{"id":853887,"date":"2026-03-13T15:40:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T13:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=853887"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:42:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T13:42:00","slug":"top-restaurants-in-south-africas-most-beautiful-city-including-an-authentic-1970s-italian-eatery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/853887\/top-restaurants-in-south-africas-most-beautiful-city-including-an-authentic-1970s-italian-eatery\/","title":{"rendered":"Top restaurants in South Africa’s most beautiful city – including an authentic 1970s Italian eatery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If cities had beauty pageants, Cape Town would be a finalist. There are beaches galore, backed by\u00a0spectacular\u00a0mountain ranges and\u00a0a high concentration of parks throughout the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also scores of\u00a0scenic\u00a0vineyards, many producing\u00a0top-quality wines you won\u2019t\u00a0taste if you\u2019re not in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tourist scene is thriving \u2014 a\u00a0record number of visitors<\/a>\u00a0arrived\u00a0<\/strong>at Cape Town International\u00a0<\/strong>in 2025. Right on cue, the\u00a0dining scene is amping up, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the top end, it\u2019s been drawing\u00a0global celebrities<\/a>; casual neighbourhood cafes have been raising their game as well, even as the number of diverse choices has expanded.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the restaurants used to be dominated by European concepts, now plenty of local heroes showcase the food and products they grew up with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although there\u2019s still a dearth of chefs of colour, more and more restaurants are sourcing from Black entrepreneurs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Tambourine, which has joined with the community garden\u00a0Moya We Khaya<\/a>\u00a0to source ingredients from Khayelitsha, Cape Town\u2019s largest historic Black township \u2014 a neighbourhood where the average income is about $300 a month and nearly half of the residents are unemployed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as hospitality has boomed, so have prices, as well as the chance that service will be uneven. A lot of hyped restaurants don\u2019t have a long shelf life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s best to know which places are worth sitting down at, whether you\u2019re coming for the annual Finance Magnates Africa Summit or\u00a0the famed Cape Town International Jazz Festival, or you want to take full advantage of South Africa\u2019s\u00a0flexible nomad visa<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five top tables we chose include Tambourine, plus a place from the first South African chef to run a Michelin-starred establishment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re also shouting out the Bloomberg DINE <GO> index, featuring restaurants popular with Bloomberg Terminal users. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this edition, we highlight one of\u00a0Africa\u2019s top-ranked dining rooms, whose fans include Dua Lipa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arlecchino<\/a>, Sea Point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Tashas cafe chain<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>spans the globe,\u00a0with more than\u00a0two dozen locations from London\u00a0to Dubai. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the roots of the group\u2019s breezy all-day dining spots are South African: Founder\u00a0Natasha Sideris opened the first cafe in Johannesburg more than 20 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At her latest concept, Arlecchino, she\u2019s shifted the emphasis to\u00a0the Mediterranean- and Italian-styled places she grew up with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s playful theatricality on display throughout, including the\u00a0harlequin-style server\u00a0uniforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come for the pastas, especially the\u00a0Amalfi lemon bucatini that delivers a sharp citrus hit,\u00a0for R208. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also plenty of seafood. (This is, after all, a city where two oceans meet.)\u00a0Grilled fresh sea bass, branzino\u00a0and tiger prawns prepared with minimal fuss (from R246), as well as tasty tuna tagliata topped with anchovy crumb (R328), are all strong orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most popular meal is still brunch, which pulls\u00a0in a trendy crowd, and not just for the vibe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlights include seasonal fruit salad with maple syrup (R120),\u00a0panettone French toast (R156)\u00a0and \u2014\u00a0because why not? \u2014\u00a0a\u00a0cannoli with maraschino cherries on the side (R148).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tambourine<\/a>, District Six<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tambourine would be a destination dining room even if you didn\u2019t admire its support for Black entrepreneurs and regenerative farming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they bypass traditional supply chains, owners Kyle du Plooy and Keane Munro funnel capital directly into the hands of Black urban farmers. Kitchen scraps are returned to Khayelitsha as compost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, the restaurant\u2019s location is convenient: it\u2019s in the historic District Six neighbourhood, now transformed into a hub for Cape Town\u2019s tech startups, and just steps away from Chips, the coworking space that\u2019s become a hangout for incognito high-net-worth locals.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plant-based tasting menus start at R650 and feature ingredients from those gardens, including ash-baked beetroot and fire-charred cabbage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also a \u201cliving pot\u201d: Inside that pot you\u2019ll find spekboom (a slightly sour succulent shrub) and fynbos (wild herbs with citrusy, aromatic notes). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dessert, try the peppermint crisp, a beloved South African tart layered with mint chocolate and whipped cream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tambourine adds mint tuile and caramel cr\u00e9meux to reimagine this traditional icebox dessert,\u00a0part of the R850 tasting menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Reuben\u2019s Restaurant & Bar<\/a>, Franschhoek\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before he opened his eponymous spot in his hometown of Franschhoek \u2014\u00a0just over an hour\u2019s drive east of Cape Town \u2014\u00a0Reuben Riffel ran Bruno\u2019s Brasserie in Cambridge,\u00a0England. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The celebrity chef credits his time in the UK as a professional turning point: it was when he started prioritising top-quality ingredients.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riffel returned to South Africa two decades ago\u00a0to open Reuben\u2019s, a place featuring\u00a0local products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has earned him attention and culinary awards, and\u00a0was such a successful formula that many of his original dishes have remained unchanged on the\u00a0good-value, seasonal menus.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the\u00a0long-standing favourites: venison roasted in a charcoal-fuelled Josper oven and served with blueberry chutney and truffled cauliflower puree (R345). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another is the tempura prawns (R155),\u00a0served on a pineapple and chile-coriander salsa and elevated with sweet corn velout\u00e9, a nod to the country\u2019s most important staple ingredient, also known as\u00a0mealies, or maize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you try one dish, it should be the smoked springbok carpaccio (R135), featuring South Africa\u2019s national mammal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s so iconic\u00a0it appears on rand coins and is known internationally as the national rugby team\u2019s mascot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Le Bistrot de Jan Cape Town<\/a>, Waterfront<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a city obsessed with bookings, Le Bistrot de Jan is welcomingly\u00a0accessible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the latest restaurant from star chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen,\u00a0who also runs the\u00a0Michelin-starred Jan<\/a>\u00a0in Nice, France; hosts a food travel TV show; and has an eponymous cookware line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Bistrot de Jan\u00a0takes reservations, but it\u2019s also\u00a0surprisingly easy to walk in.\u00a0Located inside the foyer of the newly renovated InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town hotel, it\u2019s outfitted with eye-catching\u00a0velvet booths and timber panelling.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The menu celebrates\u00a0French bistro cooking using South African ingredients. The couscous royal is served family-style and studded with traditional boerewors (a local beef sausage seasoned with warm spices),\u00a0for R750. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tourte au poulet\u00a0arrives\u00a0smothered in truffle sauce (R650). There\u2019s also extravagant steak Florentine (R2,100).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The menu changes often, but Jan\u2019s malva pudding (R140) is a constant.\u00a0The\u00a0luscious, spongy, sticky pudding-like dessert, based on his mother\u2019s recipe, uses\u00a0tangy apricot jam instead of dates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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La Colombe<\/a>, Constantia Nek<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Among La Colombe\u2019s many fans are Dua Lipa, who, on a recent trip to Cape Town, took to Instagram to show off her\u00a0meal there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0highest-ranked dining room in Africa<\/a>\u00a0on the World\u2019s 50 Best restaurant\u00a0list\u00a0is tucked away in an indigenous forest along a mountain pass.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s\u00a0fine dining with a proper view, overlooking\u00a0a centuries-old wine valley where homes are hidden behind trees, not the walls of\u00a0the rest of the\u00a0velvet-roped neighbourhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Befitting the restaurant\u2019s surroundings, the menu focuses\u00a0<\/strong>on nature. Depending on the time of year, you can expect at least nine courses reflecting premium seasonal ingredients. The chef\u2019s menu is R2,395.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the outstanding dishes, the Coastline\u00a0course \u2014 served on a custom-made ceramic plate that mimics a bird\u2019s-eye view of Table Mountain and its coastline \u2014\u00a0simultaneously establishes\u00a0La Colombe\u2019s sense of place\u00a0and the excellence of\u00a0local products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The night I was there, the dish was made with Namibian red crab and local coastal succulents, accompanied by a theatrical tableside pour of aromatic South African-spiced Cape Malay velout\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was an absolute pleasure dining at this location. There is a beautiful fireplace, which is great during a Cape Town winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have an adventurous palate\u00a0and enjoy a holistic dining experience of hearing more about the ingredients and method of cooking, then this is a great choice,\u201d\u00a0raves\u00a0DINE user Sonia Ramautar.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tasha’s founder Natasha Sideris has opened a new 1970s Italian restaurant concept in Cape Town, joining a growing list of top eateries in the Mother City.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":853911,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876],"tags":[2279,10783],"class_list":["post-853887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-cape-town","tag-restaurants"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=853887"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":853914,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853887\/revisions\/853914"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/853911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=853887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=853887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=853887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}