Cape Town has long since been the maritime touchpoint between East and West. Since the early days of the Dutch East India Company’s regular visits to current times when a bottleneck at the Suez Canal forced most of the world’s container ships around the Cape of Good Hope, the spectacular city on the slopes of a table-shaped mountain has been a meeting point for spices, cuisines and tastes from across the globe. 

The 2020 pandemic placed a stranglehold on the city’s port as the steady stream of international visitors dried up to a near-standstill. Restaurant hot spots like Long Street and Kloof Street became ghosts of their former selves as shops and eateries shuttered one after the other. But South Africa’s Mother City has bounced back. Today, one of the world’s most scenic cities is once again a must-visit culinary destination.

The city offers flavours from the East in the form of the 300-year-old Cape Malay dishes based on the cuisine found in Indonesia and, of late, a variety of gourmet hamburger joints taking their cues from the United States. Find the best restaurants right now in Cape Town on our Hot List and take your pick for a bucket-list eating experience on the southern tip of Africa.