Fyn – multiple course tasting menu in the city centre. Gorgeous setting and obviously food. It is my top spot but is £75-£175 per person depending on how many courses you opt for and whether or not you pair it with wine.
Hacienda – also in the city centre, super vibey Latin tapas restaurant. £22-£50 a head, depending on drinks etc.
Since they’re going in summer Cabo Beach Club or Grand Africa cafe are spots on the beach serving food and drinks. Low key but refined. OR, in Camps Bay, the Roundhouse – massive lawns, great food, chilled (pizzas, beer etc). All <£25 a head.
Thali – again city centre, is an Indian fine dining spot that is very Cape Town. Diverse and vibey. Chic if you will. £25-£50 a head.
If they’re anywhere outside of Cape Town CBD, Lucky Fish is a chain (I use the term loosely, chain ish), that do fresh cape caught fish and calamari for <£10 a head and is my favourite local spot (particularly the one in kalk bay as it has views of the harbour).
Otherwise Chefs warehouse (there’s one in the CBD and one in Hout Bay), is just an indisputably good restaurant. £25-£50. Think modern and elevated cuisine. Good wine etc.
There’s plenty of great bars and walk-in restaurants, my favourites being: Tjing Tjing – for ramen and cocktails and House of Machines – for cocktails, coffee and what I guess is South African pub food. Both <£25 a head.
For non pretentious non wine pairing wine, Caroline’s fine wine cellar in sea point has everything with impeccable service and weekly tastings. Then, Open Wine is a chilled non-retail spot for the same thing, loads of choice, lots to taste, just wine focussed and reasonable prices.
If continuing to explore famous fine dining restaurants, I have plenty of recommendations but really only worth going to one of the following (in addition to Fyn since that is the best of the best) : Foxcroft in Constantia, Dusk in Stellenbosch and Salsify in Camps Bay. All £100-£200 a head.
Finally, the best for last, there’s loads of bars and speakeasy’s in Cape Town but only one gives you something you can’t get anywhere else… Art of Duplicity, it’s a prohibition era speakeasy that’s very theatre; invite only and they give you a clue in order to find the location, you get greeted by very 1920s dressed staff, top hats, the lot. Refreshingly different, an experience for sure and undeniably GREAT cocktails. I can help with the invite and indeed the clue for the location since non-local cape tonians can’t really be expected to figure that one out. 98% of cocktails are below £10, max like £12.
They’re more than welcome to contact me directly on iMessage or WhatsApp on +44 7723069765 for anything from questions to further recommendations. Particularly for the Art of Duplicity if they want to organise that. If they don’t have a place to stay (I can’t guarantee space), but Hotel Lola is operated by my uncles and have the best breakfast in town (that’s regrettably only available if you stay). Lastly, let me know, or if they could, how they’re travelling around (hire car etc), so I can advise them which areas to avoid. It’s very much a very safe and very dangerous type of place, very little grey area but if you stick to the right spots it’s safer than London.