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That Cape Town is a paradise for culinary connoisseurs is no longer a secret. If you would like to visit every restaurant with a good kitchen, you can already get ready to apply for “Permanent Residency” as there are so many fantastic restaurants .
Eating and drinking in Cape Town
South Africans love good food and conviviality during extensive restaurant visits. “Local is lekker” is a sloga they also use a lot, which means that fresh and local products are being used. If you are looking for a good meal, start on Bree Street.
1. Bree Street – a whole street of pure enjoyment
If you are into hip and quick dinners, one of the greatest burger places is Inside and You’re Out (IYO) Burgers, as all products are locally-based.
Clarke’s Bar & Dining Room has been supplying tired Cape Townians with the best breakfast for years. Not only wine lovers find in Cape Town what they are looking for.
At Mother’s Ruin and in The Gin Bar right in the side street you will find – as expected – gin cocktails. Both bars also have a small and fine outdoor area, where you can let the glasses clash romantically.
Our Tip: In the front of The Gin Bar you will find the Honest Chocolate Café, where you can enjoy raw cocoa and hand made chocolate – or bring your loved ones home as a souvenir, if you do not even plaster them yourself.
If you have eaten and drank through the restaurants of the Bree Streets, it’s worth to go up Kloof Street to the top. The Bombay Bicycle Club is located at the top of the road at Kloof Street House, with its fabulous garden and fancy menu. On your plate, sparkling candles sparkle as you swing at the table on a swing and do not know where to look first, with lots of kitsch and sparkle.
How to get there: Bree Street runs parallel to Long Street in downtown / CBD. On Bree Street itself you can walk from one restaurant to the next. As always and everywhere in Cape Town, however, a healthy understanding of the people should be exercised here, too.
2. Neighborhood Markets – Chic food and live music
Markets are typically Cape Townian and popular with locals and tourists alike. Expect a mix of fresh food from all over the world, live music, sales of clothing, bags and hats, and many people. The creators of the markets put a lot of effort in the selection of exhibitors and you do not have to count on junk and nips.
At peak times like a Saturday morning at the Neighbourgoods Market in the Old Biscuit Mill, however, it can become quite crowded. If you do not feel comfortable in crowds and do not like to share your table with strangers, you are better off at the City Bowl Market on a Thursday evening.
A highlight is the Bay Harbor Market in Hout Bay with great live bands and a relaxed atmosphere from Friday Evening until Sunday. The market scene does not end with this: Visit the Oranjezicht City Farm and the Market on the Warf and enjoy!
How to get there: Depending on the market with MiCity, car, taxi, or minibus. The Neighbourgoods Market is located in the Old Biscuit Mill at Woodstock, the City Bowl Market at 14 Hope Street, and the Bay Harbor Market at Hout Bay. Here also the blue line of the red “Hop on Hop off” bus stops.
When did the markets open: City Bowl Market: Thursdays from 16:30 to 20:30. Neighbourgoods Market / Old Biscuit Mill: Saturdays from 9 am to 2 pm. Bay Harbor Market: Fridays from 17 to 21 hours and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 to 16 hours.
3. Craft Beer – South Africa is more than just wine
Craft Beer is the new trend also in South Africa. It is locally brewed beer, marketed in small quantities, leaving the brewers plenty of room for creativity through their independence from big corporations. In recent years, South Africa’s craftbeere scene has grown rapidly.
Some of the larger microbreweries offer beer tastings, such as the Aegir Project Brewery in Noordhoek or the Devil’s Peak Brewery in Woodstock. On the “Super Cool Beer Tour”, you can visit two micro breweries and a large brewery on a half-day guided tour. The Banana Jam Café in Woodstock has one of the largest selections of Craft Beer on tap and in the bottle.
How to get there: Depending on the brewery with MiCity Bus, car, taxi, or minibus. Woodstock is only ten minutes from downtown. Noordhoek is a little outside. The trip is particularly worthwhile if you drive over the Chapmans Peak Panorama road and in Noordhoek a detour to the beautiful secluded beach.
4. Wine Tasting with Lila Tours
You must have heard of the red double-decker buses. The “Hop on Hop off” bus is available from Cape Point to Kirstenbosch. But did you know that the bus is a great way to make a wine tour? Buy a ticket for the Blue Line and get off at stop 21 in the small bus of the Purple Line. He will take you to the three wineries Groot Constantia, Eagles’ Nest and Beau Constantia, where you will find wine tastings and cheese platters.
As “Drinking and driving” is one of the worst ideas in South Africa this bus wine tasting tour is a very smart idea. On the way back you will return to the blue line and on time to the sunset you will be in Camps Bay or Sea Point.
Our tip: Start the tour already in the morning around 10 clock. The winery close between 16 and 17 o’clock and all the fun, including driving and staying on the winery, takes longer than you think.
How to get to: The “Hop on Hop off” bus leaves at the V & A Waterfront, where you can also buy your ticket. You can go to various locations in the city, for example on Long Street.
How much does it cost: The ticket for the Blue Tour costs 180 rand. The Lila tour you can use free of charge. A wine tasting with four to six different wines costs about R40 per person.
* All prices are given in South African Rand, as of August 2016 and without guarantee.
