November 2024 | Travel
CAPE TOWN for FOOD NERDS
Words Tudor Caradoc-Davies (Cape Town) & Robyn Alexander (Kalk Bay)
Production Sven Alberding / Bureaux
Photos Warren Heath/ Bureaux
One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town is also turning into one of the best indie foodie destinations. From artisan bakeries and butcheries to craft breweries, coffee roasters and a wave of maverick chefs, for sheer variety and value for money, it’s difficult to beat the ‘Mother City’.
THE CITY BOWL
Unlike many metropolises dominated by skyscrapers and a stark financial district, Cape Town’s inner-city manages to effortlessly mix business and pleasure. From the easy pedestrian feel of Bree Street to the east city, Kloof Street and micro-districts in between, your options are endless. From fantastic fine dining restaurants from to hole-in-the-wall burger joints, you will not go hungry.
JASON BAKERY
Cape Town’s go-to inner-city baker, Jason Lilley offers up so much more than just bread. Get there any time from 7am on a weekday and the place is already busy with Capetonians getting their morning coffee and breakfast. Be sure to try his chorizo egg tartlets and bacon croissants in the morning, the porchetta sandwich for lunch, lobster rolls on ‘Lobster Roll Fridays’ and take a loaf of sourdough back home if you are self-catering. If you visit on the weekend before climbing Table Mountain, get a sugar kick from Jason’s fabled doughssants. His take on a ‘cronut’ (croissant and donut) they have a well-deserved cult following in the city.
CLARKE’S
While not limited to the category, Clarkes excels at the post big night breakfast and brunch. With possibly the best burger in Cape Town (grass-fed beef patty topped with Underberger cheese), the Rooster dog (with kimchi, sriracha, miso mayo and toasted peanuts) and a great Bloody Mary that they claim “people rise from the dead for”, Clarkes draws crowds both nursing themselves back to speech after the previous night and making plans for tonight.
ARCADE
Dubbing itself a “resto-bar” Arcade combines old school industrial cool with a drinks and food menu that will keep you hanging out at the pavement tables any time from 5pm to 2am (kitchen closes at 11pm). Try a chicken prego roll or the McQueen burger (cucumber yoghurt relish, pickled red onion, avocado, rocket, coriander and basil) with sweet potato fries and wash it down with a cocktail.
TRUTH COFFEE
If Mad Max drank coffee in Cape Town, this steampunk-themed cafe would be his local. Renowned for their coffee (try the Resurrection Baby) and the beautiful, outlandish coffee machine that makes your brew, Truth also make good food (smash a Steampunk Florentine for breakfast or the Ultimate Steak Sandwich for lunch) and serve up drinks at night. We recommend the Devil’s Peak First Light Golden Ale.
HONEST CHOCOLATE
These guys do chocolate, but it’s not your normal chocolate. Using ethically sources raw cocoa from Ecuador (as opposed to the roasted cocoa most manufacturers use), they make incredible chocolate treats that are free from preservatives, additives and emulsifiers (all the crap stuff you read on the back of a chocolate wrapper). Their chocolate is also dairy-free and uses agave nectar in place of processed sugar. As if you needed another reason to sample some quality chocolate, there is a secret gin bar at the back of their Wale Street store.
TAMBOERSWINKEL
Owner Theo van Niekerk grew up on a farm so you can expect hearty country-inspired fare as well as Deluxe coffee at Tamboerswinkel. Time your visit around 12am or 5pm to take advantage of the freshly roasted chicken from the rotisserie or pop by on Wednesday evenings for a free wine tasting.
MARBLE CAPE TOWN
Chef David Higgs has brought his fire-cooking celebration to Cape Town. At the top of the restored heritage Union Castle building, Marble has wrap-around rooftop views of Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront’s working harbour and the Atlantic ocean and is set to be the spot for glam sundowners this summer. Offering a real destination feel, the 220-seater restaurant continues the signature Marble fire-cooking style – with a touch of Cape Town added to the mix.
CHEFS WAREHOUSE & CANTEEN
Feted chef Liam Tomlin is at it again… his new vision for the three storey-building on Bree Street (formerly The Bailey) has totally re-invented the space, with a back-to-the-original Chefs Warehouse & Canteen on the ground floor (global tapas and an edgy urban style); a brand-new restaurant, Merchant, on the first floor (championing local producers in fresh new ways) with a tasting menu and a more casual bar menu; and a rooftop events venue called Room 91.
HEIRLOOM
Fresh from an extensive renovation, the signature restaurant at Cape Grace, re-born as Heirloom, has mesmerising views over the marina to Table Mountain, and a fine-dining approach to match. Chef Asher Abramowitz (ex The Bailey) takes a diametrically opposite approach to the fine-dining culture of theatrics, with daringly minimalist four- and seven-course tasting menus and vibrant seasonal à la carte menu. Not a hint of foam, drizzle or garnish in sight, but rather a monochromatic white-themed palette throughout the menu.
https://www.capegrace.com/restaurant/heirloom-restaurant/
THE STRANGERS CLUB
This beautiful, old house in Greenpoint, Cape Town has over the years been shaped into a welcoming, comfortable and bright space that zings with good vibes. Even this backpack is quietly enjoying the ambience of the courtyard. Everyone is welcome. With lots of white and natural wood, you start to feel a bit of zen when you walk through the doors, it does feel a shame to open a laptop. The hospitality is anything but slow though, you can tell from the get-go that well-oiled systems are in place to keep the feeling of calm in the air for the customers.
ART OF DUPLICITY
Tucked away in a former warehouse at the back of an 1894 storefront, this roaring speakeasy beckons. An ex-Miss South Africa exits an unmarked door when we arrive at the secret location (we’re not at liberty to mention names, it’s a secret bar, after all). Acknowledged by a furtive-looking doorman, he takes us through the unmarked door and down a dimly lit passageway (don’t be deterred by the random toilet) that eventually leads to another door, this one marked “No Entry”. Said doorman knocks. A sleuth opens. A man dressed in steampunk attire answers, requesting a password. We’re in… transported to 1920.
LA COLOMBE
An iconic eatery that consistently serves up immaculately conceived plates and sublime service in a tranquil setting. High up on the slopes of the Constantiaberg mountains, Silvermist Wine Estate is a veritable jewel in the Constantia Wine Valley’s crown. And it is here, on this farm, that you’ll find La Colombe, an internationally acclaimed two-decade-old institution that was founded on the historic Constantia Uitsig wine estate (in 1996), having relocated to Silvermist under chef-proprietor Scot Kirton in 2014.
FYN
One of the most exciting epicurean experiences in the city plays out on the fifth floor of an innercity block, in a moody, loft-like space with an open kitchen at its heart. A regular on the World’s Best Restaurants Top 100 list, chef Peter Tempelhoff’s restaurant offers food that is African-inspired, using Japanese flavours, aesthetics and techniques. He and chef Ashley Moss put endless thought and care into a kaiseki-style menu that runs the gamut of tastes and textures, each course presented in intriguing and creative ways. Springbok, abalone, Cape wagyu and garlic buchu meet ponzu, karashi and shiso, each yielding a hit of flavour so lingering and sublime, you never want it to end.
THE RED ROOM
Liam Tomlin’s newest restaurant has flung open its doors at The Mount Nelson! Aptly named The Red Room, it occupies the space that was formerly The Grill Room (back in the 80s this downstairs venue was the Cape Town hotspot for elegant dinner dances). It’s recently been transformed into an opulent speakeasy-esque stage (in shades of red, naturally) for a sublime pan-Asian feast of small plates. https://www.belmond.com
CLUB KLOOF
Lobster-red walls, burnt-orange banquettes, a lemon-yellow Amalfi-esque bar in the back courtyard… bold colour is the signature of this vibey Kloof Street eatery and bar. Club Kloof comes from chef Shayne Shutte and Michael Carter, the duo behind Kloof Street favourite Our Local. They modestly call their cuisine “Italian-ish”, focussing on simple but excellent ingredients in small-plate-sharing format.
WOODSTOCK/SALT RIVER
As the city expands these gritty industrial suburbs are gradually getting gentrified. Old factories and warehouses are rejuvenated as some of the coolest restaurants and bars, several breweries and Cape Town’s only inner-city gin distillery.
OCEAN JEWELS
Half fish shop, half relaxed fish restaurant, Ocean Jewels is hugely popular with people shopping and working at the trendy hub that is the Woodstock Exchange. Serving up sustainable seafood dishes from fish tacos to calamari, salmon and tuna burgers and multiple combinations in between, you can also buy excellent local fish like yellowtail and snoek to take home. It’s a great spot to take in lunch if you are taking in the stunning street art of Woodstock (tours available for download from voicemail.me).
SORBETIERE
Within a stone’s throw from the Woodstock Exchange, pop into Sorbetiere to finish off your lunch with a little sweet something. Expect some outlandish flavours in both sorbets and ice creams from lemon, lime and tequila to malt ice cream inspired by a local brewery. Look out for flavours infused with local ingredients like Rooibos tea or naartjie and chili.
DEVIL’S PEAK BREWERY & THE TAPROOM
One of Cape Town’s most popular craft breweries, from its Salt River HQ the Devil’s Peak Taproom also serves up phenomenal pub grub with a view of the eponymous Devil’s Peak in the background. The best pulled pork sandwich in Cape Town and a world class cheese burger are the main attractions, but there is quality throughout the menu. All should obviously be washed down with one of the many beers on offer.
WOODSTOCK BAKERY
If you visit the Old Biscuit Mill on a Saturday, be sure to pick up some of the wood-fired bread
(try the sourdough) from this local artisanal baker.
KALK BAY
Just 30 minutes from the city centre, Kalk Bay is a beguiling coastal enclave where leisurely beachfront strolling meets quirky vintage shopping. With just the right amount of everyday bustle, and plenty of eccentric residents attracted by its combination of vintage appeal and hippie-inflected cool, Kalk Bay has an authentic village atmosphere that makes it a perfect day out from Cape Town during a holiday in the city.
TRUE LOVE COFFEE
The smallest coffee spot in Kalk Bay is also one its finest: True Love Coffee is just big enough to contain the barista and the espresso machine, but serves up delicious cortados and flat whites all day long. If they haven’t sold out already, do have a pasteis de nata (Portuguese custard tart) too – they’re a house specialty.
OLYMPIA
A true Kalk Bay institution that has been delighting Capetonian foodies since 1997, Olympia Café is open all day and serves superb breakfasts as well as delicious lunches and dinners. It may look a bit rough around the edges, and has never taken bookings (it’s well worth standing in line) but that’s all part of the charm – we suggest you settle in at midday, just before the lunch rush starts, and order the seafood linguine.
CHARDONNAY DELI
Situated directly opposite the entrance to Dalebrook tidal pool is Chardonnay Deli (chardonnaydeli.co.za/kalk-bay/), where you can sit either outside in the sunny courtyard or indoors (a better idea on windy days) and enjoy a wide range of breakfast or lunch options. Save room for dessert, because the house-made cakes are a highlight, particularly the flourless chocolate gateau and the classic carrot cake. You can also pick up a few treats – or ready-made meal options for dinner at your Airbnb – from the adjacent deli section before you depart.
HARBOUR HOUSE
Situated right above the wall at Kalk Bay harbour, Harbour House (harbourhouse.co.za) is the most upmarket of the area’s many restaurants, and serves top-notch fresh seafood accompanied by truly spectacular views. Order one of the daily fish specials – you won’t regret it. The wine list is impressive, too.
THE ICE CAFE
Perfectly petite with a pretty vintage shop front, The Ice Café is Kalk Bay’s only dedicated ice-cream shop, and likely to be packed from morning till night if you’re here during the summer months. If it’s available, try the Amarula ice cream – flavoured with a popular locally made cream liqueur – for something you’re unlikely to get anywhere else in the world.
SIROCCO CAFE
Especially enjoyable on hot summer evenings, Sirocco Café has a wide selection of seating options set up outdoors under a tall palm tree, making it perfect for watching the world go by as you sip a cocktail or glass of chilled rosé. Open all day from breakfast time onwards, it’s a good spot for casual dining – the Napolitan-style pizzas are highly rated, and ideal for sharing.
BOB’S BAGEL CAFE
Located alongside the petite green space of Lever’s Park, Bob’s Bagel Café serves up authentic, freshly baked bagels – on busy days they can sell out – and superlative coffee that’s roasted and ground on site. There’s also a small gallery on the premises, so you can peruse some local art and ceramics while you wait for your order, then go and sit in the park to enjoy your food and drinks.
