A whole snoek butterflied, basted with apricot jam, butter, lemon and garlic and braaied skin side down, the West Coast Sunday standard; harbour counters sell it fried or smoked.

Snoek, Thyrsites atun, runs in cold water along the Western Cape coast and has fed Cape Town from the harbours at Hout Bay, Kalk Bay and Lamberts Bay for generations. The fish is oily, strongly flavoured and full of fine bones, which is why it is cooked open on a hinged grid rather than filleted, and why the standard baste is sweet: apricot jam cut with lemon juice, butter and garlic balances the salt and oil. The traditional accompaniments are soetpatats, boiled sweet potatoes, and roosterkoek baked on the same coals. Smoked snoek, worked into a pate with cream cheese, is the other half of the tradition.

3 editor picks for Braaied snoek with apricot glaze in Cape Town, ranked by editorial score. All Cape Town signature dishes · Braaied snoek with apricot glaze across every city.

Kalky's ★ 4.3

$SeafoodKalk Bay

Kalky's has served battered hake and snoek with chips from a cabin on the Kalk Bay harbour wall since 1996, with calamari, kingklip and crayfish too.

OrderThe fried snoek and chips, cut fresh from the day's catch at the harbour.

TipIt is cash only and self-service; carry notes and expect to queue at the counter before finding a bench.

DirectionsView

Snoekies ★ 3.9

$$SeafoodHout Bay

Snoekies is a fish and chips takeaway at the far end of Hout Bay harbour, trading since Hans Mickeleit parked a converted bus there in 1951.

OrderFried hake and chips, plus smoked snoek at the harbour counter

TipHead upstairs with children: the dining room there sits beside a big indoor play area.

DirectionsView

West Coast Fisheries ★ 3.9

$SeafoodMilnerton

West Coast Fisheries fries fresh West Coast catch, chips and gatsby sandwiches daily on Koeberg Road in Milnerton, on the edge of greater Cape Town.

OrderThe fried snoek and chips, the West Coast staple this counter is named for.

TipIt also sells fresh uncooked fish over the counter if you want to cook the catch yourself at home.

DirectionsView

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