Must-see restaurants in Durban

  • Mali's Indian Restaurant

    Durban

    In a city that boasts a huge Indian population, this place is about as good as Indian food gets in Durban's restaurant scene. The outside looks like it…

  • Neo Cafe

    Durban

    Portuguese food isn't a rarity in KwaZulu-Natal, but when it's done as well as it is at Neo Cafe it's worth getting excited about. The menu is simple:…

  • Habesha Cafe

    Durban

    Durbanites rave about this casual Ethiopian spot that serves up traditional platters of food with plenty of injera. Everything on the menu is incredible,…

  • Freedom Cafe

    Durban

    An upmarket, colourful, funky place in an imaginatively converted space with a pebble-strewn courtyard. Asian-influenced food includes Vietnamese pulled…

  • Market

    Durban

    Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all a hit at this hip Durban restaurant. Imaginative dishes include the likes of calamari, quinoa, feta, red pesto and…

  • Cargo Hold

    Durban

    A seafood encounter of the most novel kind. On the Phantom Ship in uShaka Marine World, your dining companions are fish with very large teeth – the…

  • Cafe Jiran

    Durban

    Temporarily located in the garden of the Bel-Aire Suites Hotel, this funky space is the spot for a post-dip coffee, fruit crush or breakfast, or just to…

  • Spiga D’oro

    Durban

    It looks like a typical cafe along this very popular strip, but Spiga serves up hearty helpings of Italian food, including delicious pasta dishes. It also…

  • Moyo

    Durban

    Housed in the uShaka complex, Moyo is more novelty than quality cuisine, and makes for a fun (if noisy) night out. The concept is great – the decor…

  • Cafe 1999

    Durban

    This classy restaurant looks unassuming inside, but assume that you will get seriously good modern Mediterranean fusion food here. Tapas including stuffed…

  • Surf Riders Food Shack

    Durban

    Marking a resurgence of beachfront dining, Surf Riders has tables alongside the promenade where surfers, travellers and hip locals meet to chomp on…

  • Mozambik

    Durban

    Set in a courtyard just off Florida Rd, Mozambik has a very pleasant dining area complete with a fountain that's a great place to put away some well…

  • Joop’s Place

    Durban

    In a most unlikely location at the rear of a shopping centre, unpretentious Joop's Place has Durbanites flocking in for high-quality steaks – each cooked…

  • 9th Avenue Bistro

    Durban

    This smart, modern spot serves up fabulously reliable upmarket fare. The tasting menu changes (often with venison, and the likes of smoked ostrich fillet)…

  • Little Gujarat

    Durban

    Serving vegetarian Indian food, including bunny chow, this is a long-running spot for a tasty inner-city lunch. There's also a branch in Umhlanga, but…

  • Hollywood Bets

    Durban

    Lunch spots don't come any more unlikely than this – a cafe tacked onto a betting shop. But the bunnies here are legendary and, indeed, award-winning.

  • African Peninsula Restaurant

    Durban

    Basically a huge balcony overlooking the ocean, the location of this coastal spot gets rave reviews from travellers. Offerings include typical grilled…

  • Roma Revolving Restaurant

    Durban

    One of the handful of central restaurants surviving in Durban, Roma offers stunning views over the city in its own leaning House of John Ross. Beautifully…

  • House of Curries

    Durban

    A more salubrious spot than many to sample bunny chow (or a range of other Indian-inspired dishes), House of Curries is a local institution. Grab a quart…