2 Days To Dine In Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa, is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I can't wait to go back, despite the 16-hour flight from New York. The people are friendly, the atmosphere is beautiful, the prices are reasonable, and the food is amazing. The weather is best from October through February (their summer), but this is also the busy season. While I visited Cape Town in April, during their fall season, which can be rainy, windy, and misty, I lucked out and the weather was perfect; 80s and sunny with no humidity every day. If you're willing to chance it, this is the best time to go to avoid crowds.
Some of the nicest hotels in Cape Town, all located either near or on the beach with a beautiful view of the water, are Cape Grace, One & Only, and Ellerman House. Both located in the Victoria & Albert Waterfront, Cape Grace and One & Only are within walking distance to nearby sights, shopping, and the beach. The Cape Grace is more reasonably priced, and One & Only is a little more expensive, urban, and luxurious. The convenient location of both hotels makes the area slightly touristy, but potentially worth it for the proximity to the waterfront if that's a priority for your trip. Ellerman House is priced higher than the previous two, but is located in the hills of Camps Bay overlooking the beach and coastline below. Because it's a converted mansion with fewer rooms than the other hotels, and situated away from the beach, it's more private and the view is beautiful. It's still less than a 10-minute drive to the beach as well, so it's not far out of the way at all. Plus, renting a car in Cape Town is necessary if you'd like to have the freedom to get around on your own anyway. Had we not rented a car, we would have missed out on some great experiences, like the Old Biscuit Mill (more details below), which was one of our favorite parts of the trip.
The city offers so many unique things to do and see. Don't miss Boulders Beach, home to a group of penguins that migrated over from a nearby island to avoid the sharks. The best way to see the beach is by kayak; there are guided kayaking tours that leave from Simon's Town, a quaint seaside town that's worth a walk around. Table Mountain, named for its flat top, has a rotating tram that takes you from the bottom to the top in less than five minutes, or you can choose to hike. On a clear day, the views from the top of the mountain are amazing. Taking a drive around the entire Cape Peninsula, you'll find yourself on winding roads hugging the side of the mountains, overlooking a crystal blue sea. It's so picturesque that at times it doesn't seem real. Camps Bay has a beautiful beach with tons of beach-side restaurants and shops. Not far from Camps Bay is the Victoria & Albert Waterfront, home to a huge indoor and outdoor shopping mall, Ferris wheel, restaurants, and various other attractions all overlooking the water. And for the more adventurous, there are shark diving and scuba diving trips available. Personally, I'd rather spend my time eating food, not being food!
It may not be likely for an American to have just two days in Cape Town, but if by chance you find yourself there with a limited amount of time, here are some of our favorite recommendations I received from the locals.
Where to Eat:
The Test Kitchen: This place was awarded with the San Pellegrino and Aqua Panna "One to Watch" award 2013, and dinner at The Test Kitchen was the most memorable meal I had on my trip. Being the top restaurant in the city, it's difficult to get into, but we lucked out and got a last-minute table for two at the counter overlooking the pastry kitchen. The restaurant is located in a part of Cape Town called Woodstock, which is a recently (and still not fully) gentrified area, so of course Woodstock is really cool and unique, as is The Test Kitchen. The South African cuisine-based menu offers three different tasting options, a three-course menu, a six-course tasting menu, or a 10-course tasting menu, all with varying dishes. We chose the six-course as the dishes listed seemed the most appealing to us, and we felt six courses would be enough! All of the food was beautifully presented and exceptionally delicious, but the most memorable dish on the menu was the chawamushi. Traditionally a Japanese egg custard, this one had its own unique twists, with wild mushroom and duck liver, morel-glazed sweetbreads, a variety of onions, and burnt thyme foam. As with all restaurants in Cape Town, the South African wines offered were really delicious and really inexpensive when compared with New York prices. In terms of price, actually, everything was relatively inexpensive compared to American cities — our six-course menus only cost $52 per person (or $77 with wine pairing).
The Greenhouse: This restaurant is located in Constantia, a suburb of Cape Town that's about 30 minutes from the beach, and 30 minutes from the larger wine regions (Stellenbosch and Franschhoek). Constantia itself is home to some vineyards and beautiful hotels as well, and The Greenhouse is actually located in an old house on the grounds of the Cellars-Hohenort. As we pulled up to the entrance and walked inside, it felt like we were being welcomed into a rich vineyard-owner's mansion. There's a large main entryway with a wood-burning fireplace, and a cozy bar with another fireplace to relax in with before or after dinner drinks. The main dining room is a pleasant surprise, in that it's done in a clean, modern farmhouse style with a lot of white accents and big windows, plus a glass roof. The restaurant offers a four-course menu with options for each course, a seafood tasting menu (no options), or a wild tasting menu with a focus on local fish and meat (no options). We chose the four-course menu for only $46 per person. In addition to our order, we received some amuse bouche, including an assortment of fresh vegetables in edible soil and herbed mousse from the garden, apricot and goat cheese lollipops, and langoustine custard with corn served in egg shells. The menu also features local Karoo lamb chops, which happens to be the most amazing lamb I have ever tasted.
Paranga: Located on the beach in Camps Bay, Paranga is perfect for a low-key, open-air lunch or dinner, ideally before sunset to take in the view. Given its location by the beach, we assumed it might be touristy and therefore, that the food might not be great. We were so happy to be proven wrong! We started with grilled calamari which was the most tender, expertly cooked and flavorful calamari I have ever had (and probably ever will have). I followed with a steak, also grilled to perfection, and my husband had the Kingclip, which is a white fish found in the waters of South Africa. It was fresh, flaky, and absolutely delicious.
Charly's Bakery: Located in downtown Cape Town, Charly's Bakery is situated in front of the perfect view of Table Mountain. While the view is a great start, it doesn't compare to how impressive the desserts are inside. While they're known for their cakes, they have a wide selection of additional desserts and everything looks amazing. I couldn't decide what to choose, so I ordered the chocolate fudge brownie, a red velvet cupcake, and a caramelized almond tart. The red velvet cupcake was dyed the good old-fashioned way, with beets, so there was a slight earthy flavor and very moist texture, both of which were amazing. The not-too-sweet cream cheese icing was the perfect topping. The almond tart was also delicious, with caramelized almonds on a crunchy sweet and salty crust. The brownie was in a league of its own. A massive, fudgy brownie with an intensely chocolate flavor, covered in a decadent fudge sauce. It was completely ridiculous in the most amazing way. I will never go back to Cape Town without a trip to Charly's for this brownie.
Experience:
Old Biscuit Mill: The Old Biscuit Mill is a two-story market located in an old biscuit factory (or cookie factory, as we would call it in America) in Woodstock. There are a couple of restaurants, including The Test Kitchen, a wine shop, a meat and cheese shop, and some home decorating shops as well. On Saturday mornings, the Old Biscuit Mill hosts a beautiful, outdoor food market with hundreds of local vendors including bakeries, burgers and sausages, butchers, seafood, waffles, international cuisines, and of course biltong. Biltong is South Africa's version of jerky; dried, spiced meat that makes the perfect snack. It comes in a wide array of varieties (beef, venison, chicken, etc.) and at this market you will find the freshest homemade options. Some biltong vendors have the ability to vacuum-seal a package of biltong for you so you can travel with it as well. This market is not to be missed.
Wine Country: Just a 45-minute drive away from the coast, you'll find Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, the two most popular wine regions in the area. The scenery here is different from on the coast — more mountainous and green, but equally beautiful. There are so many amazing hotels and vineyards here; it's worth spending a night if you can, but if not, wine tasting can easily be done in a day trip from the coast. Many of the vineyards are located in the valleys of the mountains, so you can sip your wine while admiring the stunning view. South African wines are very rare in the U.S., as our import laws and taxes make it difficult for South African wines to be available here. But they're delicious and inexpensive, so get your money's worth and try as many as you can. There are also some great restaurants in the area as well — mostly, you can't go wrong. However, you may also be told to eat at The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais; it was our least favorite yet most expensive meal of the trip. The best thing to do would be to eat in the more casual bar beside The Tasting Room, called Le Quartier Lounge Bar, where you can enjoy more wine and spend less money on inventive bar bites like crayfish popcorn, wildebeest popovers, and Gruyère Oreos.
Safari: Admittedly not in Cape Town, but a short flight away, you can experience safari in Kruger National Park. If you've made it all the way to Cape Town and have more than two days to spend in South Africa, safari at Kruger is a must. There are tons of places to stay, ranging from tents in the middle of the jungle to luxury lodges built into the cliffs overlooking the land. No matter where you stay, you'll see every kind of animal you can imagine, and you'll have the opportunity to eat a lot of them, too. This will likely be some of the best meat you've ever had in your life. We were lucky enough to stay at Singita Lebombo, and on our first night there we experienced a traditional African Boma, an outdoor meal under the stars enclosed in a circular wall of stone and burning torches. There was a BBQ featuring a huge spread of grilled meats as well as South African dishes, including impala, warthog ribs, springbok, Karoo lamb, and bobotie, the national dish of South Africa made from a mixture of spiced meat and dried fruit baked with a creamy, egg-based topping. We also had Malva Pudding, a sweet, moist cake made with apricots, very similar to sticky toffee pudding.
The bobotie was really unique and delicious, like something I've never tasted before. This is the dish I wanted to make at home, to bring back the amazing memories from our trip.
Allison Stone is a trained pastry chef, caterer, and writer. Follow her at @bakingstoneny, and check out her Facebook page.