With two full weeks spent in and around Cape Town, we had a lot of time to indulge in their delightful culinary scene. While we didn’t eat much Cape Malay food (the local cuisine), we visited a variety of other restaurants and cafes with one tasting better than the next! With no shortage of choices for where to eat, we did find a few favorites that we returned to multiple times.

Jerry’s Burger Bar

Far and away our favorite, we found Jerry’s Burger Bar right around the corner from our first hostel in the city. Arriving after three long days of travel, we wanted something quick, easy, and familiar. As soon as we sat down at Jerry’s, we knew that we would be returning again and again during our time in Cape Town. Famous for their burgers, I fell in love with and continually ordered the first one I tried: the Greed burger. A large beef patty was stuffed with chorizo and cheese, then topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg. Served with homemade French fries on the side, it was almost too much food for one person! I quickly learned that I had to be very hungry in order to eat it all, but I managed on a few occasions! While I stuck with my favorite burger, Jon tried a handful of different things on the menu, including a foot-long junkyard dog, so-called because of the amount of toppings piled on top. The atmosphere and waitstaff were so laid back and friendly that we spent hours sometimes just relaxing, writing in our journals, or people-watching. We ate at Jerry’s frequently and still talk about how much we miss their burgers!

The Greed burger was my go-to meal at Jerry’s!

Jerry’s was right around the corner from our first hostel in Cape Town, making it convenient to visit for a quick and delicious meal.

Bacon on Bree

Another favorite of mine, I’m sad that we didn’t discover Bacon on Bree until almost the end of our time in Cape Town. As you can probably guess from the name, bacon is the main ingredient in most of the dishes served at the small restaurant. We ate brunch on two separate occasions, including our last day in the city, and easily would have eaten there more often had we tried it earlier in our stay. My favorite dish on the menu was the Breakfast Club – a large piece of sourdough bread topped with bacon, poached egg, fried cheese, avocado, mushrooms, and rocket. With such fresh ingredients, it filled me up and was a delicious way to start the day.

I still dream about the breakfast at Bacon on Bree – maybe I will find a way to recreate it one of these days!

Truth Coffee

On all the blogs I read and articles I bookmarked before arriving in Cape Town, Truth Coffee was mentioned over and over. We ventured out one morning in the drizzling rain to have a coffee and some breakfast. After about a 10-minute wait, we were shown to two seats at a long community-seating table. A cappuccino and flat white were promptly brought to our table, with the coffee tasting as good as we imagined. A glass dome topped Jon’s plate of food, trapping smoke inside to give his breakfast a smoky flavor. My toast, bacon, tomatoes, and poached eggs were bright on my palate, a contrast to the grey skies outside. Lest you think this is just an average coffee shop with innovative dishes, imagine being served by waiters dressed in steampunk with exposed beams and lightbulbs, copper tubing, and metal fixtures everywhere. The busy and unique atmosphere made it a fun place for breakfast!

The interior of Truth Coffee was worth the visit alone – nevermind the smooth coffee and innovative food!

Fork

A bit further down Long Street, toward the water, is a tapas restaurant called Fork. Arriving for a late dinner one night, we were shown to a small table on the second-floor balcony. A bottle of red South African wine accompanied our selection of six different dishes, all served separately as they were prepared. From a risotto cake and ravioli to pork belly and kudu steaks, we sampled a variety of dishes that showcased the range of South African cuisine.

We had a large selection of tapas to choose from at Fork, and ultimately settled on six for our dinner.

Slug and Lettuce

Wanting a quick and cheap dinner one night, we left our hotel and wandered a few doors down to a small, noisy bar called Slug and Lettuce. Deciding that bar food was usually a good bet, we claimed two stools, draft beers, and placed our order. The nachos and chicken wings we ordered were exactly what we wanted and we felt right at home. The atmosphere reminded us both of the bars in Bay City, our hometown, so we were happy to have such a familiar setting for our meal.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from Slug and Lettuce! This one is from their website 🙂

V&A Food Market

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is home to a number of restaurants, but when we were in the mood for a quick bite to eat, we headed into the V&A Food Market to fill our stomachs. Similar to a high-end food court, the market was large and housed a number of different food stalls from hearty sandwiches to ice cream and desserts. This gave us an opportunity to try different items, like a wrap filled with ostrich meat and a flatbread with spicy chicken. The food was quick but no less impressive than what we had been eating in the numerous restaurants around the city. Our favorite? The Creamery ice cream stand, where I delighted in the macadamia nut and Jon tasted the coffee.

The interior of the V&A Market was industrial, with high ceilings and a place for all the different food, coffee, and dessert stands.

The Food Market at V&A Waterfront is full of a variety of food stalls and sweet treats.

Mitchell’s Brewery

It’s no secret that Jon and I are beer-drinkers. Mitchell’s Brewery, located at the V&A Waterfront, was the perfect place for us to stop and have a beer after a day of shopping and sightseeing! Their sampler gave us a taste of five of their beers, of which both our favorite was the Old Wobbly. And what else goes with beer better than fried food!? While not the most healthy, we felt free to indulge for one meal. Fried spring rolls, chicken tenders, jalapeno poppers, and meatballs filled us up and left us feeling full and tired.

A beer flight?! Yes, please! Mitchell’s provided five of their beers for a tasting.

Quay 4

Aside from Jerry’s, Quay 4 was our second most-frequented restaurant while in Cape Town. My friend, Elze, first introduced me to the seaside seafood restaurant and then I returned a handful of other times with Jon. The outdoor patio boasted a view over the harbor while the inside had a small stage for musicians to entertain the crowd. Obviously known for seafood, we tried a few different dishes on the menu such as the fish cakes, seafood chowder, and calamari. The dish that we both ordered time and time again was the traditional fish and chips, made of course with the local hake fish. Light and flavorful, the hake became a favorite of ours whenever we were in the mood for seafood around South Africa.

After lunch at Quay 4 with Elze, Jon and I returned two or three additional times for dinners.

The Blue Peter

Speaking of Elze, we were lucky enough to spend two different days hanging out with her in her suburb of Table View. On each of those occasions, we went out for a long lunch at a local seafood restaurant, since the city is, as the name implies, located on the coast with a view of Table Mountain. On our first visit, she took us to The Blue Peter. It was crowded, but we were able to get a table outside with a view out to the water. A bottle (or two!) of our go-to wine, the Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect drink for a hot summer day. The Blue Peter was popular with locals for two things – their seafood and their pizzas. Jon elected to try a salmon pasta, which he loved, and Elze and I both ordered pizzas. While the food was good, the view and company are what made this restaurant special!

Lunch at a table outside at The Blue Peter was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Catch 22

The second restaurant that we visited in Table View was Catch 22. Located across the street from the water, we had a table on the second-floor balcony outside in the shade. Sushi was first on the menu for us, with Jon ordering another platter for his main dish. I decided to try a different local fish, Kingklip, which was savory and filling! As with all of our meals with Elze, we spent a couple of hours chatting and enjoying each other’s company.

We started with a sushi plate at Catch 22, which was so fresh!

Overview

There were other restaurants that we tried as well (Hudson’s, Knead Bakery, Mexican on Long, and more) but these were some of our favorites. We are still dreaming of the burgers at Jerry’s and know that we’ll be back someday to order another plate! The food in Cape Town was surprisingly diverse and unique, with a lot of fresh ingredients and innovative combinations. I had never known that Cape Town had such a good food scene, but I’m already hungry to return and eat some more!

A runner-up for restaurants in Cape Town? A bakery with a full menu, Knead. Views like this made it just as enjoyable as any other fancy restaurant!