We’re often asked by our discerning guests to recommend the best restaurants in and around Cape Town. Our team of expert concierges has compiled The Royal Portfolio’s list of Cape Town’s Top 20 Restaurants 2019.
FYN Restaurant
Exquisite food in an equally picturesque environment. The food and décor are perfectly paired, to the point where you can’t tell where the kitchen ends and the restaurant begins. Local ingredients are given an Asian twist.
5th Floor, Speakers Corner, 37 Parliament St, Cape Town City Centre
021 286 2733
Grub & Vine
Chef Matt Manning serves refined bistro-style food, in a relaxed, contemporary space. The small menu changes regularly, but you can expect a selection of dishes in a starter or main-size portion and a fine selection of wines. There’s also a great little wine bar in the same building – Froggit & Vonkel.
103 Bree Street, Cape Town City Centre
076 256 8654
Belly of the Beast
Belly of the Beast is a nose to tail eatery, using sustainably farmed animals and local seasonal ingredients. There are no menu options or set amount of courses. All you do is show up and trust them to satisfy with their seasonal fair. Open for dinner only – bookings online.
110 Harrington St. Cape Town
021 461 0335
La Colombe
Chef Scot Kirton delivers exquisitely plated and innovative cuisine at this exceptional fine dining restaurant in Constantia.
Silvermist Wine Estate, Constantia
021 795 0125
Janse & Co
A casual fine dining restaurant on bustling Kloof Street offering tasting menus of varying length and a succinct wine list.
75 Kloof Street, Gardens
021 422 0384
Greenhouse
Fine dining with chef Peter Templehoff at the Cellars-Hohenort hotel. The emphasis is on interesting local ingredients. Dishes are exquisitely presented while the exceptional wine list focuses on the Constantia Valley.
Cellars-Hohenort Hotel, Constantia
021 795 6226
The Pot Luck Club
Luke Dale Robert’s contemporary top floor restaurant serves exquisite tapas style food with wonderful views. Be sure to try out the Sunday Brunch.
Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock
021 447 0804
Chef’s Warehouse
Liam Tomlin’s acclaimed restaurants on Bree Street and at Beau Constantia deliver exceptional modern tapas style dishes in a relaxed environment.
92 Bree Street
021 422 0128
Beau Constantia Wine Estate
021 794 8632
The Granary Café at The Silo Hotel
An extraordinary space in The Silo Hotel offering a mix of classical and contemporary dishes focusing on fresh, local ingredients. Open for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner seven days a week.
The Silo Hotel, V&A Waterfront
021 670 0500
Foxcroft
Delicious, beautifully presented contemporary cuisine in a stylish, modern restaurant located in a local strip mall among the vineyards of Constantia. Look out for the cheese room.
Shop 8/9, High Constantia Centre, Constantia
021 202 3304
The Shortmarket Club
Luke Dale-Roberts and chef Wesley Randles offer a vibrant and contemporary dining experience for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the city centre.
88 Shortmarket Street
021 447 2874
La Tête
La Tête is the culinary dream of two brothers, Giles and James Edwards. Giles worked with Fergus Henderson, learning his Nose-to-Tail philosophy for seven years at the St John Restaurant in London. The primordial gastronomy would have Asterix & Obelix guffawing with lip smacking delight.
17 Bree Street, Cape Town
021 418 1299
Kloof Street House
Fun, eclectic and quirky with a lively courtyard, Kloof Street House serves contemporary comfort food with a South African twist. Sunday jazz is a winner.
30 Kloof Street, Gardens
021 423 4413
Seabreeze
Fresh seafood and crisp white wines are the order of the day in this relaxed and friendly Bree Street restaurant. Look out for the twice daily Oyster Happy Hour. Great service and great value.
211-213 Bree Street
+27 (0) 74 79 39 349
The Test Kitchen
Voted as one of the Top 50 restaurants in the world, Luke Dale-Robert’s signature restaurant offers an unrivalled gastronomic experience for passionate food lovers. Splash out on the iconic wine pairing.
Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock
021 447 2337
Salsify
Luke Dale-Robert’s new restaurant at The Roundhouse looks out over Camps Bay’s leafy glen to the ocean and Twelve Apostles mountains. Go for the à la carte menu in the interests of tasting the greatest possible variety of dishes.
Round House Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town
021 010 6444
Thali
Celebrated chef Liam Tomlin’s signature style takes on a authentic Indian theme. You have two menu choices at Thali – take it or leave it. We certainly recommend that you take it. The tapas for two includes seven remarkable dishes rich in exotic flavours.
3 Park Road
021 286 2110
Black Sheep Restaurant
Contemporary gastropub at the top of Kloof Street.
104 Kloof Street
021 426 2661
Bistro Sixteen82
Contemporary bistro on Steenberg wine estate. Ideal for lunch and a wine tasting on a sunny day.
Steenberg Estate, Steenberg Road, Tokai
021 713 2211
The Food Barn
Relaxed, neighbourhood atmosphere serving really great food. Sophisticated but unpretentious.
Noordhoek Farm Village, Village Lane, Noordhoek
021 789 1390
If you’re looking to head out of town to take in the incredible scenery of the Western Cape, take a look at our list of the Top 10 Restaurants in the Cape Winelands.
Dowload our full PDF of The Royal Portfolio’s latest restaurant and bar recommendations.
Honourable Mentions
There were a few that didn’t quite make the Top 20, but which are certainly worth a visit…
Il Leone is a charming, white table-clothed Italian restaurant that’s a favourite among locals. Try the Linguine Portofino. Aubergine is a stalwart of the Cape Town fine dining scene and has a seriously impressive wine list while Carne is an excellent choice for red meat lovers – try the lamb ravioli to start and the T-Bone for two.
Villa 47 on bustling Bree Street celebrates Mediterranean & Asian cuisine across three vibrant and trendy floors. The Stack is where you’ll find the city’s cool creatives enjoying brasserie style food and trendy cocktails in a super-stylish, double-decker venue, housed in the historic Leinster Hall. Upper Bloem adopts the uniqueness of Cape Town and draws inspiration from the port city’s mix of cultures especially the Cape Malay influence. The Commissary is a casual, non-fuss eatery with a fine-dining twist. Harbour House specialises in seafood while Nobu offer a contemporary dining experience with Peruvian/Japanese influence.
Societi Bistro is a casual Italian/French bistro that serves a wonderful mushroom risotto – it has a great al fresco space for long summer lunches and is cosy inside by the fireplaces in winter. Mulberry & Prince is an interesting addition to the Bree Street scene serving unusual flavour combinations in a stylish, modern dining room. And for those more interested in the wine than the food, try out Publik wine bar on Kloof Nek or Bouchon just off Bree Street.
