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Food tours in Cape Town: what to eat and which tour to book
Cape Town's food comes from several traditions living side by side. Cape Malay cooking, brought by people from Southeast Asia, India and East Africa who were enslaved or exiled here under Dutch rule, gave the city its gently spiced curries, bobotie, bredies, samoosas and koesisters, and Bo-Kaap is where it is still cooked at home. The braai (barbecue) and the township shisa nyama are how much of the country eats meat. The Atlantic gives snoek and hake, eaten as fish and chips in harbour towns like Kalk Bay and Hout Bay, and the Winelands are under an hour away. Add the Gatsby, a sandwich invented in Athlone on the Cape Flats, and weekend markets in Woodstock and the Waterfront.
Use this page to decide what to order and where. The dishes and areas below say what each place does well and when markets are open. The tours are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; prices change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Cape Town
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobotie | Spiced minced meat baked with an egg-custard topping, often with raisins, chutney and bay leaves, served with yellow rice. A Cape Malay dish that became a national one. | Cape Malay restaurants in Bo-Kaap and the city centre, and South African restaurants in the Winelands. | roughly R120–200 a plate (about €6–10) |
| Cape Malay curry and roti Cape Malay curry, roti, salomie | Mildly sweet, aromatic curries of chicken, lamb or beans, eaten with flaky roti or rolled into a roti wrap called a salomie. | Bo-Kaap, Wale Street area and takeaways in Athlone and other Cape Flats suburbs. | roughly R60–140 for a salomie or curry with roti |
| Gatsby | A foot-long or longer bread roll filled with chips and steak, masala steak, chicken, polony or calamari, with sauce or achar. Invented in Athlone in 1976 and usually shared between several people. | Takeaways in Athlone, Mitchells Plain, Salt River and Woodstock. | roughly R120–250 for a whole Gatsby (shared between 3–4) |
| Snoek and fish and chips snoek, hake and chips | Snoek is a local oily fish, often braaied with an apricot-jam glaze; hake and chips is the classic harbour meal, sometimes with calamari. | Kalk Bay and Hout Bay harbours, and fish shops along the False Bay coast. | roughly R80–180 for fish and chips |
| Braai and shisa nyama braai / shisa nyama, boerewors, pap | Grilled meat over wood or charcoal: boerewors (coiled spiced sausage), lamb chops, chicken and steak, often with pap (maize porridge) and chakalaka (spicy relish). Shisa nyama is the township version, where you choose meat at a butchery and have it grilled. | Shisa nyama places in Gugulethu and Langa, and braai restaurants across the city. Visiting townships is best done with a local guide. | roughly R120–250 per person for meat and sides at a shisa nyama |
| Bredie | Slow-cooked lamb stew with vegetables; tomato bredie and waterblommetjie bredie (made with Cape pondweed, in winter) are the best known. | Cape Malay and traditional South African restaurants. | roughly R150–250 a plate |
| Koesisters and malva pudding koesister / koeksister, malva pudding | The Cape Malay koesister is a spiced, syrup-soaked doughnut rolled in coconut, traditionally eaten on Sunday mornings; the Afrikaner koeksister is a plaited, crisp version. Malva pudding is a warm, sticky apricot sponge. | Bo-Kaap home kitchens and bakeries, farm stalls and South African restaurants. | koesisters about R10–20 each; malva pudding about R60–90 |
| Biltong and Winelands wine biltong | Air-dried, spiced beef or game, sold by weight as a snack. The Cape Winelands (Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Constantia) produce Chenin Blanc, Pinotage and many other wines at reasonable prices. | Biltong shops and butcheries across the city; Constantia wine farms are within the city limits. | biltong roughly R50–80 per 100 g; wine tastings roughly R100–250 |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Bo-Kaap
Historic Cape Malay quarter on the slopes of Signal Hill, with brightly painted houses, the Auwal Mosque (1794) and small restaurants and home kitchens serving curries, bobotie and koesisters. Cooking classes are often held here.
Neighbourgoods Market, Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock
Weekend food market at 375 Albert Road with stalls selling local produce, bread, cheese, oysters, braai and craft drinks, in a converted biscuit factory with restaurants and shops.
Oranjezicht City Farm Market, Granger Bay
Farmers' market at the V&A Waterfront, at the corner of Granger Bay Boulevard and Dock Road (it moved to a new space in December 2025), with produce from small farms, bakeries and breakfast stalls.
Kalk Bay
Working fishing harbour on False Bay, about 40 minutes from the centre by car or train, where you can buy fish off the boats and eat fish and chips by the water.
Bay Harbour Market, Hout Bay
Indoor weekend market in a converted fish factory on Hout Bay harbour with food stalls, live music and crafts.
Gugulethu and Langa
Townships on the Cape Flats where shisa nyama, umngqusho (samp and beans) and smiley (sheep's head) are local food. Langa is Cape Town's oldest township. Go with a local guide who lives in or knows the area.
Food tours in Cape Town compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town: Malay Cooking Class and Lunch in Bo-Kaap | 2.5 hours | from €43 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Cape Town: Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap | 2 hours | from €45 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Cape Town: Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class | 4 hours | from €59 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Cape Town: Essential Food and Drink Tour | 4 hours | from €121 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Cape Town: Half-Day Walking City Tour and African Lunch | 5 hours | from €107 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Cape Town: Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience | 2.5 hours | from €64 per person | max 10 | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
Cape Town: Malay Cooking Class and Lunch in Bo-Kaap
On GetYourGuide · run by Cooking with love
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €43 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 655 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Cooking class Ingredients Equipment Chef instructor Lunch Soft drinks Alcoholic drinks Transportation
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- 109 Wale St
Cape Town: Cape Malay Cooking Class in Bo-Kaap
On GetYourGuide · run by Cape Malay Cook Up
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €45 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 136 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Cooking class Lunch and soft drinks Transportation
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- 67 Jordaan St
Cape Town: Bo-Kapp Walking Tour and Malay Cooking Class
On GetYourGuide · run by Cooking with love
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €59 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 132 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Museum entrance fee Water Food and drinks (no alcohol) Tips
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- You will meet your host at a purple house with flower pots on the top.
Cape Town: Essential Food and Drink Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Cape Town Culinary Tours
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €121 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 70 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- 10+ South African food and drink tastings included — all beverages, wine and alcohol covered Additional Food or Drink Tips
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- The tour will start inside Bo Kaap Deli. Please look for your guide at the door of Bo Kaap Deli or inside the Deli.
Cape Town: Half-Day Walking City Tour and African Lunch
On GetYourGuide · run by Beyond Africa Safaris - Gray Line South Africa
- Length
- 5 hours
- Price
- from €107 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 37 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Tour Guide Lunch at AfroDeli Eatery (food only) Drinks Tips
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- The Westin Cape Town
Cape Town: Authentic African Cuisine Cooking Experience
On GetYourGuide · run by Pahari African Restaurant
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €64 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 33 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- Food - Sadza (ground mealie meal), Meaty beef bones mixed with green veggies, chicken stew, chakalaka and sugar beans. Drinks - African juice, African beer and African tea / coffee..
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Arrive at Pahari African Restaurant and ask for Florence.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Cape Town's casual food is takeaways rather than stalls: Gatsbys, salomies, samoosas, fish and chips and boerewors rolls. The weekend markets in Woodstock, Granger Bay and Hout Bay are the easiest way to taste several things in one place.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down eating ranges from Cape Malay family restaurants to some of Africa's best-known fine-dining kitchens in the city and Winelands. Prices are low for visitors paying in euros or dollars. Book ahead for popular restaurants in summer (December–February). Most restaurants allow you to bring your own wine for a corkage fee.
Cooking classes
Cape Malay cooking classes in Bo-Kaap, often held in a family home, are the most popular. They usually cover spice blending, a curry, roti and samoosas or koesisters, followed by the meal. Some include a walk through the neighbourhood.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | about R300–450 / €15–23 (market breakfast, Gatsby or salomie lunch, casual dinner) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | about R700–1,100 / €35–55 (two sit-down meals with wine) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | R2,500+ / €125+ (tasting menu in the city or Winelands with wine pairing) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Easy in the city centre, with many vegetarian and vegan cafés and clearly marked menus. Cape Malay food has bean and vegetable curries and vegetable samoosas. Braai and shisa nyama are meat-focused, though sides such as pap, chakalaka and salads are meat-free.
Halal: Very good. Cape Town has a large Muslim community; Bo-Kaap and many Cape Flats takeaways are halal, and halal certification (look for MJC or SANHA logos) is common in restaurants, butchers and some chain outlets.
Gluten-free: Good awareness in the city: many restaurants mark gluten-free dishes and supermarkets stock gluten-free products. Braai meat and pap are naturally gluten-free, but check sauces, boerewors and marinades. Gatsbys, roti, samoosas and koesisters contain wheat.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Informal 'car guards' who ask for money to watch your car, sometimes more than is reasonable. Car guarding is a normal local practice; a tip of roughly R5–10 for a short stop is usual. Use official parking where possible.
- Card skimming or 'helpful' strangers at ATMs, especially in busy areas. Use ATMs inside shopping centres or banks, cover your PIN, and refuse help from strangers. Card payments at your table are normal; don't let the card leave your sight.
- Waterfront and Camps Bay restaurants with views and prices to match, but average food. For the same money, eat in the city centre, Woodstock or the Winelands; save the view for a drink.
Top tours & activities in Cape Town
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
How much should I tip in Cape Town?
About 10–15% in restaurants is standard; service is usually not included unless your group is large. Tip in cash or add it to the card machine. Car guards and petrol station attendants are tipped a few rand. Guides on food tours are usually tipped roughly R50–100 per person for a good tour.
When are the main food markets open?
The Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock is on Saturdays (9:00–18:00) and Sundays (10:00–16:00), as listed by the market. The Oranjezicht City Farm Market at Granger Bay runs Saturday and Sunday mornings to 14:30, plus a Wednesday night market except in June and July. Bay Harbour Market in Hout Bay is open from Friday evening into the weekend; check current hours.
Is it safe to eat in townships?
The food itself is fine; the question is getting around. Visit townships like Langa or Gugulethu with a local guide or a resident you know, rather than driving in alone. Guided visits usually include a shisa nyama meal and are a respectful way to support local businesses.
What Cape Town food should I try first?
Try Cape Malay dishes in Bo-Kaap (bobotie, a curry with roti, koesisters), a Gatsby from a Cape Flats takeaway, fish and chips in Kalk Bay or Hout Bay, and a braai or shisa nyama. Add a wine tasting in Constantia or Stellenbosch. That covers the main traditions of the city.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Eating at markets and takeaways, about R300–450 (€15–23) a day is enough. A comfortable day with two sit-down meals and a glass or two of wine is roughly R700–1,100 (€35–55). Tasting menus at well-known restaurants start around R1,500–2,500 per person before wine.
Is tap water safe and do restaurants serve it?
Yes, Cape Town tap water is treated and safe to drink, and restaurants will usually bring tap water if you ask. Load-shedding (scheduled power cuts) has affected South Africa in recent years; most restaurants have backup power, but check with your accommodation.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.