Cape Town restaurant guide
Five Cape Town restaurants to plan a meal around
Updated · Lekker Cape Town
A meal can shape a day in Cape Town: Japanese-Peruvian cooking on Bree Street, South African flavours beside the marina, or a seafood tasting menu on Harrington Street. This shortlist helps you choose the style of meal that fits your plans.
First published as a new-restaurants roundup in 2024, this guide has been updated using the restaurants’ official information. It is now a current dining shortlist, not a list of this year’s openings. Each entry links to the restaurant for its latest menu and reservations.
Bree Street, Cape Town city centre
Nikkei
Nikkei brings Japanese and Peruvian influences together at 87 Bree Street. Its menu offers a different direction from a traditional steakhouse or South African tasting menu, making it an option for an evening exploring the city centre’s dining scene.
Choose it for Japanese-Peruvian cooking on Bree Street. The restaurant publishes vegetarian and vegan options; use the current menu to help everyone in your group choose.
Official website for NikkeiV&A Waterfront
Heirloom at Cape Grace
Heirloom serves contemporary South African cooking inside Cape Grace at the V&A Waterfront. Seasonal ingredients and South African food traditions shape the menu, while its marina setting offers a different backdrop from a city-street restaurant. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Consider it when you want to build a Waterfront day around a meal. Choose the meal service first, then follow the official reservation link for your preferred date.
Official website for Heirloom at Cape GraceBree Street, Cape Town city centre
Chefs Warehouse & Canteen
Chefs Warehouse & Canteen is at 91 Bree Street. The restaurant’s current menu page includes its Tapas for Two offering alongside an à la carte menu, giving you a choice between a shared meal and selecting individual dishes.
Look at both menu formats when planning your table. The restaurant asks guests to discuss vegetarian or pescatarian options when making a reservation.
Official website for Chefs Warehouse & CanteenCape Town
Kanji Ramen
Kanji focuses on ramen and Japanese street-food-style small plates. The restaurant describes bowls made with hand-pulled noodles and meat or vegetable accompaniments, with smaller dishes to order alongside them. It offers a different meal format from the tasting-menu restaurants in this shortlist.
Choose it when a bowl of ramen and a few smaller plates suit the evening. The official site brings its current menus and location map together in one place.
Official website for Kanji RamenHarrington Street, Cape Town city centre
Galjoen
Galjoen serves a seafood tasting menu at 99 Harrington Street. The restaurant says its sourcing focuses on responsibly caught South African seafood. This is a set-menu experience rather than a place to choose separate starters and mains, with tables served each course together.
Reserve ahead for a seafood-focused meal and plan to arrive for the shared service. Review the restaurant’s booking page for dietary arrangements, age requirements and access information.
Official website for GaljoenPlan your visit
- Start with the occasion and meal format: ramen and small plates, Japanese-Peruvian cooking, a shared tapas meal, South African dining or a seafood tasting menu.
- Plan your restaurant booking alongside the day’s activities and transport. Bree Street, the Waterfront and Harrington Street are different destinations; check the restaurant’s own location before setting out.
- Use the official links for the latest menu, reservations and any dietary or access arrangements. Booking your meal directly with the restaurant keeps those details together.
For current opening days, menus and visitor details, follow the official links above.