Cape Town’s impressive foodscape continues to bulge, with new eateries popping up in and around the CBD, in the suburbs and as far afield as the Winelands – all of which are ready when you are!
We’ve rounded up the 40 most noteworthy restaurant openings in the Cape – and even added some that are about to swing open their doors, because forewarned is forearmed! (And, we’re all about giving you the inside track, so to speak.)
Ouzeri
What began as a series of pop-ups and a home-delivery offering, Ouzeri has blossomed into a convivial restaurant on Cape Town’s Wale Street, inspired by owner-chef Nic Charalambous’ family’s Cypriot heritage.
Here, he recreates the regional cooking of Cyprus and Greece alongside a string of contemporary plates inspired by his travels through the Mediterranean. Snacks, mezze plates and mains feature classic comfort dishes like yiouvetsi and octopus stifado and beautiful pork chops with braised lentils and lots of wild winter greens. Nic uses a charcoal grill to cook fish and seafood, thin cut lamb chops and homemade sausages, accompanied by authentic and consciously selected wines, and an eclectic music selection that promises a lively ambience.
The interiors reflect elements of the Aegean – in the curved white walls and mosaiced floors, and tapestry pieces that speak to the craftsmanship of Cyprus and mainland Greece.
Farro
It made quite a few waves when it popped up on Bree Street last year, offering a night-time bistro experience at daytime Café Frank. Now Alex and Eloise Windebank have found a permanent home for their culinary venture – and one that is sure to inspire new tastes on the plate.
Chef Alex is very much rooted in using local ingredients, and out in the Overberg he’ll have a cornucopia of different produce to work with. The new Farro is at Gabriëlskloof wine farm in Bot River, taking over the modern restaurant space overlooking the inner courtyard, pond and fountains. His velvety rich duck-liver parfait and melt-in-the-mouth pork belly are two of his signature dishes, but he’s looking forward to adding rib-eye, Elgin trout, country-style terrines, pickles and preserves and produce from the farm’s gardens.
Tebaldi’s
Celebrated chef Christiaan Campbell, who first made his name as a sustainability advocate when he worked at Delaire Graff and Boschendal, recently re-opened Tebaldi’s, the flagship restaurant at Temenos. (For those unfamiliar with McGregor, Temenos is a spiritual garden retreat created by Billy Kennedy). Says Christiaan: “I’m bringing sustainable regenerative practises to everything, from the sourcing of ingredients, the way the staff are managed, and creating a menu and environment where people feel nurtured, cared for and nourished.”
Discovering a wealth of inspiring produce in the village and along the Robertson Valley, Christiaan changes his “contemporary country” dishes constantly (mead-glazed chicken, confit chicken and roasted artichokes is just one tempting example), and the winelist is also driven by his search for producers that have “a strong soil-health and people-health focus.”
Stefan’s
With its panelled apricot-pink walls and brass accents, Stefan’s reminds us a little of the iconic Sketch London: a formal-dining-room style imbued with contemporary glamour, with a warm ambience that turns every meal into a special occasion. Named for chef Stefan Bekker (executive chef at Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa, and recently returned to South Africa after working in Qatar and England), Stefan’s is his flagship fine-dining offering where he pulls out all the stops to create a feast for all the senses.
The seven- or 10-course set menu includes gastronomic highlights such as sea bass with tigers milk, fennel and nori tuile, beef fillet with truffle, mushrooms and bone marrow, and an excellent butternut risotto with chevin, celery oil and capers, along with a well-considered winelist. The service here is top notch, making everyone feel welcome and adding to the celebratory sense of occasion in this tranquil corner of Somerset West.
Grand Country
Who says you can only get Grand on the beach? The Grand Africa Collection, famous for its ocean-scrabing restaurants in Granger Bay and Plett, has opened a restaurant on the slopes of the Franschhoek Mountains! Dubbed Grand Country, guests can expect the upmarket-playful vibe, a delicious selection of food and wine, and views across the vineyards that equal the delight of walking barefoot on the beach…
Café Noir
Taking over the Origin Coffee Roasting space at night, Café Noir is a buzzy pop-up cocktail bar and eatery that also serves great coffee. While mixologist Nicholas Crouse crafts intriguing cocktails, chef Ayanda Matomela (whose work experience includes a stint at Michelin-starred JAN) plays with local ingredients and childhood flavour memories, devising a deliciously clever menu of small plates that reflect his African heritage.
Think samp-and-beans croquettes, pap and chakalaka, rooibos kombucha pork belly and confit duck leg, finishing with amasi-and-sorghum cheesecake, or plum-and-millet tart with sweet-potato ice cream. And the Origin team provide their full speciality coffee and tea offering, so that after-work drinks quickly turn into dinner and a fun night out on the town.
Blix
If you feel like you’re walking onto the set of Out of Africa when you arrive at this Stellenbosch bar, the clue is in the name. Inspired by Karen Blixen who was immortalised in the movie, Blix is a tiny tavern on historic Dorp Street, complete with a cigar alley, old-school décor and hand-crafted beers on tap from their own microbrewery. It’s boast is that it’s the smallest bar in Stellenbosch, with just a couple of tables next to the wood-burning stove and the bar inside, but it spills out onto a wide leafy verandah/beer garden, ideal to watch the world go by with a food platter and a chilled glass or two.
Café Fleur
Beside the historical Manor House on one of Somerset West’s most beautiful estates is Café Fleur, the fêted farm’s latest pop-up occupying the space that was previously home to the award-winning Camphors.
Created by chef Michelle Barry, the lunch and dinner menus feature a selection of French country classics made using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients – accompanied, no doubt, by exquisite estate wine, with superb floral arrangements creating a picture-perfect dining experience. Think herb and cheese soufflé with apple and microgreen salad, escargot with creamed pernod and garlic butter and roast lamb with herb and Madagascan peppercorn crust served with potatoes and minted lamb jus. There’s a wicked winter chocolate pudding with crème brûlée cream and a choux pastry ring with praline cream on the dessert menu.
Clara’s Barn
And Clara’s Barn makes it seven! Über-restaurateur Bertus Basson’s latest culinary adventure has turned a centuries-old barn on Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate into a sleek, fine-dining venue. The characteristic Cape-Dutch thatched building, complete with weathered rafters, oversized barn doors and dormer windows in the roof, now houses a welcoming bar-lounge area and a spacious restaurant with tables flowing outside onto the verandah, two fireplaces and a carving station.
Yes, the menu pays loving attention to meats and roasts (inspired by the estate’s original incarnation as a cattle farm); expect delicious South African farm-kitchen recipes with a refined modern tweak from chef Drikus Brink, presented in three- and five-course menus.
The Cheverells Farm Shed
In the heart of the Elgin Valley, Cheverells Farm offers a wholesome, fresh-air escape just an hour from the city, where the Boome family have transformed an old 1960s apple-packing shed into an exquisite new venue for private functions and weddings, daytime dining, retail therapy, and wellness.
At the Farm Café, chef Laura Truter’s menu celebrates the fresh, vibrant flavours of the region. Think: truffled mushroom scrambled eggs, salmon poké bowls, gorgeous salads, a gourmet burger and farmer’s platter. Naturally, the apples shine – homemade apple and sage sausages in the Full Shed breakfast, in the Bowl of Goodness with homemade granola, in all of the salads, and the delectable apple and frangipani tart. Be sure to try a glass of an Elgin Valley wine or a local L-Gin apple-flavoured craft gin – and visit the glass greenhouse nursery to discover a rainbow of flowers and house plants, along with stylish gardening tools and décor.
Le Grand Domaine Enoteca
Wine bars are making a massive comeback – as an urban alternative to a wine-farm visit. The latest is a stylish emporium, from Le Grand Domaine in the Devon Valley, in Stellenbosch’s buzzing Church Street. All glossy wooden surfaces, leather, copper details, striped awnings and tiling, it’s an atmospheric spot for aficionados (and novices) to indulge their passion. There are several tasting options – all from the Grand Vin de Stellenbosch, Stellenview, Kruger Family and Cape Five ranges – with more than 30 wines available by tasting portion, glass or bottle.
A small, seasonal bistro-style menu features bold classics with a twist: chipotle Patagonian squid, mussels in garlic-miso broth, steak Florentine or pan-seared duck breast with balsamic blackberry sauce; a simple trio of sorbets or berry pavlova adds the sweet final note. There are also generous platters of local artisanal cheese and charcuterie to share, or simply order a half-dozen fresh oysters and a glass of bubbly to enjoy at a sidewalk table under the oaks.
The Wine Glass
The Stellenbosch sibling of the highly rated wine bar in Hermanus, this convenient, upmarket, all-in-one food-and-wine experience in the heart of town is drawing the crowds… and for good reason. Whereas Stellies’ other wine bars tend to focus on a specific estate’s labels, at The Wine Glass you can get a taste of (just about) all this region’s nectar – by the glass, bottle or tasting flight of six.
The chef has compiled a noteworthy local-global menu that sings with the wines, including seafood, steak and lamb dishes. There are also sharing plates of tapas, plus generous cheese and charcuterie platters, or simply a plate of six Atlantic oysters with zingy sauces.
It’s an elegant, contemporary space, with indoor leather banquette seating along one wall under a draped tented ceiling, and an oak-shaded courtyard in the back – home to an eye-catching statue called Lady Temptation. Indeed, with more than 130 choices of wine, repeat visits will be essential.
Click HERE to see the full list.