"While South Africa isn’t known for its sushi, you can easily satisfy your craving in Cape Town at Willoughby & Co. The menu at this waterfront restaurant is encyclopedic—there’s everything from Boston clam chowder and spaghetti marinara to prawn curry and teriyaki chicken ramen, but sushi is the star. Try the chili-seared tuna sashimi or the tuna roll with caviar sesame seeds."

"Bistro Sixteen82 has one of the most gorgeous settings in a city packed with them. One side of the restaurant opens out onto the Steenberg vineyards—founded all the way back in 1682—and the other positions you in full view of mighty Table Mountain. It's the perfect place to have a glass of wine, a light meal, or “brekkies,” as they often call breakfast here. Entry to the simple but beautifully designed restaurant takes you past the winery, and its jaw-dropping chandelier made of 2,700 green and red resin oval shapes resembling grapes, whetting your appetite for what lies ahead. Open for breakfast, lunch, and early evening tapas."

"Dinner at the Red Herring The Red Herring in Noordhoek is a local pub that is a nice place to dine in all seasons. In the summer, you can toast the sunset over Noordhoek Beach from the rooftop balcony (but arrive early to ensure you get a seat). In the winter, you can dine downstairs next to this cozy fireplace. Their pizza is a delicious, too. Their large, crispy pies and rival that of the nearby pub The Toad . The setting and menu are varied enough that you can eat there more than once."

"Located in the 160-year-old Leinster Hall, The Stack has to be seen to be believed. Its recently refurbished interiors are both outrageous and sublime, with emerald and sapphire walls, a leopard-print couch, and a rainbow of velvet chairs. There’s a beautiful garden out front, a brasserie and bar downstairs, and a private club on the top floor. Dining here feels like you’ve gained entry to a private, Old Cape Town world, but with a modern menu. Standout dishes include the duck rillette and the onion tart with king oyster, shiitake, and shimeji mushrooms."

"A consistent award-winner, La Colombe—located on Silvermist wine estate—is full of surprises. Here, owner Scot Kirton and head chef James Gaag collaborate on a variety of fantastic dishes, including a particularly delicious seared scallop with char siu pork belly, cauliflower, apples, and black forest ham velouté. The restaurant community was abuzz when a sister restaurant, La Petite Colombe, opened in late 2017 in the space recently vacated by the award-winning Tasting Room in Franschhoek."

"Surrounded by the manicured gardens of the Cellars-Hohenort Hotel, on the back slopes of Table Mountain, the award-winning Greenhouse packs tons of flavor onto each plate, no matter how small the dish. A good way to sample the deceivingly simply food is to try one of the restaurant’s tasting menus, with or without the wine pairings. Expect modern South African dishes like steamed blue prawns with seaweed, and caramel smoked duck with truffled liver mousse. The eatery, with its charcoal walls, custom-made timber tables, and leather chairs, creates a feeling of dining in a magical forest."

"Originally started as a South African take on a Parisian café, with a menu for breakfast, tea, and lunch, La Petite Tart has been so successful it took over the premises next-door and extended its hours to cater to dinner patrons too. It modestly describes its décor as “shabby chic,” but the atmosphere's welcoming coziness"

"Carne SA is unapologetically about meat, meat, and more meat! Every cut of beef, lamb, or venison will be paraded in front of you with pride before it's cooked to perfection. Most of the meat comes from the Nieu Bethesda farm of owner/chef Giorgio Nava (whose Italian background accounts for the Milanese touch in many of the dishes). Even though there are now three spots in the city , the original, on the Keerom Street cul-de-sac remains a favorite."

"A once quiet downtown thoroughfare, Bree Street now has so many eateries that it is a sort of restaurant row. The feeding starts with breakfast and goes through lunch, afternoon snacks, drinks, and dinner at places like Bacon on Bree, Folk Coffee, the Culture Cheese Club, Café Frank (a must for breakfast or lunch), Clarke's Bar & Dining Room (very popular for weekend brunches), Chefs Warehouse and Canteen (where it is essential to arrive early because the kitchen closes at around 8 p.m.), and the always packed (especially for drinks) La Parada. Just off Bree Street are many other options, such as the Hungry Herbivore and the House of Machines, whose customers often overflow onto the narrow side street."

"This new restaurant’s philosophy is deceptively simple, and it seems to be drawing people in. There's no booking; Just arrive for lunch or dinner and hope there’s a table. (It's totally worth the hassle.) The airy restaurant prepares a menu of only three dishes daily. All you need to do is pitch up, choose your meal and beverage, and pay at the counter. Your meal is brought to you on Chefs’ “bespoke” trays. “When you have eaten you can just stand up and walk away satisfied.”"

"A Cape Town favorite Italian restaurant that is always packed, with families, lovers on a special date, friends, even though it’s not cheap Italian food by any means. The pastas are divided into long and short varieties – corta and lunga – and you will find the standard dishes plus many variations. Take a table on the verandah on balmy summer evenings."

"Hemelhuijs is a stylish and intimate oasis in downtownCape Town, perfect for a leisurely breakfast or lunch. The menus here are seasonal, featuring modern South African dishes made with fresh ingredients. Diners can look forward to everything from ricotta-and-Swiss-chard ravioli to vanilla baked guava with double-cream yogurt. Friendly and efficient service, good house wine, and excellent coffee make Hemelhuijs a real find. Seek it out and join discerning Capetonians at this relaxed venue, tucked behind the historic Lutheran Church."

"Chef Franck Dangereux (formerly of La Colombe, a celebrated Cape Town institution) runs the Foodbarn Restaurant out of a lovely old barn in the village of Noordhoek. Here, you’ll get all the flavors of a fancy restaurant, without the fuss. You may dine on artistically presented dishes like pépé goat cheese beignets, but a glance around the revamped space, with its rustic-chic decor and colorful knickknacks, will remind you that you are, in fact, feasting in a barn. At night, the place transforms into a tapas bar."

"Cozy Dining at Tamboers Winkel Each time you enter the door at Tamboers Winkel, you feel like you're in for a treat. With its long wooden table and shelves stocked with local produce and wines, the style of the eatery is very European cafe meets farm kitchen. Think freshly baked bread, free-range eggs, pickled salads, cured meats, and more. Even if you don't have time to sit and dine, pop in one morning for one of Miriam's chocolate croissants and a coffee. Because this hyperlocal cafe seats less than 20 people, it can get quite busy on the weekends."

"Where Grand Chic Meets Retro Romance Avoid the crowds of the Waterfront, and other busy tourist hangouts, and enjoy the beach, ocean vista and ships sailing into Cape Town Harbour from Grand Café & Beach at Granger Bay, Cape Town. Relaxed yet central with enjoyable food for the whole family, a great place to chill out and enjoy a glass of Cape wine, delicious deep-fried prawns and wonderful pizzas. Added attractions include great cocktails, comfy loungers and a Gallery Shop of casual beachwear. A unique venue for lunch, early-dining with great sunsets, or an intimate dinner for two, convenient to city and waterfront hotels. You’ll forget you’re in a city!"

"On a visit to Cape Town in 2011, Michelle Obama made quite an impression at The Kitchen, a local eatery in Woodstock. It’s easy to see why she—or her staffers—chose this homey spot, stylishly cluttered with an array of retro knickknacks. The former first lady is known for championing a healthy lifestyle, and The Kitchen owner Karen Dudley is no different. Made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, Dudley’s salads and sandwiches promise to deliver wholesome goodness to your taste buds. For a healthy meal followed by a sweet treat, pair the Love Sandwich (filled with avocado, pesto, tomatoes, and onions) with one of Dudley’s divine brownies."