The "Mother City" is not only one of the most diverse cities in the world, but also one of the most enjoyable. Between oceans, vineyards and design districts, the best of Africa, Asia and Europe mingle on the plates.
In Cape Town, it's hard to spend a lot of money on food - and almost impossible to eat badly. The metropolis at the southernmost tip of Africa attracts visitors with world-class wines and a culinary diversity that draws chefs from all over the world. And thanks to the weak local currency, even a visit to a gourmet restaurant is a real bargain for Europeans.
But for Jacques Erasmus, one of the city's best-known restaurateurs, that's only half the story: "It's Cape Town's special lifestyle that characterizes our cuisine," he says. "Light-heartedness, enjoyment and pure joie de vivre - that's the essence of this city, and that's exactly what's reflected on the plates."
Erasmus runs "Hemelhuijs", one of Cape Town's hippest lunch spots. It looks less like a restaurant and more like a concept store: a clear, minimalist design that completely transforms every three months. Even regular guests are surprised time and time again.
The "Mother City" is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world; Khoisan, Bantu, Europeans, Malays, Indians and immigrants from all over the continent have left their mark on the cuisine - so people eat both internationally and locally in the Cape. The spicy cuisine of the Cape Malays, descendants of South-East Asian slaves, is legendary. They have long since created culinary classics with dishes such as samosas and bobotie. In addition, there are ingredients that seem exotic to Europeans: fish and mussels from two oceans, antelope meat or plants from savannahs and rainforests. And of course the wines from nearby Franschhoek, where French Huguenots founded the country's best estates.
Cape Town has long played in the top culinary league. Prime examples are the "Fyn", housed in an old silk factory, where chef Peter Tempelhoff combines South African produce with Japanese precision, or "La Colombe", a legend among the country's fine dining addresses. This is James Gaag - half German, half South African. He spent his childhood years in Bavaria before returning to his mother's homeland. He started at "La Colombe" in 2010, worked his way up, gained experience at Raymond Blanc in Oxford - and returned to become head chef. The restaurant sits enthroned in the middle of a forest like a hidden tree house. The signature dish: a bluefin tuna tataki, served in a sealed tuna can.
- Weekly market: the whole of Cape Town goes on pilgrimage on Saturdays to the Neighbourgoods Market in the Old Biscuit Mill - for fresh oysters with Tabasco, biltong straight from the butcher and rooibos ice cream.
- Winelands: Around Stellenbosch wine meets world-class cuisine - rent a car and go!
- Cape Town's street food scene is as colorful as the city itself - it's best to go to Sea Point on an empty stomach.
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