Everyone will tell you that dining in Cape Town is a treat like no other. Why? Well, let’s just say that the Mother City is one of the best food cities in the world. From Asian-fusion restaurants and Japanese-inspired eateries to a number of steak and vegetarian joints, the options for finding delicious food here are endless. There are dozens of new restaurants in Cape Town that opened its doors since the beginning of the year and most of them seem to be causing a positive buzz among the locals. Here is our top pick of 15 of the hottest new restaurants across Cape Town.
1 Cabrón Taco Bar
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Located on Bree Street, Cabrón Taco Bar is a Mexican place that offers generous portions of veg tacos, beef, tuna, and pork at budget-friendly prices. They also have nachos, as well as some veggie options to choose from. The interior is cozy and the service is extremely fast, so you don’t have to worry about waiting for too long.
2 The Fat Greek
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In case you are looking for some Mediterranean cuisine, make sure to stop by the Fat Greek restaurant. Hummus, lamb, and chicken skewers are probably some of the most popular dishes here. The restaurant is tucked away on the Marine Promenade and offers an intimate atmosphere.
3 Marrow
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Marrow is a small broth bar located on Loop Street that offers four main broths including Brown, Clear, White, and Green. Guests can choose to order their meals in a cup or in a bowl. There are four owners and we heard that one of them fell in love with soups after his visit to Japan.
4 Hokey Poké
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Hokey Poké is a new raw fish salad bar that is influenced by Asian cuisine. Some of the signature dishes here include the mouth-watering naked tuna with shredded kombu and salmon with avocado. Visitors can also try the delicious tuna with mango crispy onions, edamame beans, and avocado.
5 Roast & Co.
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Located in Heritage Square, Roast & Co. focuses mainly on chicken dishes and attracts a large number of guests. Their chicken comes from the Elgin farmhouse and you can order tasty dishes like chicken caesar croquettes, Mzansi fried mac ‘n cheese, and liver pate with chicken terrine and duck fat. Of course, Roast & Co. offers a vegetarian menu and their baked camembert with yogurt and vanilla is truly amazing.
6 Homage 1862
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Situated inside a building from the 19th century, Homage 1862 focuses on a mixture of South-African and Asian cuisine. The interior looks amazing with handmade crockery, a retro coffee lounge, and tables made from ceiling wood. Make sure to try their salmon in fynbos honey, it’s delicious. Homage 1862 also offers a nice selection of smoothies and fresh juices.
7 The Crazy Horse Gastro Pub Emporium
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Interested in some English pub fare in the heart of Cape Town? Check out the Crazy Horse Gastro Pub Emporium that completely transformed the space which once used to be home to Latitude 33. There is a large bar where guests can order a variety of bottled beers and lagers on tap. When it comes to food, Crazy Horse Gastro Pub Emporium serves awesome dishes like lamb shank pie, pan-fried trout, and terrine with toast and onions.
8 The Hide Out Café
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There are many restaurants in Cape Town that serve great breakfast and the Hide Out Café is one of them. This place features a nice interior with visible Indonesian influences in the form of ornaments. The great thing about the Hide Out Café is that it offers a wide range of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.
9 Fire Fish
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Located at the V&A Waterfront, Fire Fish is owned by Paul Kovensky who follows all the latest cooking trends and has even installed the famous Josper Charcoal Grill. The main chef Amber Deetlefs is in charge of preparing charcoal-grilled fish, as well as various starters and Asian-inspired small plates. If you have some space left for dessert, don’t leave before you try the Burnt Matcha Cream. The views of the harbor are spectacular.
10 Wild Sprout
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Healthy restaurants in Cape Town can be seen on every corner and most of them are great. People who have recently opened the Wild Sprout already knew this but decided to see if their specialties like sugar-free banana, vegetarian wrap, and smoothie bowl will make a breakthrough in the Cape Town dining scene. They were not wrong, as the Wild Sprout turned out to be a major success.
11 Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant
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Looking for a cool Ethiopian restaurant in the heart of Cape Town? Head out to Long Street and check out the fabulous Lucy Ethiopian. Haset Girma, who is the owner, prepares all of the dishes which are served in different types of bowls. The décor is simple with several traditional items from Ethiopia including the palm raffia mesob. There is also a nicely decorated bar area where you can have a drink before or after the meal.
12 Seabreeze Fish and Shell
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You probably noticed that many amazing restaurants in Cape Town are located on Bree Street and Seabreeze Fish and Shell is no exception. This new seafood shop is run by two gentleman from Aberdeen, Scotland who used to run a restaurant there but decided to move and open up a brand new seafood joint in the Mother City. Traditional seafood specialties like ceviche with cream cheese and silverfish with braaied corn can be found on the menu. One of their signature dishes is definitely the tasty tuna burger that comes with crispy onions. There is a cool rum bar in the back.
13 SHIO Restaurant
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Opened almost a year ago, SHIO Restaurant is here to bring modern Japanese dishes to the city of Cape Town. Expect to find dishes like duck-fat fries, chili-salt squid, and yellowtail sashimi on the men. I like their slogan “Drink Sake Stay Soba” which they share on Instagram. It’s best to come here with many friends so you can share the Japanese tapas-style food.
14 Salt
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Salt is located on the Kalk Bay strip and has an extensive menu that focuses on a mixture of local and International cuisine. Their wasabi-dusted calamari with lemon and chili and ceviche with lemon, grapefruit, and honey are simply delicious. All of the dishes are made from seasonal, organic, and fresh ingredients here at Salt. The good news is that the food is reasonably priced and they also have an extensive wine list and craft beers.
15 Thali
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Welcome to Thali, a newly opened Indian tapas eatery in Cape Town. The sea tapas menu for two includes eight dishes and all of them are super tasty. Some of these dishes include banana leaf steamed fish, golden lamb curry, and chicken and lamb kebabs which are all delicious. In summer, you can sit outside on their lovely secluded terrace.
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Looking for more help finding the hottest new restaurants across Cape Town by neighbourhood? View our destination guides to find out more about popular areas in the Mother City. You can also contact us if you would like to learn more about accommodation on offer in the city. We will help you plan your stay, booking the best restaurants in Cape Town by neighbourhood along with tours, car hire and everything else you could ever need.
