Best restaurants in Cape Twon: Places to eat and drink in and around Cape Town
The food scene is one of the best parts about visiting Cape Town and there are restaurants and dishes for all budgets. We did A LOT of research and got recommendations on where to eat, so we could make the most of all the amazing food Cape Town has to offer.
I've compiled a list of our highlights and places we found to be the best restaurants and bars in Cape Town:
1. Chef's Warehouse at Beau Constantia
False Bay / $$$$
Do not go to Cape Town without making sure you have booked this restaurant, it was one of our highlights from the whole of the time we were in South Africa. Beau Constantia is a boutique wine farm and it sits high up on on the Constantia Nek, overlooking the stunning views of False Bay. We arrived early evening (make sure you go when it is still light outside so you can take in the views) and we were stunned by the beautiful remote setting overlooking the vineyards and ocean.
As soon as you enter the restaurant you can see why Chef's Warehouse gets fully booked weeks or even months in advance. Whilst you don't get to chose what you eat (as it's a set menu), they take into consideration dietary requirements. The set menu consists of 6 courses with several small dishes which you share. You can tell from the ingredients and flavours they use in each dish, how much work and thought as gone into ensuring each dish has maximum impact. They also sell all their wine they produce and Beau Constantia and it's wonderful.
Our set menu:
Course 1 - Warm ciabatta with handmade butter with parsley, cooked sage leaves and yeast with olives and comfit garlic
Course 2 - Oysters with calamari, caviar and paprika oil
Course 3 - Aged beef tartar, Japanese silk bread shiitake mushroom & black vinegar emulsion. Coaled seared tuna with bbq turmeric and tiger's milk. Thai linefish with smoked coconut and toasted rice breadcrumbs
Course 4 - Cauliflower risotto with garlic and thyme butter. A 'special plate from the garden' which included vegetables cooked in several ways
Course 5 - Thai prawn ssam, chargrilled venison, chicken liver parfait with a pretzel crumb and nectarine jus. Linefish, tomatoes & fermented lime compote
Course 6 - Lavender creme brulee with honeycomb and served with cinnamon ice cream
2. The Pot Luck Club
Woodstock - The Old Biscuit Mill / $$$
This has got to be one our favourite restaurant whilst in Cape Town. Set on the 6th floor of The Old Biscuit Mill this 'sophisticated tapas' restaurant has views as stunning as the food. The glass windows that surround The Pot Luck Club look after Table Mountain and it's the perfect place to take in Cape Town whilst enjoying some of the best food.
The dishes are small and the idea is you get a few for sharing. We got fish sashimi, glazed tuna, chickpea, goats cheese & Parmesan fries with aioli, springbok sashimi and fish tacos. The flavours in each of these dishes were outstanding, the service was fantastic and I couldn't fault anything with our meal.
Note - you need to book The Pot Luck Club weeks in advance as it gets fully booked up. However, on the off chance whilst visiting The Old Biscuit Mill we asked if they had any tables for lunch and they did, so it's worth going in on the day.
If you can't get a table at The Pot Luck Club, or enjoyed it so much you want more of the same, they also have another restaurant called The Test Kitchen which I've heard great things about.
3. Kloof Street House
City Centre / $$$
We loved this restaurant so much we actually went here twice for dinner. Set in a grand Victorian mansion, Kloof Street House's interior decor is something to marvel over. The ceilings have extravagant chandeliers hanging, whilst the bar has stacks of suitcases on it and you can have a drink in the library where the walls are stacked full of old books.
You can eat inside or out and their garden is a lovely place to enjoy the last of the sunshine before the sun sets and the fires come on. The trees are filled with fairy lights to make the setting intimate and they haven't forgotten to hang chandeliers outside to keep the same vibe as inside.
The food is brasserie style and dishes include steaks and various meats as well as sharing plates for the whole table to enjoy.
4. The Codfather
Camps Bay / $$
The Codfather is the ultimate South African fish experience and one of the most famous and visited fish restaurants in Cape Town. It doesn't look anything special from the outside, but inside you will see what all the fuss is about.
The restaurant interior is quite basic, but what they have to offer is why people rave about the Codfather. In one part of the restaurant they have a sushi bar (with dishes including their freshly caught fish) with conveyor belt where you can pick your sushi dishes as they come past you. The other part of the restaurant has a large display counter with freshly caught fish including lobster, shrimp, octopus, tuna, swordfish, salmon and mackerel. The best part about this restaurant is you pick the fish or seafood you want, how much of it you want and then how you want it cooked (fried, boiled, grilled or raw like sashimi).
I think we booked a table the day before, but as with everywhere in Cape Town (and South Africa) I would advise booking in advance as restaurants are busy.
5. Between Us
City Centre / $$$
Run by twin sisters and set in an original Cape Heritage building, Between Us in minimalist with curated artworks and flower displays. We just went here for drinks (and tried to go back for dinner another time but it was closed), but the food and menu looked amazing. We were really impressed at the flavours in the cocktails and would recommend stopping by here for drinks or a meal.
6. Tiger's Milk
Camps Bay / $$
A great place to have a drink and watch the sun set over the ocean before dinner. Tiger's Milk always seemed to be busy every time we went or walked past. Go in, order drinks at the bar and wait until a table becomes available. I think you can book in advance, but we always managed to find a table when people left.
7. The Old Biscuit Mill
Woodstock / $
Situated in Woodstock, The Old Biscuit Mill has a market that has vendors serving all different kinds of food and dishes. It's the perfect place for a casual lunch and trying different dishes from local vendors.
Apparently it's always busy and vibrant, which it was when we went there. I would recommend going here for a couple of hours and getting a taxi from Cape Town as there isn't much else around it and apparently it's not safe to walk there.
8. V&A Waterfront
City of Cape Town / $-$$$
V&A Waterfront is essentially a shopping centre/mall on a busy harbour in Cape Town. There are about 450 retail outlets here as well as over 80 restaurants. The setting is pretty nice for a mall as everything sits on a harbour, meaning you can enjoy shopping then sit and watch the boats come in, see the wild seals and watch the sunset with a glass of wine.
We came early one evening to get some food and we also visited the V&A food market to check out some local produce (it's a great place to buy gifts).
