Foodie Guide: Our pick of the best restaurants in Cape Town

Cape Town is where you can find the best – the creme de la creme – of restaurants in South Africa.

Top ten restaurants in Cape Town

In Cape Town, chefs become household names, known for their culinary skills and creations. Fine dining is an indulgence visitors will find is accessible, relatively affordable and highly worthwhile.

Salsify at The Roundhouse Restaurant

Salsify restaurant in Cape Town’s slick Camps Bay strip is in a national monument. Headed by Chef Ryan Cole, the menu’s include a 4 course lunch option, a la carte dinner, a tasting menu and a Sunday lunch menu. This is fine dining at its best, with decor to compliment the opulent setting and bring a contemporary feel to its old world charm. 

YU

For Asian cuisine at its best in Cape Town’s Foreshore, look no further an YU restaurant. The decor has an artistic feel, blending modernity with tradition.  The fusion menu includes Asian tapas, sushi, dim sum and boa buns. There is an a la carte menu available too, along with a bar. 

The Cousins

Dubbed Cape Town’s best Italian restaurant, this is a classical style trattoria. This celebrates all that this cuisine has to offer, with fresh pasta being made daily, before being served up with fresh ingredients. There are two seatings for dinnertime reservations, and there are massive rounds of parmesan where pasta get mixed in.

Bistro Sixteen82

This restaurant is situated in on the brink of Cape Town in Steenberg and offers breakfast, lunch and tapas style dinners. The decor is refined and stylish, and the patio opens up to pristinely kept gardens. The produce is seasonal and inspired by Chef Kerry Kilpin’s worldly travels. 

Beluga

Beluga’s fusion offering is renowned in Cape Town. The Euro-Asian menu is Halaal friendly and there are options catering to vegetarians and vegans too. Best known for their sushi and dim sum, a meal at Beluga is a dining experience of excellence. The restaurant is relaunching with a summer menu. Keep an eye out for weekly specials on their food and cocktails.

Clarke’s Bar & Dining Room

Think freshly squeezed juices, all day breakfasts and brunches in a diner-style restaurant. This is where you can come for the vibe that is true to Cape Town’s beat, but leave satisfied and full. The menu is adventurous (like burgers with brioche) and they are loved for their cocktail selection.

Bocca

BOCCA is a restaurant serving contemporary Italian food in an urban setting in Cape Town’s Bree Street. Visitors to the restaurant can select from a range of small plates. It is best known for its pizza, served straight out of the oven from Naples, as well as pastas and light meals. It is in Cape town’s trendy Bree Street, with warm jewel tones to give it a luxe urban feel.

Grub & Vine

Another Bree Street resident is Grub & Vine, headed up by Chef Matt Manning. The offer bistro-style fare in a relaxed setting in Cape Town’s CBD. The menu is curated and changes weekly, reflecting the best produce available at the time. The restaurant has rustic charms and modern style, serving lunches and dinners. 

Magnolia

Magnolia Social Dining Lounge is a new restaurant at the Erinvale Hotel and Spa, situated a little further out from the city of Cape Town. The restaurant’s ambiance is set off by the decor of green and yellow tones in a relaxed yet luxe setting. Chef Stefan Bekker’s menu provides a dining experience to be savoured, with small dishes so visitors can enjoy a variety of exquisite dishes. 

Foliage

Foliage is a little farther afield, in Franschhoek, yet one well worth the trip. The restaurant celebrates foraging for fresh ingredients, with all of the glamour and culinary expertise of traditional fine dining. The menu changes with the harvest, meaning each meal is unique and the best of the given season’s produce.

Restaurants in Cape Town are endless, providing visitors with a noteworthy foodie experience.