Restaurants in Cape Town
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Africa Café
Touristy, yes, but still one of the best places to sample African food. Come with a hearty appetite as the set feast comprises some 15 dishes from across the continent, of which you can eat as much as you like. The décor, different in every room, is fantastic. Bookings are advised and it’s closed on Sunday from June to October.
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Anatoli
You can always rely on this atmospheric Turkish joint that’s a little piece of Istanbul in Cape Town. Make a meal out of their delicious meze (R12 to R30 a dish) both hot and cold.
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Table Mountain Café
Hallelujah! Table Mountain finally gets the café it so deserves. This self-serve place offers tasty deli items and meals, compostable plates and containers, and good coffee. They also sell wine and beer so there’s no need to cart your bottle up the slopes to toast the view.
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Empire Café
The surfies’ favourite hang-out is a great place for a breakfast or lunch of well-made pasta dishes and salads. Local art exhibitions enliven the walls. Call to see if it’s open for dinner on Thursday and Friday, November to March.
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Mzoli’s
Tourists, TV stars and locals gather at this vibey butchery serving Cape Town’s tastiest grilled meat. It’s all DIY. First buy your meat, and make sure you get them to add their special sauce. Take it to the kitchen to be braaied (barbecued) and then find a table outside – it gets very busy at weekends. Beers and other drinks are available from vendors nearby. Bring plenty of napkins as cutlery is nonexistent.
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Melissa’s
You’ll find branches of this distinguished deli and café across town, but we’re fond of this one with a prime view of the Green Point Stadium. It’s R135 per kg for the delicious buffets and you can browse the grocery shelves for picnic fare or gourmet gifts. Other branches are at Newlands, Kloof St and Waterfront.
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Savoy Cabbage
The long-running Savoy Cabbage remains a great place for inventive cooking, and gives diners the chance to try local game meats, like zebra and wildebeest. The tomato tart is legendary, as are the cabbage rolls.
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Fork
Whether you just want to graze on a few tapas-style dishes or cobble together a full meal, this super-relaxed venue is the business, serving inventive if not strictly Spanish nibbles with excellent wines.
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Sandbar
One of Camps Bay’s better-value options is this less self-consciously fashionable café with street tables, serving good sandwiches and light meals. They also serve cocktails.
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Charly’s Bakery
Don’t leave Cape Town without eating one of Charly’s chocolate cupcakes, famously decorated with blindingly bright icing designs by his wife Jacqui. There’s also a fantastic range of baked goods, including pies, and a wonderful new location in the historic premises of the one-time Judaica emporium Beikinstadt.
reviewed
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Food Barn
Masterchef Franck Dangereaux might have opted for the less stressful life in Noordhoek, but this doesn’t mean that his latest operation skimps on quality. Expect rustic, delicious bistro dishes; the three-course set dinner menu including a carafe of wine is a steal at R165. The deli stocks their baked goods and other locally sources edibles.
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Neighbourgoods Market
Reserve Saturday morning for this brilliant ecofriendly, organic food market where some 90-odd vendors gather, serving everything from artisanal breads and tapanades to crepes and champagne. While here, also browse the design goods and kinder goods sections, selling fashions, accessories and kids’ clothes and toys by breakout Capetonian designers.
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Aubergine
Harald Bresselschmidt is one of Cape Town’s most consistent chefs, producing highly creative yet unfussy dishes – his soufflés are divine. Service and ambiance are equally impeccable. A sommelier is on hand to advise on wine and service is uniformly excellent. From 5 to 7pm they only serve champagne, oysters and hors d’oeuvres.
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Emily’s
Flamboyant in both its décor and approach to cooking, Emily’s beautifully presented dishes are a visual treat and make creative use of local produce. There’s also an epic wine list.
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Cape Malay Restaurant
It’s dinner only at this long-running outpost of haute Cape Malay cooking, but pitch up earlier to enjoy the hotel’s splendid gardens or sip a cocktail in the chic Martini Bar. The three-course set meal might include refined versions of dishes such as smoor snoek (a soupy fish stew) and malva pudding.
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Gold
Based inside the Gold of Africa Museum the main deal here is the evening set meal and show, which includes, should you so choose, a djembe drumming session (R75 extra) at 6.30pm. The well-cooked, eat-as-much-as-you-like, Cape Malay and African cuisine buffet is complemented by a life-sized Malian puppet show.
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Nyoni’s Kraal
Fancy a smilie (grilled sheep’s head), amanquina (chicken’s feet), amatumbu (sheep’s intestines) or mopane worms? They’re all on the menu at this spiffed up township dining experience in the city. On Friday and Saturday evenings there’s live music from African bands.
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Madame Zingara & Cara Lazuli
Every night is party night at this bohemian, crowd-pleasing restaurant with two sections. Unless you're a committed carnivore we'd advise against its infamous whopper stack of beef fillets doused in chilli-chocolate sauce. Magic tricks, tarot-card readings, belly dancing and dressing up in silly hats is all part of the fun.
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Jardine
Award-winning chef George Jardine concocts amazing dishes such as twice-cooked crispy duck with honeyed parsnip puree or chalmar beef fillet stuffed with roasted garlic. You also can’t go wrong with one of the gourmet sandwiches (R35) and pastries available from their bakery with street-side tables.
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La Colombe
Well-travelled British chef Luke Dale-Roberts injects Asian sophistication to the menu with delicious dishes such as tuna tataki, in which the lightly seared fish is dressed with cheese marinated in miso and mirin (sweet sake). The shady garden setting makes it one of most pleasant places to dine in Cape Town.
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Deer Park Café
Families love this relaxed café, fronting onto a playground. The chunky wooden furniture gives it the feel of a big nursery, but the tasty food is anything but child’s play. There’re some great vegetarian options and a kids’ menu. Yum, next door, is also worth checking out.
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Haiku
Run by the owners of long-established Indian restaurant Bukhara (which is upstairs), this is a sophisticated Asian brasserie. The 'Asian tapas' menu promiscuously plunders dishes from Japan, China and Southeast Asia and the quality is good. Booking for dinner, when the minimum spend is around 130, is recommended.
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Noon Gun Tearoom & Restaurant
High on Signal Hill, this is a fine place to sample Cape Malay dishes such as bobotie (curried mince pie topped with egg custard), bredies (pot stews of meat or fish, and vegetables) and dhaltjies (deep-fried balls of chickpea-flour batter mixed with potato, coriander and spinach).
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Speakers Corner
The spirited debate of politicos from nearby parliament rings through this smart café. The menu is delicious: the cakes and desserts are especially yummy. Here's hoping it survives the redevelopment of the building - if not, try the sister operation Bread, Milk & Honey across the square.
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Knead
Breads, brioche, bagels, buns, pastries, pies and pizzas – anything involving dough, these guys have it covered. The chandelier and mirror tiles add glamour to this hit seaside venue, but their product can also be relied on at their Wembley Square branch back in the city.
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