making excellent croissants and more unusual pastries, like kimchi and Gruberg.
Starlings
A leafy garden café in Claremont with a breakfast menu that goes beyond the usual line-up.
Tao Yuan
An unfussy Main Road restaurant with a long Cantonese menu and a proper dim sum selection.
The Foodbarn Café
Chef Franck Dangereux’s café at Noordhoek Farm Village, known for an elaborate eggs Benedict.
The Tandoor
A Kashmiri-run Indian food truck on Beach Road, opposite the promenade.
Tomson
Chef Andrew Kai’s Bree Street restaurant, cooking the Cantonese food he grew up with in a lively, modern room.
Una Más
A small Sea Point mezcaleria serving tacos, guacamole and plenty of mezcal.
Upper Union
Bold, generous food, good cocktails and a grown-up room in Gardens, with a cocktail bar and private dining upstairs.
Zest
Wood-fired seafood with sea views, upstairs at the NewKings hotel on Regent Road.