Home to an incredible bounty of local ingredients, an exciting crop of cutting-edge chefs, and the kind of weather that makes all-day, outdoor dining a true pleasure, Cape Town has all the ingredients needed to earn a place on the culinary map. At The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa you’ll be treated to delicious international cuisine courtesy of Executive Chef Christo Pretorius at Azure Restaurant and a relaxed 24hr menu at The Café Grill, served up with spectacular mountain views. But for when you decide to explore beyond the boundaries of the hotel, we’ve selected some of the city’s hottest new restaurant openings for you to sample. From informal bistros and brassieres to elegant fine dinning and underground supper clubs, these new restaurants in Cape Town should keep you occupied for the duration of your trip.
Spasie
Spasie Underground Dining © Nicolas Charalambous
An innovative new dining destination in Cape Town, Spasie is the city’s first and only underground restaurant. Stretching the concept of the supper club beyond its usual remit, a revolving roster of celebrity chefs take to the kitchen for a two-day stint, serving an adventurous set menu to a select few. On Wednesdays, Spasie utilizes its cool, urban space for invitation-only private dinner parties. But on Thursdays and Fridays anyone can book a place at one of the most exclusive new restaurants in Cape Town.
Beijing Opera
Beijing Opera launch party © Beijing Opera
Pop-up restaurants come and go but when they do become a permanent fixture you know you’re on to something good. Enter Beijing Opera, the charming Chinese restaurant now open in De Waterkant. The menu is entirely dedicated to dim sum, with a myriad of tasty doughy parcels to choose from and fillings that change every week. It’s BYOB for a small charge, so bring a few beers and a few friends and enjoys some classic Chinese comfort food.
Chalk & Cork
Chalk & Cork small plates © Chalk & Cork
Situated on Kloof Street, this two-tiered restaurant matches its tasty tapas-style dishes with a stellar wine selection. Owners Marc and Amy Botes have taken inspiration from their travels around Europe to create a dynamic menu that changes weekly, with a slight penchant for Spanish ingredients. Chalk & Cork’s hidden courtyard sets the scene for carb-free cauliflower pizzas and a series of beautifully balanced small plates, all washed down with a glass or two of South African wine.
The Company’s Garden Restaurant
Outdoor dining at The Company’s Garden Restaurant © The Company’s Garden Restaurant
Making the most of Cape Town’s verdant surrounds, and set in South Africa’s first formal garden, The Company’s Garden Restaurant has turned its outdoor space into a playground for little ones. One of our favourite new restaurants in Cape Town for families, tuck into a hearty burger, toasted sandwich, or Fisherman’s Platter, or go for afternoon tea and enjoy freshly baked scones before letting the kids loose on the giant chessboard.
Borage Bistro
Borage Bistro food and wine © Borage Bistro/Mpumelelo Macu
Helmed by Chef Frank Marks (formerly of Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and Dinner at Heston), Bistro Borage has proven immensely popular since opening in the CBD last year. The menu offers simple, elegant dishes, made using all natural, preservative-free ingredients, with a particular focus on lunch and breakfast items like their French Toast with maple syrup, caramelized banana and crispy pancetta.
The Dining Room
The Dining Room © Adam Letch
Karen Dudley’s latest eatery in Cape Town, The Dining Room, is bringing back the simple delight of sharing good food around the dining table. With a dish-a-day menu that changes daily, The Dining Room removes the hassle of pouring over menus and pondering ingredients so that your attention can stay with your company. The vintage styling and welcoming ambience will be familiar to patrons of her other restaurant, The Kitchen (just a few doors down), and while there’s no liquor license as of yet, there’s also no corkage fee, so feel free to a bottle with you.
Bocca
Inside Bocca © Bocca
If you’ve come to Cape Town looking for pizza, Bocca should be your first port of call. Fresh out of the wood oven, the ‘Lady Zaza’ pizza, topped with kimchi, ginger pork sausage, spring onion and sesame seeds, is a popular choice. The contemporary interiors match the informal Italian approach to dining, making Bocca one of our top new restaurants in Cape Town for those travelling in groups, or with the family. Be sure round off your meal with one of their Saffron Panna Cotta desert jars, served with seed crumble and fresh berries.
Header Image: The Dinning Room © Adam Letch
