29 replies to this topic

[jbraynolds]

Anybody have insight as to the better destinations in Cape Town for fine dining, price not an object? Also wine bars and stores?
Thanks in advance.

[nanuq]

The best wine store is at the V&A waterfront, Vaughan Johnson. Pick up the latest John Platter Guide when you arrive, it has lists of specialist wine stores, as well as wine country restaurants.

One of my favourite places is on the drive to Cape Point, called the Black Marlin. If the weather is good, it's gorgeous. And good seafood. The restaurant at Buitenverwachting is reputed to be very good, but I have not tried it.

Enjoy

[Vikram]

I had a very good meal at a place called the Five Flies, just off Long Street. We went for lunch, so it wasn't a problem getting a table, its a nice place, great food and friendly, yet professional service.

If you're driving through Kalk Bay DEFINITELY stop at this bakery/deli called Olympia. Totally historic cinnamon twists and great bread and pastry in general.

Back in Cape Town Melissa's gourmet deli on one of those roads leading up the mountain is very well known and pretty good.

Vikram

[wgallois]

The Savoy Cabbage in Cape Town is exceptionally good. See also earlier threads on this board about South African vineywards.

[jbraynolds]

Thanks very much for the suggestions! I've heard good things about Codfather; anyone been there?

[dallardice]

Just back from CT - fabulous city, fabulous food - here's where we ate:

Savoy Cabbage - a good restaurant, but our biggest disappointment. Great ingredients, but I felt inexpertly matched (a delicately-flavoured zebra carpaccio was completely overwhelmed by a huge pile of rocket and pear & ginger salsa). Also disappointing service - seemed to be no-one who could really advise on wine.

Jinga - best meal we had in CT itself. Fascinating Asian-ish flavours, great service.

Madame Zingara - a CT institution. Wacky decor and service, but great fun, and the chilli-chocolate steak is worth a try. Cheep and very cheerful.

Five Flies - great room, and sparklingly-fresh seafood. The sorbets were worth trying.

La Colombe, (in Constantia Uitsig) - great French-African fusion. SA ingredients done in a fine Provence style. The toughest place to get into, we were lucky to get a cancellation.

Ocean Basket (Kloof St) - this is a chain, but we didn't know that when we ate here on our first night in town. Just great seafood - particularly sensational tiger prawns and langoustines. Our CT hosts said this is where locals eat, the food's often close to the quality in some of the flashier seafood restaurants, but with no view and half the price.

Arnold's (Kloof St) - our only average meal. African menu, off-hand service.

All in all though, we absolutely loved Cape Town and truly - we had no bad meals. La Colombe was the only meal which broke the R1000 barrier for two (and in most places, we had three courses, aperitif, one or two bottles of wine and digestif). Service was almost uniformly excellent, very friendly, we're planning our next trip...

Edited by dallardice, 31 March 2004 - 01:40 PM.

[Suzi Edwards]

my recs might be a bit out of date, we went 12 months ago, but we had a great meal at the savoy cabbage (so good i bought the cookbook) and some really good sushi at a place called wakame at mouille point [URL=http://www.wakame.co.za/]

further afield, the quater francaise in franchoek was amazing, both the food and the room, and it was many times better than the monneux restaurant in the same town that people seemed to rave about.

we stayed at the table bay hotel, which was fab and i would really recommend it.

have a great trip

[Tom G]

My wife and I are going to South Africa for 12 days in February. I'm slowly but surely making my bookings for meals, both there and in the Winelands.
Take a look...tell me what you think...
Any musts that i've missed? One obviously glaring hole is Afrikaans or Malay food. Do i need to remedy this?
Here goes...

CAPETOWN
1st night dinner - Savoy Cabbage (right around the corner from hotel)
2nd night dinner - Blues OR Codfather in Camps Bay - thoughts on which is better?
3rd night dinner - one.waterfront

WINELANDS
1st day lunch - La petite ferme
1st night dinner - Haute Cabriere
2nd day lunch - Tokara
2nd day dinner - La Couronne

Any suggestions for a lunch spot along the Garden route (btwn Franschoek and Wilderness)? And we've got 1 night in Wilderness - any favorite dinner spots there?

[Dana]

We'll be there for 2 days in September, so I'm equally interested in all opinions.

[Suzi Edwards]

I had a fantastic meal (and stay) at Le Quartier Francais. It is the most perfect place I have ever stayed. Margot Jones' food was exceptional too. It's in Franschoek.

[Andrew Morrison]

wow, i haven't been to cape town in ages. blues is phenomenal. for something more interesting, try the obs cafe in observatory.

andrew

[babka]

I can't speak to the food, I'm afraid, but 8 years after the fact, a night at the ampitheatre of Oude Libertas is still the highlight of two months in Cape Town. We wandered through through the candle-lit tables of the restaurant to see a performance of Carmina Burana and everything--absolutely everything--was enchanted.

[silverbrow]

Try Constantia Uitsig, the food is fantastic and IMO better than La Couronne

[Tom G]

Thinking of swapping out La Couronne...and going to Moyo at Spier instead...anybody have any experience there?

[Ted Task]

PLEASE! Report when you return......going to S.A. in early May, most time to
be spent in Safari camps, but have planned five days in Cape Town and wine
country. Would VERY MUCH appreciate what a fellow "gulletier" has to report.
Ted Task

[PotjieCheffie]

Howzit Ted.

Not sure how long you're going to be in the fairest Cape for in May, but if you're still there towards the 26th, the Cape Gourmet food festival is worth going to.
A number of restaurants have specials on etc and with the exchange rate (currently on 11 rand to the pound), it'll seem rather 'cheap'.

http://www.gourmetsa.com/index.html

I have a smallish list of restaurants that I have personally enjoyed eating in (when I lived and worked there) or have been recommended to by guests that have managed the journey down south.

If you eat at any others, I'd be interested in updating the list.


· Papino’s in Hout Bay – the top local restaurant in Hout Bay – very
good food and fantastic ambience
· The Blue Danube – Bottom of Kloof Nek – excellent cuisine
· Bloemers – in Cape Town. A traditional Afrikaans venue, with their
food and hospitality
· On the Rocks – Ambassador Hotel, Bantry Bay, for their Irish
Coffees made on the trolley, in front of you, with a view that is second to
none! Must book a window table. Well worth it, and rounds off the evening
in a very special way
· Mount Nelson Hotel for their afternoon high tea, or for dinner in
their lovely “fine dining” restaurant
· Dunes in Hout Bay – for sundowners and a fantastic ambience
· Bosman’s at the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl – the best breakfast’s
to have, especially in the rose garden. Starve yourself before .. and then
attempt the wine route afterwards!
· Cape Colombe
· Constantia Uitsig Restaurant
· Pearly’s on the beach in Langebaan
· Madame Zingara – known for the fillet steak with chilli and
chocolate sauce
· The Restaurant – Graham Shapiro is a fantastic chef
· Bukhara – THE top North Indian restaurant, outside of North India
· Limoncella – Italian
· Balducci’s V&A Waterfront
· Saigon – Vietnamese
· The Five Flies – Cape Town
· Colcaccio – pizza
· Café Dharma – Moroccan
· Buena Vista Social Club – similar to the Havana bar
· Roxy’s – Late night coffee bar
· Long Street Café
· Carlucci’s – Deli
· Mesopotamia – Belly dancers, food is average
· Punana – Drinks – Heritage square
· Strega – Italian restaurant
· Savoy Cabbage
· Bossanova – Latin American club
· Budha bar
· La Med – Great for meeting the locals, very busy, very popular and
great sundowners
· Rhodes house – for the partying of the night away
· Anatoli – Great mezze platters
· Leinster Hall – Chef David Higgs is a personal friend of mine

A few 'worthwhile' dishes to look out for on the menus include:

Potjiekos (cooked in a cast iron pot)
Perlemoen (you might know it as Abalone)
Kreef (West coast rock lobster)
Waatlemoen konfyt (a type of jam or preserve)
Waterblommetjie Bredie - one of my favourite stews

and then of course the huge amounts of fresh fish and local meats/ game meats.

Have fun in Cape Town and enjoy the magical African sunsets - May is not as warm as Feb/ March but you should have some great weather.

[docsconz]

PotjieCheffie, Welcome to eGullet and thanks for the extensive list. Are all those restaurants in Capetown? Are there any in particular that you would consider "don't miss?"

[FoodMan]

Note: two threads about Cape Town dining are merged.

[PotjieCheffie]

PotjieCheffie, Welcome to eGullet and thanks for the extensive list. Are all those restaurants in Capetown? Are there any in particular that you would consider "don't miss?"

Hi Doc

Many thanks for the welcome.

The restaurants listed are in Cape Town and 'greater Cape Town' - i.e. within 20 miles or so of the city centre.

'don't miss' restaurants could be great for me and rubbish for you. I guess it depends on the individual, the prices, the views, the ambience, the winelist and the service.

For views, Blues in Camps Bay is second to none - though I haven't personally enjoyed a decent meal there in years.

For ambience I would rate Papino's in Hout Bay as being superb. Having worked there for many years, I have yet to find that magical blend of local and tourist in a relaxed setting, vibrant atmosphere, good food and a magical winelist. It encompasses the friendliness of the Mother City with a passion for food and service.

For fine dining - you're spoilt for choice. Chef David Higgs at Leinster Hall and his new venture in the winelands; Chef Thomas Sinn at the Blue Danube; Bosmans at the Grande Roche for their culinary evenings; Constantia Uitsig... the list can go on and on.

An ideal day of eating and drinking in and around Cape Town would include the following:

Breakfast at the Grande Roche in Paarl. Simply it is the best - the rose garden in summer, the alfresco dining and superb food make a wonderful start to the day.

Lunch somewhere with a local - so that you can experience a braai (barbeque) with a wide range of meats and especially the fish. Potjiekos with all the condiments would be simply heaven.

Pre-dinner drinks at Blues or next door at the Bay Hotel would then lead on to a great night of feasting with Thomas Sinn at the Blue Danube or more exclusively with David Higgs at Leinster Hall/ or a rare table at Constantia Uitsig.

To finish off the evening a lovely stroll along Clifton beach with a small bottle of Champagne and then journeying on to the bar, On The Rocks at the Ambassador Hotel, for Irish coffees. The sea vistas would alone be something never to be found elsewhere in Cape Town.

And then a gentle trip back to Hout Bay, along the Atlantic on one of the charter boats, admiring the phosphoresence churning in the wake. This would be subject to weather and prevailing stomachs LOL.

Then you have the second day to try out the next batch of good, decent restaurants that seem to love all things about food. And the following days and weeks too.

Once you get to know a local there, they'll be more than willing to advise you on where to go and what to eat. Try avoiding the V&A Waterfront as a general rule - the prices are ludicrous, the service somewhat pathetic and food is merely 'so-so'.

The times of year that you manage to make the trek to Cape Town also determine where you should eat and drink. Feel free to drop me a line if you're planning a trip there - I'd be more than willing to put you in contact with some of the locals, etc.

Edited by PotjieCheffie, 28 February 2005 - 07:09 PM.

[Dana]

PotjieCheffie, welcome and many thanks for the recs. I was leaning toward Blues for one of our dinners in Capetown, but am now rethinking. Maybe only a drink there. Do yoy know anything about Vic Falls? Any recs, or is it really a touristy area? Thanks so much

[PotjieCheffie]

PotjieCheffie, welcome and many thanks for the recs. I was leaning toward Blues for one of our dinners in Capetown, but am now rethinking. Maybe only a drink there. Do yoy know anything about Vic Falls? Any recs, or is it really a touristy area? Thanks so much

Hi Dana

Personally I'd avoid Blues - but then again if you've never been, then it might be worth it to have a look see first. Try a cocktail at the bar, peruse the menu, but bear in mind that the food might not match up to the fantastic views... nor the service ;)

Tom G has some great Winelands restaurants listed in his post earlier. If you manage to make it out to Le Petite Ferme, purchase some of their wines and courier them back home. They're ONLY available at the estate and they're one of the little treasures you might find.

Matthew Gordon @ Haute Cabriere is a great Chef too. You won't be disappointed.

Just a note on the restaurants that have been mentioned - speak with the locals when you get down there. Speak to the various Chefs when you get the chance and ask them where they'd eat.

Have a great time down south :)

Sorry can't help you with Vic Falls - never been there myself, but do believe that 'hard Forex' would be advisable when travelling there - the exchange rates you'd receive from the locals are massively higher than that of the banks.

Edited by PotjieCheffie, 02 March 2005 - 12:56 PM.

[300rwhp]

Grantiss its matt glad you joined

[docsconz]

Any recent updates to report?

I'm heading over there shortly and will have four nights in Cape Town. I'm thinking about One.Waterfront (I'll be staying at The Cape Grace), Constancia Uitsig, La Coulombe, Savoy Cabbage, Manolo, Madame Zingara, The Mount Nelson Hotel, Blue Danube, Leinster Hall, Bukhara and Codfather. Please help me distinguish between these and any other suggestions. I am particularly interested in fine culinary uses of South African ingredients. The style of cooking is relatively unimportant.

[PotjieCheffie]

Any recent updates to report?

I'm heading over there shortly and will have four nights in Cape Town. I'm thinking about One.Waterfront (I'll be staying at The Cape Grace), Constancia Uitsig, La Coulombe, Savoy Cabbage, Manolo, Madame Zingara, The Mount Nelson Hotel, Blue Danube, Leinster Hall, Bukhara and Codfather. Please help me distinguish between these and any other suggestions. I am particularly interested in fine culinary uses of South African ingredients. The style of cooking is relatively unimportant.

Hi Doc

Nothing to report as of yet - am waiting on updates from my lists of travellers.
Personally I'd avoid the Waterfront (too touristy) and venture forth into Cape Town and surrounds.
I mentioned Bloemers as locally speaking its about as authentic as you will get in terms of Afrikaans cuisine.

Bukhara is supposedly still the top North Indian restaurant outside their homeland.

Constantia Uitsig is worth the 40 minute journey - French use of provincial ingredients, truly memorable.

For a different take on the Waterfront, you might wish to travel to the 'yacht basin side' and enjoy the seafood at Panama Jacks - Send Quentin (the owner) my regards. Not cheap but probably the only place I would recommend in the Waterfront.

The Mount Nelson is a must, even if for their High Tea. The Cape Colony restaurant was rated in the top 10 worldwide a few years ago.

The Blue Danube restaurant, by Austrian Thomas Sinn, does magical food.

Franschhoek eateries are plentiful so either a trip to Haute Cabriere or Le Petite Ferme would be the choice personally.

Oh... and depending when you travel down south - enjoy a glass of bubbly on Chapmans Peak or on Table Mountain. The sunsets will blow you away!

Safe travels
G

[docsconz]

Glenn,

Thanks for the additional advice. I am curious, though when you write to avoid all the waterfront restaurants, if One.Waterfront is specifically included in that warning and if so can you elaborate? I have heard good things about the restaurant and given its location at the Cape Grace I would expect it to be good. I am planning on dining there after our day in the winelands, which promises to be the busiest of our stay in Cape Town and therefore the one best served by staying in our hotel.

I think I will try to secure a reservation at Constantia Uitsig and The Mount Nelson. Since my dining partner is a bit less adventurous than I am and not into Indian food, that will unfortunately leave out Bukhara and probably Bloemers as well. That narrows things down to the Leinster Hall, Blue Danube or Panama Jack's.

[PotjieCheffie]

Hi Doc

I consulted with some friends down south and apologies to One Waterfront - it is supposedly very good, however quite pricey even by Cape Town standards.

Panama Jacks would be a good choice for seafood, however the Blue Danube would be something special.

David Higgs is also at the Meerendal Wine Estate... give him a shout on some places to visit as well.

I look forward to hearing about your gems that you discover

Grant

[Dana]

We returned from Africa a couple of weeks ago, but I've been unable to get online due to hurricane Rita. We are still without power - 13 days and counting.....
We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Savoy Cabbage and another at Panama Jacks the two evenings we were in Capetown. I'd recommend them both. I'll consult my notes at home ( I'm posting from work) and review what we ordered. I do remember at Panama's we had a mixed seafood platter - grilled seafood of all types. It was very nice. More later.

[docsconz]

Hi Doc

I consulted with some friends down south and apologies to One Waterfront - it is supposedly very good, however quite pricey even by Cape Town standards.

Panama Jacks would be a good choice for seafood, however the Blue Danube would be something special.

David Higgs is also at the Meerendal Wine Estate... give him a shout on some places to visit as well.

I look forward to hearing about your gems that you discover

Grant

We had 4 nights in Cape Town. Dinners at Cape Colony and One. Waterfront are documented in their own topics with photos. The third night we ate at Constantia Uitsig. This was perhaps our most ho-hum meal of our entire two week trip. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't anything special and certainly not worth the premium for a ride out from the waterfront. Perhaps La Colome is better. Our last night we had a reservation for Blue Danube. Unfortunately we were so full from an excellent lunch at 96 Winery Road that we cancelled. Instead we had a nondescript light dinner near our hotel.

Wineries visited included Meerlust, Vergelegan and Rust En Vrede, all a lot of fun with excellent wines. All three wineries were beautiful properties, though Vergelegan was particularly stellar. We went to Spier too, though not for the wine or the food. We went to play with the cheetahs. I got to play with 8 cubs. That was fun.

I also stayed at Grootbos, a nature reserve/resort near Walker bay. The food was outstanding. I will get to a separate thread shortly.

[ellenesk]

An earlier post mentioned oude libertas. Is there dining there? How far in advance do I need to make reservations at restaurants like one waterfront and petit ferme

[docsconz]

An earlier post mentioned oude libertas.  Is there dining there?  How far in advance do I need to make reservations at restaurants like one waterfront and petit ferme

The only question here I could answer based on limited experience involves One.Waterfront. If you will be staying there it should be no problem. I would say, though if you know when you wish to dine, I would suggest reserving as far in advance as you know. That would apply to any restaurant.