What to Eat in Cape Town: A Food Guide

What to eat in Cape Town

• Braai (BBQ) + boerewors + pap

  National ritual — best at butchery-braai spots like Mzoli's Gugulethu (Sat lunch) or upmarket Karibu at V&A.

• Cape Malay bobotie + samoosas

  Bo-Kaap cooking class or Bo-Kaap Kombuis — R400 tasting menu.

• Bunny chow + Durban curry

  Indian-South African hollowed-bread curry — Eastern Food Bazaar CBD R80.

• Seafood + Cape Point rock lobster

  Kalk Bay Harbour House, Lookout Deck Hout Bay, Wolfgat Paternoster (2h out, worth the drive).

What to drink

Tap water excellent. Rooibos tea is national drink. Craft beer strong (Devil's Peak, Jack Black, Woodstock Brewery). Cape Winelands (Stellenbosch + Franschhoek + Constantia) 45 min out — Delaire Graff, Tokara, Rust en Vrede.

Dining etiquette and practicalities

• Tipping 10–15% at restaurants — not always included; check bill.

• 'Now-now' means 'in a while'; 'just now' means later; 'now' means later still.

• Photography of townships requires permission + preferably a guide.

Where to eat in Cape Town

• V&A Waterfront

  Family-safe harbour with 450+ shops, Two Oceans Aquarium, Robben Island ferry — One&Only, Silo Hotel, Cape Grace.

• Camps Bay / Clifton

  Palm-lined beachfront + sunset restaurants — The Bay Hotel, Ellerman House, Bungalow Camps Bay.

• City Bowl / Gardens

  Under the Mountain — Kloof Street restaurants, Company's Garden, Table Mountain cableway base — Mount Nelson (grande dame), Cape Cadogan.

• Bo-Kaap

  Cape Malay quarter of pastel houses + spice-scented cooking classes — walk with a local guide only.