Cape Town is the ultimate destination for superb wine, gastronomy, and joie de vivre connoisseurs. You’ll find everything from the busy café culture of Kloof Street and Bree Street to the colourful food markets in between. And, if you’ve been reading my guide, you’ll know that Cape Town has a lot to offer visitors and residents alike.
Since I started writing travel guides about Cape Town, I have been getting a lot of questions from my email list to recommend the best restaurants in Cape Town. So instead of answering everyone on that list, I decided to write a guide to help all my reader know some of the best restaurants in Cape Town which I know and pretty sure it will be suitable for every travel type. What are you waiting for? Start scrolling and start your day by visiting any of these restaurants. You might love to also check top tourist attractions in Cape Town you can visit alone or with the family.
Top Restaurants In Cape Town
Test Kitchen
Location: The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town
Without a doubt, Luke Dale-Roberts’ Test Kitchen is South Africa’s most famous restaurant. This cutting-edge, experimental restaurant consistently ranks in the top 50 restaurants in the world, including 22nd on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The restaurant’s appeal stems not only from its outstanding cuisine, but also from its decor and environment. This winning technique, when combined, ensures that seats are sold out months in advance.
The PotLuck Club
Location: The Silo, The Old Biscuit Mill, 373-375 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town
If you can’t get into the Test Kitchen, try Luke Dale-Roberts’ other well-known restaurant, which is only across the street. However, considering the recent buzz surrounding The Pot Luck Club, it’s quite doubtful that you’ll be able to get a table without some ahead planning. As the name implies, this is a restaurant where sharing is encouraged, and with dishes designed to appeal to different flavour profiles, you’ll want to savour everything that comes to your table.
La Colombe
Location: Silvermist Wine Estate, Main Road, Constantia Nek, Cape Town
La Colombe has been at the top of most restaurant lists in South Africa for some time. Though it’s seen some big changes in recent years, it’s no less thrilling. A meal at La Colombe is a theatrical experience from start to finish and, combined with delectable dishes conceptualised by chefs Chefs James Gaag and Scot Kirton, it’s more than worthy of its number 73 spot on the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. La Colombe is one of the best restaurants in Cape Town for food lovers.
Chef’s Warehouse and Canteen
Location: 92 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
Liam Tomlin is a culinary expert who generously shares his talent with consumers at Chef’s Warehouse’s two locations. The original on Bree Street in Cape Town may be the best in the perspective of original aficionados, but the vistas at the newer Beau Constantia location are hard to surpass. Whichever option you pick, one thing is certain: the seemingly basic yet wonderfully delectable tapas for two are unlike anything else you’ll find in the city. The Bree Street location’s no-reservations policy ensures that you won’t have to wait months for a table and adds to the buzz of this fantastic restaurant.
The Greenhouse
Location: The Cellars-Hohenort, 93 Brommersvlei Road, Constantia Heights, Cape Town
Another of South Africa’s most well-known chefs is Peter Tempelhoff. He is the chef de cuisine at the opulent Cellars-Hohenort Hotel’s high-end restaurant The Greenhouse. The Greenhouse, set in lush surroundings, provides an exceptional dining experience from start to finish. Tempelhoff’s culinary marvels of international ambition are situated in a refined environment oozing with classical grandeur. Only the freshest local ingredients are used in the meals, and each night’s reservation numbers are limited, ensuring one of Cape Town’s most private and exclusive dining experiences.
Codfather
Location: 37 The Dr, Camps Bay, Cape Town
The Codfather doesn’t need to dazzle with Instagram glitter and glam to make an impression. They’ve been around long enough to have earned a reputation as one of Cape Town’s greatest seafood eateries. This restaurant is one of the best budget restaurants in Cape Town.
You’ll certainly find anything your heart desires with world-class sushi and a great variety of only the freshest seafood. Don’t know what to do? Their sushi is fantastic, and I strongly recommend it! This location also receives additional points for its clever name.
Foodbarn
Location: Village Lane and Noordhoek Main Rd, Noordhoek, Cape Town
This exceptional fine dining jewel may be found off the beaten path in Noordhoek. While the restaurant does not have views of the beautiful surroundings, you will most likely be unable to take your gaze away from the delicious food!
The Foodbarn has been a fixture on the Cape Town gourmet scene for years, regularly impressing with delectable and unique cuisine. You can visit them for cafe-style breakfasts and lunch in addition to their fine dining supper menu.
Belly of the Beast
Location: 110 Harrington St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
Belly of the Beast is a gourmet experience that should be high on your restaurant hit list. It’s a massively popular downtown cafe in Cape Town’s burgeoning East City. The industrial-modern setting, which seats only 24 diners, provides an intimate experience with a nose-to-tail approach and a set menu that is kept a secret until you come – just put your belief in the chefs’ immense abilities and dig in.
Kloof Street House
Location: 30 Kloof St, Gardens, Cape Town
Kloof Street House appears like a Victorian-era dinner party held by Jay Gatsby, with its huge leather chairs, candelabras, antique photos, and outdoor garden with string lights. From ostrich fillets to vegan risotto, there’s something for everyone on the menu, but we usually order the truffled parmesan polenta chips, kingklip, and one of each dessert. Make a reservation for 30-40 minutes after sunset to allow time for sundowners at Kloof Corner, Bakoven Beach, Glen Beach’s boulders, or “The Rock.” Also worth noting is that KSH is open on Sundays until 2 a.m., which is oddly the finest night of the week to go out here.
SeaBreeze Fish & Shell
Location: 213 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
It’s astonishing how difficult it is to locate a seafood restaurant that ticks all the boxes in a city so near to a body of water. There are touristic, pricey options as well as casual neighbourhood hangouts, but Seabreeze is the only (and best) option for high-quality fish in a nice atmosphere. It features a delicious oyster Happy Hour, excellent wine, and a lovely dining room and patio. It’s also in a great location on Bree Street, which is one of the city’s main dining and drinking districts. For a wonderful one-two punch, order hake and chips, Cape Malay curry, and aubergine fries before walking down the road to Orphanage for drinks.
Between Us
Location: 176 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
When a bottle of wine costs around $4 in South Africa, it’s difficult to justify spending $7 on a granola bowl or $12 on burrata. However, one of our favourite breakfast spots in town is Between Us. Before diving into meals like lavender honey, rose, and salted butter oatmeal, start with their apricot and rhubarb shrub or ylang-ylang coffee. They also serve lunch and supper, and the oyster mushrooms are a must-order if you need to capture a few more shots of their boho farmhouse-look for your “dream living room” mood board.
Jason Bakery
Location: 83 Main Rd, Green Point, Cape Town
Jason is the spot to go if you just have brunch once while you’re in town. There are healthy options like shakshuka and almond-and-baked-apple oats if you’re going here before or after a hike, but if you’re looking for something to help with a hangover, go for the breakfast sandwiches and the aubergine skillet with eggs, potatoes, and deep-fried eggplant. Although there are two locations, the one in Green Point is the newer and larger of the two. Grab some baked goods to take with you and enjoy them at the top of Lions Head or Table Mountain (our fave routes are Skeleton’s Gorge, Kasteelspoort, or, if you’re feeling courageous, India Venster).
The Strangers Club
Location: 1 Braemar Rd, Green Point, Cape Town
The Strangers Club is a lush, semi-outdoor cottage tucked on a Green Point side street that appears to conduct yoga retreats, which makes their smoothie bowls and salads menu a natural fit. The international model/surfer set abounds at TSC, but the vibe is so laid-back that the occasional “yaaaa bruuu!” tossed across the room is all part of the fun. This is another excellent breakfast option, and if you can’t make it to the Oranjezicht City Farm Market (more on that later), they also sell Thank Goodness Foods pastries here. The Strangers Club is one of the best restaurants in Cape Town for content creators visiting the city and want a cool spot to work.
La Tete
Location: 17 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
A chef educated by Fergus Henderson, the nose-to-tail master, is bringing that inventive approach to cuisine to the heart of Cape Town at La Tête. Choose from a daily-changing menu in this friendly space on Bree Street—try the cow heart with chips and horseradish, believe us!—while an attentive staff fulfils every request, whether voiced or unspoken. However, there’s more to this restaurant than steak, with fresh fish and a variety of Mediterranean-style small plates to share.
The Shortmarket Club
Location: Shortmarket Street, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town
You could be forgiven for mistaking Shortmarket Club for a movie set from a dazzling bygone era. This sumptuous setting, suggestive of a secret club or speakeasy in London or New York, is located up a narrow flight of stairs just off pedestrianised Shortmarket Street. Chef Wesley Randles prepares inventive versions of classics like fried octopus with green mango atchar, mango tahini, panko and masala-spiced crumbs, and bonito flakes, or springbok tartare with ponzu and walnut sauce, pickled shimeji, raw endive, and frozen parmesan. Dining in this opulent, old-school setting takes you to another period, when life was slower and unabashedly indulgent.
Nourish’d Juice Bar
Location: 177 Kloof St, Gardens, Cape Town
In Cape Town, the vegan movement is gaining traction, and Nourish’d is one of the most real, fashionable locations to celebrate eating and living mindfully. This odd little café is boho heaven—like it’s a rustic beach bar on a tropical island, replete with granadilla creepers—and it’s a quiet respite in the middle of a bustling street. Extensive salads, CBD smoothie bowls, gourmet sandwiches on gluten-free sourdough or rye bread, gut-healing vegan broths, and cleaning juices are available to order.