The Culinary Delights of South Africa’s Beautiful Cape

One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town is home to people from diverse cultures and ethnic groups, each contributing to the array of tastes and smells a visitor can expect to enjoy when dining in one of Cape Town’s many restaurants. 

Typically a good Cape Town restaurant will be reasonably priced and serve well prepared dishes that will linger in your memories long after you have left the city. This article will highlight some of the great flavors, places and influences which give Cape Town restaurants their unique character. To truly experience Cape Town you should try to include dishes from various Cape Town restaurants influenced by different cultures.

Probably the biggest cultural influence on Cape Town’s traditional food comes from Cape Malay cooking traditions. Truly South African dishes like Bobotie, Breyani, Samoosas and Koeksisters are all brought to us by the Cape Malay culture. 

Bobotie is made from minced meat and raisins, with a creamy crust for a covering made from egg. The dish has a sweet taste and is a South African favorite. Breyani is a dish made from rice and lentils, with fish, chicken or other meat. This is a tasty, yet spicy meal, which is popular in Cape Town. The samoosa is a very popular snack in Cape Town and South Africa, made by wrapping mince-meat or vegetables in pastry and then deep frying it. For the sweet tooth there is the legendary koeksister, a sweet pastry often enjoyed with a cup of tea. The Cape Malay version has a more cake-like consistency, while the Afrikaner adaption comes in the form of a twisted pastry glazed in syrup, making for a very sweet treat.

Visitors to Cape Town can chose from a variety of African fusion restaurants which will give you an unforgettable taste experience as traditional African ingredients are combined in adventurous dishes that will tantalize your taste buds. The menus typically offer a tremendous range, catering to diverse tastes and satisfying your palate, no matter how particular it may be.

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a development which has grown around a working harbor, where you can shop till you drop, then visit museums and galleries, see weird and wonderful sea life in the famous Two Oceans Aquarium, and dine in one of the fabulous restaurants looking out over the harbor. This is one of Cape Town’s big tourist draw cards, and after visiting you will know exactly why the Waterfront is such a popular spot.

Camps Bay beach is a popular spot for the young and trendy.  Enjoy the beautiful white sand and warm sunshine, but remember to protect yourself with a good sun block. The water is known to be a bit on the chilly side, but it does serve to provide refreshing relief from the midsummer heat.  Here you can expect to find Cape Town restaurants offering top caliber seaside dining.

Taking a walk around the Castle in the city center or browsing the stalls on Greenmarket Square can work up an appetite, which one of the Cape Town City Centre restaurants will satisfy with style.  There are a variety of good restaurants to be found on Shortmarket Street, New Church Street, Castle Street, Long Street, Loop Street and the likes.

False Bay offers some stunning seaside restaurants, notably those in Kalk Bay, where you can enjoy the best of Cape Town’s more casual dining locations, with the cry of gulls over breaking waves lending a charming character to the setting.

Green Point has a lively nightlife with old style disco clubs and music for the liberal tourist to enjoy a night out. There are a variety of restaurants where you can enjoy anything from sophisticated cocktails to imported Belgian beers with your meal.

Sea Point’s Beach Road has a couple of good restaurants offering a view of the promenade where rollerblading, jogging and dog walking are popular activities under the summer sun. Enjoy a hearty meal here and sip on a drink as the sunsets and Cape Town’s nightlife awakens.

Southern Suburbs restaurants range from sports pubs to the finest French cuisine restaurants on beautiful Constantia wine estates. Newlands hosts Cape Town’s cricket and rugby stadiums, where international events are common place, resulting in a frenzy of patriotism and a great atmosphere for visitors to the city to enjoy.

The Winelands are just a short drive outside of the city, where wine tasting is the order of the day. Enjoy a wide variety of restaurants on the various wine farms offering wine tasting and great dishes for the hungry tourist. The beauty of Stellenbosch and Franschoek make for a breathtaking escape from city life where you can enjoy the best food, wine and hospitality.

Come visit the Cape and enjoy a rich diversity of scenery, people and tastes.  Road Travel Africa is passionate about South Africa and specialize in culinary packages and tours, so get in touch with us to make sure you know which restaurants and establishments will make your taste buds happy 😉

This is our city – the Mother City – Cape Town!

Stay 3 Nights in Camps Bay, Pay for 2

Road Travel is offering excellent special prices at selected Camps Bay venues.  Book the Glen Apartments now, and receive 25% off, valid till 30 Nov.’11.  Stay for 3 nights at The Bay Hotel or Camps Bay Retreat and receive 1 complimentary night at Harbour House Hotel, Hermanus, valid till the end of September 2011.  Don’t delay, contact us today to spend some quality time in Camps Bay.

Under the looming Twelve Apostles and Lion’s Head, with views out across the turquoise-colored sea, Camps Bay sports some of the trendiest places in Cape Town to see and be seen.  Head south from the beaches of Clifton (or north from the buzz of Sea Point) and you’ll discover the chic suburb of Camps Bay.  The main drag, Victoria Road, is jam-packed with funky restaurants, trendy pubs, and bucket-and-spade shops on one side, and a palm-fringed beach on the other.

It’s here, on the white sands of Camps Bay, where you’ll find bronzed and buff locals flexing their muscles and showing off their volleyball skills.  While supermodels and rock stars of the world are known to hang out at Camps Bay, it’s also a great place for families – the sandy beach is wide and flat, and parking is sometimes more available than at nearby Clifton.  During the Easter break and around the Christmas holidays, Camps Bay is packed to the brim.

Visitors come from far and wide to enjoy the friendly vibe and excellent restaurants (not to mention gorgeous views) in Camps Bay.  You’ll find a number of good places for a glass of wine or cocktails along Victoria Road – and for holiday makers and locals alike, Camps Bay is a favorite spot to watch the sun go down.  If you’re feeling like a dose of culture, find out what’s showing at the gracious Theatre on the Bay.  For a bit of pampering, you could make use of the Camps Bay Retreat Skin & Body Centre, or head off to one of the other spas or yoga centres in the area.

Set amongst a wooded area, The Glen Apartments takes its name from the 35 acre Glen forest nature reserve that the apartments verge on in Camps Bay.  The Glen Apartments consists of luxury serviced apartments with views of the ocean, Twelve Apostles mountain range and Lion’s Head, and finished with modern and clean aesthetics and expansive windows that maximise the scenery.  Guest enjoy exclusive arrangement with the bordering property, Camps Bay Retreat, offering a restaurant, spa and tennis court.

Camps Bay Retreat is a sanctuary for the soul, set on four acres of lush green nature reserve.  With a mountain meditation pool, thickets of trees, waterfalls and streams, it is a peaceful paradise, where meditative moments are waiting to be had.  Views stretch across the ever-changing Atlantic Ocean and along the peaks of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range, from the Deck House and The Villa.  The estate has features such as four swimming pools, a tennis court, a spa and a fine dining restaurant.  Dine in the old world splendour of the original manor house, where The Retreat Kitchen’s executive chef creates a daily menu of gourmet fare, combining a symphony of fresh ingredients from local markets.  Food is paired exquisitely with celebrated wines from the region, best experienced as part of a candlelit three course affair.  Spoil yourself with a choice of massages, treatments and facials at the spa.  A refuge for the body and a haven for the mind, you’ll unravel and surrender to the tranquility.

The Bay Hotel is superbly designed with 78 rooms and suites offering luxury in an unsurpassed setting.   No less than four hotel pools with expansive sun decks offer superlative views of the Atlantic Ocean and majestic Lion’s Head.  Renowned as a haven for romantics, leisure is the catchword, from rejuvenating spa treatments to the convenience of the heavenly deli, unique cocktail bar or beachfront café.  And for the ultimate in relaxation, there’s the cigar lounge and bar with breathtaking views.  Breathe deep… exhale slowly and rediscover fun.  Float into blissful relaxation while enjoying this exceptional brand of hospitality.

Situated only one hour from Cape Town, Harbour House Hotel in Hermanus enjoys one of the most prominent of positions in the heart of the old harbour area, flanked by the seaside and the bustling centre of this holiday town.  The spacious rooms, with sophisticated modern décor, feature a kitchenette and lounge leading towards the balcony.  Perfectly located, you can enjoy an easy walk to the market, street cafés, restaurants, bars and natural attractions, experiencing the best that Hermanus has to offer.