The Harts Honeymoon in South Africa: Cape Town Restaurants
One thing that pleasantly surprised me about Cape Town was the food. It is for real a foodie paradise. We did not have one bad meal. In fact, I had the best meal of my life in Cape Town. What’s more, even the most expensive restaurants were relatively affordable. We could eat multiple courses of the finest food, order a bottle (or perhaps two) of wine, and add dessert if we could manage and still spend less than $100 for the entire meal. Like I said, foodie paradise. Below are some of the highlights, although I know we just scratched the surface of what Cape Town has to offer.
One of our first nights in Cape Town, we met up with friends we met on safari at Mama Africa. This is definitely a place you need reservations and is not the place for a quiet night out. The restaurant is loud and colorful and fun. Live African music from the one of the house Marimba bands sets the backdrop for a lively evening. Of course, the highlight was the delicious platters of traditional dishes.
Mama Africa made for a fun and delicious night out in Cape Town.
If you know me, you know how I feel about coffee. It is the delicious, beautifully bitter elixir of life. So of course I had to go to one of the best coffee roasters in the world when I had the opportunity. The steampunk themed coffee house and cafe was a bit difficult to find, but worth the effort.
You know I couldn’t just have one cup of coffee, so perfectly roasted and brewed that even a die hard cream and sugar user might consider drinking the coffee black. Our waiter took time to make specific recommendations based upon our preferences. After much deliberation, I settled on one round of Deep, Dark, and Twisted prepared as a long black and one round of the Black Honey blend prepared with the Abid Clever Dripper. It was truly some of the best coffee I have ever had. I’m still not over that most of the coffee we bought to bring home was stolen by Turkish customs. Oh, and bring your appetite - the food was fantastic, too.
This food hall is a local gem of flavors and smells and affordable food. If you’re in Cape Town, go here. Eat incredible food. Make your belly happy. And did I mention this spot is affordable? For real, our entire, generously proportioned meal was about $10. It was a little confusing for a first timer, so after you somehow manage to narrow down what you want to eat (good luck!), you pay at any register, then take your receipt to the appropriate food line for what you ordered.
This cozy spot in Camps Bay was another fun night out with safari friends. The seafood restaurant has no menu other than a great wine list. Upon being seated, you are offered as many oysters as you like (which would be none for Brandon, thank you very much) and informed about the giant rotating sushi bar. As sushi chefs constantly refresh what’s offered, you can choose as many individually priced (by color) plates as you would like. With so many choices, it was quite difficult to choose.
But the choices did not stop there. I mentioned there was no menu. That’s because your waiter will escort you to a case full of a seafood lover’s paradise. After you choose exactly what you want and how much, it is simply yet perfectly grilled and served with sides and sauces to share. This meal was everything that a seafood dinner should be. We ended the wonderful meal shared with friends by, what else, ordering coffee and Amarula for the table.
Have you ever wondered about the best meal of my life? No? Well, I am going to tell you about it anyway. I have saved the best meal in Cape Town - and of anywhere I have ever been - for last. Chef’s Warehouse is small. With only a handful of communal tables and no reservations taken, it is best to get here early and hope for the best.
The restaurant offers a set Tapas for 2 menu that changes nightly and a carefully curated wine list. Every single course, every single dish, and every single bite was culinary perfection. After ordering a bottle of South African wine, we eagerly anticipated the first of three courses.
Brandon’s face when I insist on taking pictures before we eat.
Words are inadequate to describe this meal. It was beyond words. I think Brandon’s post-meal face says it all:
If you’re in Cape Town, go here. The other places I’ve mentioned are fantastic and I have no qualms about recommending them. But this, this is the best that food can be. If you have one meal in Cape Town, it should be at Chef’s Warehouse.
With that, it is sadly time to move on from Cape Town, such a beautiful, lively, and obviously delicious city. But the honeymoon is not over yet - we ended our trip with some time in the Cape Winelands.