Mama Africa on Long Street in Cape Town serves plates from Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia and the DRC, with a live marimba band and drummers most nights.
OrderSmoky skewered goat layered with peppers, with pap and spinach on the side
TipGo on a night with the marimba band and drummers, and book ahead, the room fills fast on weekends.
Bukhara on Church Street in Cape Town has run a North Indian tandoor kitchen since 1995, best known for its butter chicken and its lamb rogan josh.
OrderButter chicken with tandoor-baked naan
TipAdd the dal makhani, black lentils cooked overnight in the tandoor, and a naan hot from the clay oven.
Addis in Cape on Loop Street, Cape Town, has served a communal Ethiopian spread since 2007, with injera, doro wat and a traditional coffee ceremony.
OrderDoro wat with a double order of injera
TipBooking is essential, the room is small and the sharing platters need a table that can spread out.
Bombay Brasserie at the Taj Cape Town on St George's Mall blends Indian and Cape Malay cooking into a formal dinner room, best known for its lamb chops.
OrderAdraki lamb chops, with chicken tikka masala for the table
TipBooking is essential, and the bar opens an hour before the kitchen if you want a drink first.
Wakanda on Bree Street in Cape Town cooks a West African menu of plantain chips, catfish pepper soup and egusi stew in a small, calm dining room.
OrderCatfish pepper soup with a side of plantain chips
TipCome hungry, portions are generous and the egusi stew is meant to be eaten slowly with company.
Villa Portuguese on Buitenkant Street in Cape Town serves chicken trinchado, spare ribs and grilled queen prawns, with happy hour daily from five to seven.
OrderChicken trinchado, with grilled queen prawns if the table is sharing
TipHappy hour runs daily from five to seven and all day on Mondays, when the doors only open at 16:00.
Hacienda on Bree Street in Cape Town cooks coastal Baja Mexican food since 2022, with guacamole mashed table-side and tortillas made fresh daily.
OrderTempura lobster tacos with table-side guacamole
TipAsk for the guacamole made table-side, and try the tequila or mezcal flight if the group is sharing.
The Peach Tree Restaurant at Southern Sun The Cullinan in Cape Town runs a nightly Cape Malay inspired dinner buffet served from live chef stations.
OrderThe dinner buffet, a South African spread served from live chef stations every night.
TipBook the dinner buffet ahead on weekends, since birthday parties and hotel guests fill the room fast.
FYN in the Cape Town City Bowl pairs Japanese technique with Cape ingredients, crowned the 2026 Eat Out Restaurant of the Year for a second time.
OrderThe eight course FYN Experience menu, with kelp and abalone, Cape Point tuna and Karoo lamb
TipBe seated by 13:00 at lunch for the full eight course menu, as a shorter menu runs after that; solo diners and groups over six book by phone.
Belly of the Beast is a thirty seat room on Harrington Street in Cape Town, serving a single no choice seasonal tasting menu to every table each night.
OrderThe set tasting menu, built entirely around whatever meat and seafood is in season
TipThere are no menu options, so tell the booking team about allergies ahead; lunch starts at 12:30 Tuesday to Saturday and dinner at 18:45.
Mama Africa has served pan-African game meat and stews on Long Street in Cape Town since 1995, with nightly marimba bands and drum performances.
OrderCrocodile cooked in a peanut stew with vegetables, one of the game dishes gathered from across the continent.
TipBook ahead on weekends; the marimba band, drummers and dancers start around 19:00 every night.
Eastern Food Bazaar is a canteen-style food court in Cape Town's City Bowl, serving affordable Indian, Turkish and Cape Malay stalls every day.
OrderA giant bunny chow from the Punjabi counter, or a dosa from Madras.
TipEat with your hands like the locals and use the basin halfway through the hall; the upstairs seating off the Darling Street entrance is quieter.
Maru Korean Steakhouse grills galbi and bulgogi tableside on Bree Street in Cape Town's City Bowl, open for lunch and dinner every single day.
OrderMarinated galbi grilled at your table over charcoal, with Korean fried chicken for the table.
TipCome for Magic Hour, daily from 16:00 to 17:30, when selected bubbles, wine and beer on tap are half price before the grills get going.
Hemelhuijs is a chef-run cafe on Waterkant Street in Cape Town's City Centre, cooking a seasonal menu that blends South African heritage with global ideas.
DrinkFreshly made juices and custom blended coffee
TipSome of the produce comes from the restaurant's own farm in Montagu, so ask the floor staff which vegetables arrived this week.
Stellski Coffee Bar and Cafe is an espresso bar at 129 Bree Street in the City Bowl, Cape Town, serving coffee, toasties and cake from early until 18:00.
DrinkEspresso
TipThere are no bookings, it is first come, first served, and the Bree Street bar stays open until 18:00 on weekdays and Saturdays.
Charly's Bakery on Canterbury Street in Cape Town's District Six has built its name on flamboyant novelty cakes since Charly and Jacqui Biess opened in 1989.
Worth the queueCharacter birthday cake
TipCustom cakes need a lead time, walk in for cupcakes and slices if you want something the same day.
Truth Coffee, co-founded by Andrzej Janik and David Donde, roasts on Colossus, a vintage 1940s Probat, in a steampunk Victorian warehouse in the City Bowl.
BeansBrazil
BrewsEspresso, Filter
TipThe takeaway deli opens just before 06:00 on weekdays for coffee and pastries, an hour before the steampunk cafe itself.
Culture Wine Bar on Bree Street in Cape Town pours South African cult bottlings, natural wines and imports from France to Australia, with weekend live jazz.
PourA sommelier-led flight pairing a South African natural wine against an international counterpart.
WineA wall of South African cult bottlings and small-grower natural wines alongside special imports from France and Australia.
FoodSnacky bits from chef Matt Manning: charcuterie, cheese boards, a prawn po'boy and a signature croque monsieur.
TipGo at the weekend for the live jazz, and book a booth ahead; the R150 a head deposit comes off the final bill.
Tannin on Bree Street stocks 430 purely South African wine labels across three floors, one of the most serious new wine rooms in Cape Town today.
PourA glass from the rotating South African by-the-glass list, chosen fresh each week.
WinePurely South African, with 430 labels on the list and around 40 poured by the glass.
FoodSeasonal small plates and platters that change with what is available.
TipThe ground-floor bar is first come, first served, but the first-floor restaurant needs a booking.
Leo's Wine Bar shares a Bree Street room with a daytime bagel shop, then pours low intervention and natural wines after dark in central Cape Town.
PourA natural wine by the glass from a small, specialised producer
WineLow-intervention wines from small, specialised producers, with natural wine always on the list.
FoodLight bar snacks nightly, plus midweek pop-up chefs who take over the kitchen.
TipIt is Max Bagels by day and Leo's by night, so the wine list only starts at 5pm.
Lunacy on Harrington Street pours a mostly local wine list with small sharing plates in a relaxed dive bar setting, an East City spot in Cape Town.
PourA glass from the mostly-local list, picked by whoever is behind the bar that night.
WineA mostly local wine list with a little international flare, run as a wine dive rather than a formal cellar.
FoodSeasonal small plates for sharing, from cold starters to oxtail gnocchi and grilled prawns.
TipBook a seat online for the seasonal small plates, from oxtail gnocchi to grilled prawns, with the mostly local list.
Openwine on Wale Street, opened by an Italian family in 2016, pours small batch South African wines from weekly specials in Cape Town's first enoteca.
PourWhichever small batch South African bottle leads that week's specials
WineBilled as Cape Town's first enoteca, stocking small batch South African labels with no fixed list, only weekly specials.
FoodA short food menu to go with the wine, alongside a Sunday house band and jam session.
TipGo on a Sunday for the house band's improvised set and the jam session with visiting musicians that follows it.
The Whisky Lounge is the Taj Cape Town's vintage styled bar on Wale Street, pouring from one of the city's most extensive high-end whisky collections.
DrinkHigh-end whisky from one of the city's largest collections
FoodMulti-cuisine menu from the Taj Cape Town kitchen
TipThe hotel sets a smart casual dress code here, and the lounge stays open until 02:00 for a late nightcap after dinner nearby.
Sky Bar is the rooftop bar of the Grand Daddy Hotel on Long Street in Cape Town, with seating among the hotel's Airstream trailers and Table Mountain views.
DrinkSignature cocktails, South African wines and cold beers
FoodFood menu from the hotel's Grand Deli Eats kitchen
TipWalk-ins are welcome, but the open rooftop closes in bad weather, so check the sky before you climb up for sundowners.
The Fireman's Arms has served Cape Town's Foreshore since 1864, a sports pub of big screens, fireplace corners and firefighter themed pizzas.
DrinkFourteen craft beers on tap
FoodPizza named after the old fire brigade, plus burgers and bobotie
TipArrive early for a big match, since nine HD screens and the fireplace corner fill fast; Thursday is quiz night.
Fable is a cocktail bar on the corner of Bree and Wale Street in Cape Town, pouring a menu inspired by South African myths until midnight or later.
DrinkSignature cocktails inspired by South African myths and folklore
FoodTapas style bar menu alongside the cocktail list
TipCome on a Tuesday from 16:00 for Tequila Tuesdays, when select tequila cocktails start at R80 and margarita shots come four for R100.
The Gin Bar, open since 2014, hides behind Honest Chocolate on Wale Street in Cape Town, in a former morgue with more than 70 South African gins.
DrinkSignature gin and tonics, each billed as a cure for something
FoodA drinks led room with gin, beer, wine and a new Bubbly Bar
TipEnter through the Honest Chocolate cafe; on quiet winter nights the bar may close before 01:00, so call ahead if you plan to arrive late.
Talking to Strangers has run a hip hop soundtracked cocktail room on Loop Street in Cape Town, its walls signed by bar owners from around the world.
DrinkOriginal seasonal cocktails alongside bar classics
FoodAfrican inspired street food tapas for sharing
TipAsk the bar for the current seasonal cocktail rather than a printed classic, since the list changes week to week.
WhiskyBrother pours more than 150 whiskies at the CTICC across two evenings, 20 and 21 August in 2026, from 18:00 until the bars stop serving at 22:00.
TipProducers and brand ambassadors work the floor early; arrive at 18:00 if you want to talk to them before the hall gets loud.
Eastern Food Bazaar is a canteen-style food court in Cape Town's City Bowl, where a giant bunny chow from the Punjabi counter starts at about R50.
TryVegetable, chicken or lamb bunny chow from the Punjabi counter
TipFor the cheapest meal, the Tandoori counter's Indian omelette with roti, chips and salad and a stuffed paratha cost well under a bunny chow.
Villa 47 serves an Italian breakfast and a Saturday bottomless champagne brunch at its Bree Street restaurant and cocktail bar in the City Bowl, Cape Town.
OrderUova alla benedict with Italian pancetta or smoked salmon, before the Saturday bottomless champagne
TipThe bottomless champagne runs Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00, and Saturday breakfast is served until 13:00, so book a mid-morning table.
The Wes serves a French bistro breakfast and brunch cocktail menu beneath a Shortmarket Street boutique hotel, a newer City Bowl room in Cape Town.
OrderA modern breakfast plate alongside the brunch cocktail list
TipIt sits off the pedestrian-only block of Shortmarket Street; book a weekend breakfast table online through Dineplan.
Clarke's Bar and Dining Room runs all day breakfast into a popular weekend brunch on Bree Street, a long standing City Bowl room in Cape Town.
OrderA burger on the butter-fried brioche bun, or anything off the all-day breakfast menu
TipArrive before 09:00 for the cheaper breakfast specials, or from 11:00 for the lunchtime sandwich special such as the sabich.
The Fireman's Arms is a Foreshore pub in Cape Town, opened in 1864 as the Somerset Arms, pouring 14 beers on tap with fire brigade pizzas until midnight.
TryPizzas named after the fire brigade, plus burgers and bobotie
TipArrive early for a big match, since nine HD screens and the fireplace corner fill fast; Thursday is quiz night.
Talking to Strangers is a Loop Street cocktail room in Cape Town's City Bowl, serving African inspired street food tapas until two in the morning.
TryAfrican inspired street food tapas for sharing
TipAsk the bar for the current seasonal cocktail rather than a printed classic, since the list changes week to week.
Fable keeps pouring cocktails past midnight on the corner of Bree and Wale Street in Cape Town, from a menu inspired by South African myths.
TryTapas plates alongside the signature cocktail menu inspired by South African folklore
TipDaytime specials run from noon to 16:00 every day except Monday, so an early start costs less than the late rounds.
The Gin Bar hides behind a chocolate cafe on Wale Street in Cape Town's City Bowl, pouring South African gins in a secret courtyard until one.
TrySignature gin and tonics, each billed as a cure for something
TipEnter through the Honest Chocolate cafe; on quiet winter nights the bar may close before 01:00, so call ahead if you plan to arrive late.
Halo fills the old ERA club site at 71 Loop Street in Cape Town with two dance floors, 3D lights, lasers and techno and house from local and touring DJs.
TipThe downstairs floor only opens at 22:00, so check the monthly events tab and buy early tickets before a big Friday or Saturday booking.
Saint Champagne Bar & Lounge on Harrington Street is the Cape Town club for amapiano, Afrobeats and hip-hop, with bottle service, shisha and cigars.
TipEmail the reservations team for a table before a weekend night; doors open at 21:00 from Wednesday to Sunday.
Club Paradise on Albertus Street is a large East City club in Cape Town, known for Afro tech, amapiano and gqom, with a rooftop bar as a second floor.
TipEntry prices change with each event, so check the line-up first; the rooftop bar becomes a second dance floor for larger events.
District on Harrington Street runs a band stage and a club in one Cape Town room, with rock and indie sets first and house or techno DJs until 04:00.
TipThe band usually plays first and the DJ takes over after, so arrive early for the gig; Surfa Rosa downstairs is the cheaper first stop.
Harringtons is the velvet-booth cocktail lounge on Harrington Street in Cape Town, with live jazz and funk bands and DJs playing disco after the sets.
TipArrive for the 16:00 to 19:00 happy hour and book a velvet booth, then move to District next door once its dance floor gets going.
The Blue Room is the ground floor live music lounge of Grub & Vine on Bree Street in Cape Town, with jazz, blues and soul sets from Tuesday to Saturday.
TipHappy hour runs 15:30 to 17:30, and the pre-show dinner is served 18:00 to 21:30, before the live sets start at 19:00.
The House of Machines on Shortmarket Street is a Cape Town coffee bar by day and an intimate gig room by night, home to a weekly Songwriters Showcase.
TipTuesday brings the Songwriters' Showcase from 20:00, and Monday's Cure runs from 18:00, so plan a weeknight for the music.
The Athletic Club & Social on Buitengracht Street spreads three Cape Town bars over one old building, with live jazz in the Trophy Room basement.
TipEat Greek at the Trapezaria first, then head down to the Trophy Room once the jazz starts; Thursday to Saturday trade runs to 02:00.
Gigi Rooftop sits on the sixth floor of the Gorgeous George hotel on St George's Mall in Cape Town, an 80 seat poolside lounge pouring tiki style cocktails.
TipSeating is limited and the rooftop is cashless, so book a table and bring a card; breakfast runs 07:30 to 10:30 daily.
14Stories Rooftop Bar is on the 14th floor of SunSquare City Bowl on Buitengracht Street, a Cape Town sundowner deck facing Table Mountain and Signal Hill.
TipIt opens at 16:00 and shuts at 22:00, so treat it as a sunset stop; the glassed indoor lounge keeps it usable when the southeaster blows.
The Art of Duplicity is a password only speakeasy in a Victorian warehouse in central Cape Town, taking bookings online and pouring signature cocktails.
TipBook online, get the password with your booking, and go on a Friday or Saturday night when the room has live jazz.
The Drinkery is a contemporary speakeasy on the mezzanine above the Heritage Square courtyard on Shortmarket Street in Cape Town, with seasonal cocktails.
TipTake the stairs up from the courtyard and ask for a seat on the terrace bar, which looks over the oldest fruiting vine in the country.
Zer021 Social Club on Canterbury Street is a Cape Town queer club built around drag, with lip-sync battles and a strong local Black and Coloured crowd.
TipGo early in the evening for the drag shows, which are the main event; the cover charge stays in place after the drag portion ends.
Anthm is a Japanese cocktail and vinyl listening bar on a Loop Street corner in Cape Town, run by Tetsuo Hasegawa, former head bartender of Angel's Share.
TipSit at the bar and order the Foggy Forest, whiskey with porcini and mountain cherry smoke, while the vinyl plays.
The Waiting Room sits above Royale Eatery at the top of Long Street in Cape Town, a no-frills bar with a rooftop deck and Saturday throwback parties.
TipSaturday is the Groovy Sensations throwback night; head up to the rooftop deck, where DJs play techno and psytrance Friday to Sunday.
Surfa Rosa is the graffiti-walled surf and punk dive bar at street level on Harrington Street in Cape Town, with loud rock, pizza and a small dance floor.
TipOrder a bunny chow or a pizza as a first stop, then take the stairs up to District or Harringtons once the late crowd arrives.
Day trip · 8 hours
Experience whale watching in Hermanus, visit African penguins, and enjoy wine tasting in the scenic Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on a full-day Cape Town coastal adventure.
Guided tour · 9 hours
Embark on a full-day safari from Cape Town to Aquila Private Game Reserve. Spot the Big Five, enjoy a buffet breakfast and lunch. Enjoy stunning views of Dutoitskloof ...
Day trip · 8 hours
Start with a convenient Pickup from your Hotel Accommodation before Embarking on a Safari from Cape Town to Aquila Safari Game Reserve. Enjoy a buffet lunch, spot the ...
