Dining in Cape Town: The 10 Best Choices

From world-renowned fine dining in Cape Town to fire-kissed farmhouse feasts in the winelands, South Africa’s culinary scene is as diverse and extraordinary as its landscapes. 

Celebrating the pinnacle of South African dining, the 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards – which took place in Cape Town at the end of March – recognised a collective of leading chefs, restaurateurs and the Cape region’s finest culinary establishments.

Cape Town benefits from a fusion of international cuisine, inspired by classic European dishes and combined with endemic ingredients, traditional Afrikaans cooking, and flavoursome Cape Malay and Asian influences. Within this melting pot of aroma and taste, an innovative collective of globally-educated and renowned chefs has thrived, redefining cuisine in its contents, flavours and presentation. There is simply no end to the choices when dining in Cape Town.

To reflect this inspirational reinvention of the dining experience, the establishments at which they take place have also been reimagined, dispensing with the conventional and uniting the Cape Dutch winelands, rugged coastline and contemporary capital city.

The following restaurants are our top ten of those selected and celebrated by the Eat Out Awards, each offering more than just a meal—they invite you on journeys of flavour, texture and imagination.

Dining in Cape Town: 10 of the Best

La Colombe – Constantia

High above the Silvermist Wine Estate, La Colombe takes fine dining to soaring heights—both literally and figuratively. Consistently ranked among the world’s top restaurants, this award-winning institution offers an immersive tasting menu where every dish is a visual and gastronomic spectacle. Executive Chef James Gaag draws on French technique and Asian inspiration, crafting each course with a precision that stirs both wonder and delight. The minimalist interiors and breathtaking views over Constantia’s forests and vineyards set the stage for a fairytale journey of the senses, where creativity knows no bounds and flavour reigns supreme.

VUUR – Stellenbosch

A celebration of earth and flame, VUUR delivers a deeply personal culinary experience in a transformed farmhouse kitchen surrounded by wild gardens and grazing wildlife. Set on the Remhoogte Wine Estate, each seven-course set menu is prepared before your eyes using fire-based methods, allowing the ingredients – sustainably sourced from land and sea – to shine through with primal elegance. With wine pairings curated from Remhoogte’s own cellar, every bite is elevated and thoughtfully balanced. Rustic and refined, VUUR offers an experience rooted in South African terroir and shaped by storytelling.

FYN – Cape Town

At the forefront of Cape Town’s fine dining evolution, FYN defies convention with daring flair. Perched above the city’s skyline in a sleek, industrial-inspired space, the restaurant has earned its place among the world’s top 50 and was crowned Africa’s Best Restaurant in 2022. Chef Peter Tempelhoff’s visionary menu marries Japanese finesse with South African ingredients in a spellbinding kaiseki-style journey. Each course is an explosion of creativity, precision, and flavour, while the open kitchen and Table Mountain views add dramatic theatre to every sitting. A sensory voyage for the curious and the discerning.

Épice – Franschhoek

Refined and romantic, Épice – meaning ‘spice’ in French – takes diners on a global exploration of flavour. Located at Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek, the menu draws inspiration from India, Spain, Japan, and beyond, woven together by Head Chef Charné Sampson’s intuitive mastery of delicate spicing. Every dish is meticulously constructed, with balance at the heart of each creation – aromatically rich yet nuanced, vibrant yet elegant. Paired with warm service and a softly lit interior, Épice offers an experience that’s both sophisticated and soulful.

Reverie Social Table – Cape Town

Reverie Social Table transforms the simple act of dining in Cape Town into a shared experience of connection and curiosity. With just 18 seats around a single communal table, chef-owner Julia Hattingh invites guests to unplug and engage over a five-course tasting menu that celebrates seasonality, sustainability and local produce. South African wines are expertly paired to each dish, enhancing the depth and vibrancy of the flavours. Unpretentious and intimate, Reverie is where strangers become friends and every course sparks conversation.

ëlgr – Cape Town

Located on Kloof Street, ëlgr blends Scandinavian minimalism with bold Mediterranean and local flavours in an urban-chic setting. Chef Jesper Nilsson’s approach champions simplicity without compromise, offering seasonal small plates, house-made charcuterie, and standout wood-fired pizzas. The restaurant’s forest-inspired interiors and leafy courtyard invite relaxed, stylish dining. Paired with an extensive list of South African wines and craft cocktails, ëlgr delivers an effortlessly cool yet deeply satisfying culinary experience.

Galjoen – Cape Town

Cape Town’s homage to the ocean, Galjoen is a seafood-only restaurant that passionately celebrates South African waters. Co-owned by Neil Swart and Anouchka Horn, Galjoen refuses to import – every dish is anchored in local, sustainable sourcing. The tasting menu is ever-changing, responding to the tides and the seasons, and features masterfully executed plates like grilled Cape bream or octopus with coastal greens. The space reflects its ethos – raw, elemental, and honest. For seafood lovers, this is a place of pilgrimage.

Spek & Bone – Stellenbosch

Tucked away in a courtyard off Dorp Street, Spek & Bone delivers bold, unpretentious flavour in a relaxed yet refined setting. Named for chef Bertus Basson’s pig and dog, the restaurant’s charm lies in its fusion of casual warmth and culinary precision. The tapas-style menu highlights South African ingredients with international flair; think wild mushroom gnocchi, grilled fish with XO sauce, or slow-cooked pork belly. For a more guided experience, the chef’s menu offers expertly paired courses alongside exceptional regional wines. Under the canopy of one of Stellenbosch’s oldest fruiting vines, every meal here feels like home.

Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia

High above the vines of Beau Constantia, Chefs Warehouse offers a refined yet approachable dining experience that celebrates the art of small plates. Chef Ivor Jones, formerly of La Colombe and The Test Kitchen, delivers a dynamic tasting menu where seasonality and technique meet in perfect harmony. With sweeping views across the valley and a wine list that highlights the estate’s own vintages, every detail is thoughtfully considered. The interplay of bold textures, clean flavours, and stunning presentation makes this one of the most memorable culinary stops when dining in Cape Town.

Salsify at the Roundhouse – Camps Bay – 2025 Restaurant of the Year

At the historic Roundhouse overlooking Camps Bay, Chef Ryan Cole leads a culinary rebellion rooted in respect for tradition but driven by innovation. Salsify’s seasonal menus are inspired by nature, shaped by decades of global influence, and crafted with the aim of surprising and delighting. With sweeping views of Lion’s Head and the Atlantic Ocean, the experience is visually and gastronomically layered—each dish a masterclass in restraint and imagination. Humble ingredients are elevated to art, while storytelling infuses each plate with a sense of mystery and elegance.

Fine dining in Cape Town is only one aspect of the budding gastronomist’s distractions. Freshly-shucked oysters at Houts Bay, romantic mountaintop picnics overlooking the city far below, a bounty of seafood, a wealth of farmers’ markets, cafés, street vendors, and traditional Cape Malay cooking classes encompass all walks of life, and the food on which they thrive.

The Cape region offers a spectacular array of opportunities for a dynamic food safari. Combined with world-class fine wines, captivating scenery and numerous days filled with outdoor adventure, Cape Town is far more than a port of arrival, and one would be well advised to tarry a while and sample the flavours of Africa.

See you out there.

Thomas

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