Cape Town

Travelers' Takes

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FOOD - Cape Town

A travel journal to Cape Town by MiriamMannak

Cape Town harbors many fabulous places to eat, from decadent to budget, and everything in between.

  • 10 reviews

Lola'sBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Lola's is a paradise for vegetarians or people who don't mind skipping their daily portion of meat once in a while. And to be honest, I didn’t miss meat in my chickpea and coconut curry (±R28/3,50 Euro). Actually, it was only later that I realised that it was a vegetarian curry.

Lola's menu consists of sandwiches (which you "design" yourself), smoothies and freshly squeezed juices, salads, home-baked giant muffins (both savoury and sweet) and other sweet stuff, pastas, and curries.

The curries (±R28/3,50 Euro) are served with sambals, chutney, sour cream, and banana to soothe the burn. For the pastas, try the Pesto Pasta (±R28/3,50 Euro). It is awesome!

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 8, 2005

Lola's
Corner Long St. & Pepper St. Cape Town, South Africa

Buena Vista Social CafeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Buena Vista Social Cafe is one of these joints I keep coming back to. The place has a Caribbean feel and a dash of Cuba with a couple of Castros watching over you from the wall.
The atmosphere is easygoing and relaxed, and this together with the great balcony overlooking Greenpoint makes Buena Vista the perfect place for a cocktail after a hectic day at work (or on the beach).
For food, try their Cuban-style tapas or their nachos. And don't forget to order a strawberry margarita. They rock!
During the evening, salsa sounds and Latin tunes drift you away to Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and all those other tropical paradises.
Before I forget, Buena Vista is situated across from Greenpoint stadium. Here every Sunday a flea and crafts market is held. This is the perfect place to buy your (South) African souvenirs.
The easiest way to get to Greenpoint is with a minitaxi in the direction of the Seapoint suburb and ask them to stop at the 7-Eleven/Friendly Store. Greenpoint Stadium/Buena Vista are just a few footsteps away.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 10, 2005

Buena Vista Social Cafe
81 Main Rd., 1st Floor Cape Town, South Africa 8001
(+27 21) 433 0611

YindeesBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Feel like Thai food? Go to Yindees. The food is awesome, quite close to "the real thing;" service is great; and the atmosphere and interior are the cherries on top. But, especially in tourist season (November to February), reservations aren't such a bad idea.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 17, 2005

Yindees
22 Camp St. Cape Town, South Africa 8000
021 422 1012

Manna EpicureBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Manna"

Manna is, at the moment of writing, one of the trendiest places in Cape Town for breakfast, lunch, and early dinner. And that is not without reason. Despite that the prices are quite high for Cape Town, Manna is worth a try: the food is delicious, the staff is utterly friendly, and the interior is to die for.

Try the manna breakfast (French toast brioche with Parmesan cheese and roasted vine tomatoes), the chocolate truffle cake, their tapas, or their white hot chocolate (green tea-infused!). And whatever you do, have a nibble of the complimentary bread. Manna bakes it every day in front of you.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 17, 2005

Manna Epicure
151 Kloof Street Cape Town, South Africa
+27 (21) 426-2413

Simply AsiaBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Simply Asia is one of my favourite "I don't feel like cooking but need good food instead of a sandwich" kind of place. The food is great (try their chicken green curry, medium), just like the ambiance and prices: for R38 (±5 Euro), you have a great meal that actually resembles the real thing. Vegetarian? They have loads of vegetarian options. Lazy? They have a delivery service, too (Mister Delivery)!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 17, 2005

Simply Asia
V&A Waterfront Cape Town, South Africa
021 425 5555

one.waterfrontBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

One.waterfront, the restaurant of the Cape Grace Hotel in the V&A Waterfront, is one of the finest restaurants in South Africa. It is a very upmarket place, which is reflected in the menu: no steaks, burgers, and spare ribs here!
One.waterfront is the place to be if you want to treat your lovey-dovey to a great night out, when you have cash to spend that is, as the prices are high, but the food is worth every penny. Go for it!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 17, 2005

one.waterfront
Cape Grace hotel Cape Town, South Africa 8002
21 410 7080

CrushBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

CRUSH, on St Georges Mall in Cape Town, is one of the best places to go for breakfast or lunch. They have a wide variety of sandwiches and freshly squeezed fruit juices. Try their Maracuja or passion fruit juice (or, how they call it here, Granadilla).
CRUSH is probably the healthiest place in Cape Town, as they use only organic products.
But this little eatery proves that healthy isn't the same as boring. Their sandwiches are, in one word, GREAT! They have loads of vegetarian options as well. Try the one with cottage cheese and Peppadew. And their prices? They are great, too!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 17, 2005

Crush
100 St George's Mall Cape Town, South Africa
+2721 422 5533

Let's Get NakedBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Let's get NAKED on Kloof"

"Let's get Naked," my friend said last week when we were discussing what to have for dinner. And naked we got! And it was wonderful! As usual!
Now, please! Get these dirty thoughts out of your head: This is not what it seems! NAKED is one of the newest walk-in and takeout places on Kloof Street. They specialize in wraps and bagels and are doing a grrreat job!
Whether you want couscous in your wrap, chicken salad, sun-dried tomato and feta, or spicy chicken, they got it. The prices range between R22 and R29 (±3.5 Euro), which is an excellent value for the money as the NAKED wraps are huge.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 24, 2005

Let's Get Naked
Kloof St. Cape Town, South Africa

Pumpkin ShopBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "The Pumpkin Shop - The Best Breakfast & Muffins"

The Pumpkin Shop in Tamboerskloof is a sweet, cute, and tiny little place on the corner of Kloofnek Road and Buitengracht/New Church. They bake their own muffins and chocolate cake, and they serve breakfast every day for a very good price. For instance, their health breakfast (yoghurt, fruit, muesli, and honey) costs about R15 (not even 2 euro) and is a great start to the day. Or try their muffins, from chocolate chip to feta/peppadew/spinach.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 24, 2005

Pumpkin Shop
12 Kloofnek Road Cape Town, South Africa

RafikisBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Rafikis, situated in Tamboerskloof, is truly one of the best places in Cape Town, in my opinion, that is.

** COBRA & CHILLI POPPERS
Go whether you want to have a simple beer (have something different and have a Cobra), a bite to eat (you have to try their chili poppers), or a midnight snack, as Rafiki's serves pizzas - they are yummy - till midnight!
** AFGHAN SURPRISE
Apart from great crowds, great food (try their Afghan Surprise Pizza!), great cocktails (Their mojitos simply rock!), and great atmosphere, Rafikis, meaning Friends, has the best outside seating of Cape Town. During summer, the sun only leaves Rafiki's when it has disappeared everywhere else.
**PILE O' PRAWNS
The last but certainly not least reason why you should stop at Rafiki's: their lunch special. Why? Urhm, could you resist half a kilogram of prawns for only R40/5 Euros? Thought so!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by MiriamMannak on November 8, 2005

Rafikis
13B Kloof Nek Rd. Cape Town, South Africa 8001
+27 21 426 4731

About the Writer

MiriamMannak
MiriamMannak
Cape Town, South Africa

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