Food · Cape Town · South Africa
What to eat in Cape Town
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Cape Town, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Start with Bobotie, Cape Malay curry and Gatsby. Local hosts in Bo-Kaap teach small groups to fold samoosas, roll rotis and cook a Cape Malay curry in their own homes, followed by a shared meal. Book popular restaurants on Bree Street, Kloof Street and in the winelands a week or more ahead in December and January.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Bobotie
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Tip about 10–15% in restaurants if service is not already included, and round up for…
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Dish
1.Bobotie
Spiced minced meat baked with dried fruit under an egg-custard topping, served with yellow rice and chutney. It is the best-known Cape Malay dish and a staple of home cooking.
Where: Cape Malay restaurants in Bo-Kaap and on many traditional South African menus in the City Bowl.
Dish
2.Cape Malay curry
Mild, aromatic curries of chicken, lamb or vegetables, sweetened with dried fruit and flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric, usually served with rice and sambals.
Where: Bo-Kaap eateries and cooking classes on Wale Street and nearby lanes.
Street food
3.Gatsby
A long submarine roll stuffed with chips, sauce and a filling such as masala steak, polony or chicken, cut into portions and shared. It originated in Cape Town and is a huge, cheap meal.
Where: Takeaway shops in Athlone, Salt River and the CBD; one roll easily feeds two or three people.
Dish
4.Hake and chips
Battered or grilled hake with chips, often eaten straight from the paper on the harbour wall. Hake is the most common fish on Cape Town menus.
Where: Harbour fish shops in Kalk Bay and Hout Bay, and casual fish restaurants at the V&A Waterfront.
Dish
5.Braaied snoek
Snoek is a bony, oily local fish traditionally grilled over coals and basted with an apricot jam and butter glaze. It is a Cape favourite at weekend braais.
Where: Seafood restaurants and braai spots; fresh snoek is sold from the boats at Kalk Bay and Hout Bay in season.
Snack
6.Biltong
Air-dried, spiced strips of beef or game such as kudu, sold sliced or in sticks. Drier, thinner droëwors sausage is the other classic. Both are road-trip staples.
Where: Butcheries and biltong shops across the city and in supermarkets.
Dish
7.Braai and boerewors
The braai, or barbecue, is a social ritual. Boerewors is a coiled, coriander-spiced farmer's sausage, often served in a roll with tomato and onion relish.
Where: Weekend markets such as Neighbourgoods and Oranjezicht City Farm, and steakhouses throughout the city.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Koesisters (Koesister)
The Cape Malay koesister is a spiced, doughnut-like dumpling flavoured with cinnamon and cardamom, dipped in syrup and rolled in coconut. It is traditionally eaten on Sunday mornings and differs from the plaited, syrup-soaked Afrikaner koeksister.
Where: Home bakers and corner shops in Bo-Kaap, especially on Sunday mornings.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Malva pudding
A soft, sticky baked sponge with apricot jam, soaked in a hot cream-and-butter sauce and served with custard or ice cream.
Where: Traditional South African restaurants and family-style places across the city.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Rooibos tea
Caffeine-free red bush tea grown only in the Cederberg region north of Cape Town, drunk plain, with milk, or as a rooibos cappuccino.
Where: Almost every café; buy loose-leaf rooibos in supermarkets and speciality shops to take home.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Cape wine and Pinotage
Pinotage, a South African cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the signature red, while Chenin Blanc is the most planted white grape. Wines from Constantia, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek fill local wine lists at fair prices.
Where: Wine bars on Bree Street, estate tasting rooms in Constantia, and the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek winelands.
Dessert · Vegetarian
12.Milk tart (Melktert)
A shallow pastry case filled with a light, cinnamon-dusted milk custard. It is an Afrikaner classic served with coffee or rooibos.
Where: Bakeries, farm stalls on the way to the winelands and cafés across the city.
Food experiences
Bo-Kaap cooking class
Local hosts in Bo-Kaap teach small groups to fold samoosas, roll rotis and cook a Cape Malay curry in their own homes, followed by a shared meal.
Saturday market at the Old Biscuit Mill
The Neighbourgoods Market in Woodstock fills a converted biscuit factory with food stalls, craft beer and local producers on Saturday mornings; go early to avoid the crush.
Winelands tasting day
Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Constantia estates offer tastings, cellar tours and long lunches; the Franschhoek Wine Tram links several estates so nobody has to drive.
Fish from the harbour
In Kalk Bay and Hout Bay you can buy the morning's catch from the boats or eat hake and chips beside the harbour while seals wait nearby.
Quick bites and street food
- Gatsby — Takeaway shops in Athlone, Salt River and the CBD; one roll easily feeds two or three people.
- Biltong — Butcheries and biltong shops across the city and in supermarkets.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Koesisters, Malva pudding, Rooibos tea, Cape wine and Pinotage and Milk tart. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Book popular restaurants on Bree Street, Kloof Street and in the winelands a week or more ahead in December and January.
- Many restaurants allow you to bring your own wine for a corkage fee; ask when booking.
- Card payments, including tap-to-pay, are accepted almost everywhere, but carry small cash for car guards and market stalls.
- Waiters often bring the card machine to the table, so your card never leaves your sight.
- Fish menus often list SASSI ratings; green-listed species such as hake and yellowtail are the sustainable choices.
Tipping
Tip about 10–15% in restaurants if service is not already included, and round up for ride-hail drivers. Fuel-station attendants who fill your car and clean the windscreen expect a few rand, as do car guards.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Molo | Hello (isiXhosa) |
| Enkosi | Thank you (isiXhosa) |
| Dankie | Thank you (Afrikaans) |
| Lekker | Good, nice, tasty |
| Howzit | Hi, how are you? |
| Robot | Traffic light |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Cape Town famous for?
Bobotie, Cape Malay curry, Gatsby and Hake and chips. Spiced minced meat baked with dried fruit under an egg-custard topping, served with yellow rice and chutney.
+Is Cape Town good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Koesisters, Malva pudding and Rooibos tea.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Cape Town?
Tip about 10–15% in restaurants if service is not already included, and round up for ride-hail drivers. Fuel-station attendants who fill your car and clean the windscreen expect a few rand, as do car guards.