48 Hours in Cape Town: Where to Eat, Sleep and Play

One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town has so much going for it – long sandy beaches, fantastic food and locally produced wine, and the most exquisite natural setting I have seen.

But far from being the chocolate box pretty place that might be expected, it’s also a working city with an infrastructure to match. Like San Francisco in California or London in the UK, it seems that everyone in South Africa wants to live in Cape Town, making it one of the most coveted and expensive places in the country.

For the Brits, Cape Town is still one of the most affordable holiday destinations – the £ (despite the recent Brexit battering) is still strong compared to the Rand, so do not expect to pay an arm and a leg for top notch food, wine and some accommodation whilst there.

One of the best meals I had during the recent #Stellenblog 2016 tour was in Cape Town at a restaurant called the Chefs Warehouse Kitchen headed by Irish chef Liam Tomlin, but more on that later.

My lovely blogger friend Sam Linsell of Drizzle & Dip fame with friends John & Pammie at Chefs Warehouse & Canteen

Cape Town is a mere 45 minutes drive from Stellenbosch where we spent most of our time during the tour (see my earlier review here and here including my 3 top dining recommendations in Stellenbosch). So it is a good place to start or end a holiday in South Africa’s Western Cape.

Where to Stay

President Hotel

The President Hotel is a four-star hotel in the heart of the Bantry Bay area of Cape Town, a couple of blocks away from the seashore. It is a reasonably large hotel, a popular destination for holidaymakers and time-share owners, and offers everything from single or double rooms and suites to fully equipped self-catering flats.

My room was one of these flats, with two double bedrooms, a small kitchen, dining and living room areas. It had more than enough space for me as a single traveller, and was modern in its furnishing, affording great views over the sea, the swimming pool and surrounding areas.

Breakfast is taken overlooking the pool, where a generous buffet with many different dishes is available. There is a full selection of fresh fruits, juices and pastries, as well as cooked options, and good coffees and teas. It is well worth making time to enjoy the extensive breakfast buffet at the hotel.

The pool dominates the centre of the hotel, and is the focal point for breakfast and late afternoon drinks. The President Hotel is also one of the official stops for the Hop-on-Hope-off bus route, which has a circular route around Cape Town’s most popular spots, see What To Do section below.

 Where to Eat

Chefs Warehouse & Canteen

In the heart of Cape Town, the Chefs Warehouse & Canteen is a casual eatery headed by Irish chef Liam Tomlin. It is a relaxed canteen-style restaurant that does not take bookings, and is popular for its tapas-style menu. Chefs Warehouse & Canteen is one of the most coveted tables in Cape Town right now, so make sure to arrive early (around 6pm!) to get a table for the evening.

I ordered the popular tapas for 2 menu – eight dishes for 540 Rand (currently £28 for two). Dishes change every day, so I’ll give you a brief description of what I ate but you will probably get something different if you visit.

The food was immaculately presented, fresh, zingy and well seasoned. The chefs clearly know what they are doing, and I enjoyed every dish on the menu. My only regret is that the portions were not bigger, so delicious were they! 

Cured beetroot salmon with horseradish cream came with micro-herbs.

Crisp fried squid with Sririracha (Asian chilli sauce) and guacamole – this was soft but with crispy outer layer and had just the right amount of heat for me.

Tuna and yellowtail with miso and sake was beautifully presented with micro-herbs and sliced baby radishes.

Roast onion risotto was served in gorgeous individual copper pans, scattered with chives and fried garlic, this was creamy and delicious and one of the highlights of the evening.

The sautée mushrooms with soft polenta and Parmesan cream was suffused with deliciously rich, earthy flavours from the funghi.

The confit rabbit, rabbit loin and Puy lentils.

The entrecote was a tiny portion, served rare with green vegetables, and I really enjoyed it.

The crayfish linguini with crayfish bisque was deliciously concentrated, and lifted by the addition of chives and basil.

I had a great dinner at Chefs Warehouse & Canteen, and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Cape Town. 

Tiger’s Milk

In the beach-side suburb of Cape Town known as Muizenberg, Tiger’s Milk is a popular dining spot famous for their burgers, pizza and steaks. Despite the name (tiger’s milk being the dressing for ceviche) there is no Peruvian connection to this restaurant.

I had a great burger there – the Rockstar – with medium rare beef, guacamole and cheese (£5).  The patty was juicy and beautifully cooked, served with proper hand-cut chips, although I would have preferred pieces of avocado to the creamy guacamole, which made the burger a little too wet and challenging to eat.

What to Do

Helicopter Ride with Cape Town Helicopters 

One of the most incredible experiences I had in Cape Town was a 25-minute helicopter ride around Table Top mountain with Cape Town helicopters.

Taking off from the V&A Waterfront, this was a breathtaking flight to see the city of Cape Town from the sea with Table Top Mountain in the background. We then soared above the mountain to see the view of the city and Atlantic Ocean from behind the mountain, as well as False Bay, Fish Hoek and Muizenberg.

Having flown over the Nazca Lines in Peru on a tiny little plane (reviewed here), I was worried about getting travel sick. But the helicopter ride was amazingly smooth and the 25 minutes literally flew by. The staff at Cape Town Helicopters were super-friendly, paying great attention to health and safety, which made me feel confident in flying with them.

I would thoroughly recommend using Cape Town Helicopters while in town. There are various trips available ranging from 12 to 60 minutes, at a variety of prices.  The one I took was the Two Oceans (£100 per person for a 25 minute ride), which also included a free City Sightseeing bus ticket (the hop-on, hop-off one) for the day, worth £10.

Cable Car up Table Mountain

Another experience not to be missed is going up Table Mountain by cable car. The ticket will cost as little as 240 Rand (£12), and the panoramic views of Cape Town from the top are breathtaking.

But there is so much more to Table Mountain than just the views – you can plan a full day of activities, free guided tours, hiking, learning about the unique vegetation and fauna.

Table Mountain is also a great place to watch the sunset, and for the more adventurous, abseiling is also possible.

I spent a few hours on top of the mountain, and it was difficult to tear myself away from the view to take the cable car down again – I could have stayed for hours.

Gary Surf School

Located on the beach front at Surfer’s Corner, Muizenberg, Cape Town, Gary’s Surf School is a favourite for surfing enthusiasts wanting to learn the tricks of the trade.

Gorgeous Art Deco buildings in Muizenberg

A two hour class here costs 450 Rand (£24), and the school guarantees to get even complete beginners surfing within these two hours. I was very sceptical about this claim, but was surprised to see how having mastered a few techniques, it was not an insurmountable task.

The first half hour of the class is spent on the beach learning about the techniques (I never thought there would be so many needed to keep you afloat on a surf board!), but most importantly health and safety. The remaining 90 minutes were spent in the sea, and a lot of it involved falling off the board, trying but failing to catch the surf.

For me, the best part of the class was heading back to the school for a hearty breakfast of eggs Benedict over mushrooms and chunky bread!

Antique shops in the quaint town of Kalk Bay

One of the most popular destinations along Cape Town’s False Bay, Kalk Bay’s Main Road is packed with antique shops, coffee shops, galleries, second-hand bookshops and restaurants.

Essentially a fishing village, Kalk Bay is still a lively working harbour as well as a fun place to visit, and makes for a great day trip from Cape Town.

I found this a pretty, arty little fishing village, and spent a few happy hours exploring the galleries, antique and book shops there. I would recommend a day trip there to anyone in Cape Town.

Hop-on, hop-off bus

Taxis in Cape Town have no meters, so haggling is required, and as a visitor you will find that prices fluctuate tremendously. I was surprised to find that the taxi ride from my hotel to the Cable Mountain cable car cost more than twice the cost of a whole day ticket on the hop-on, hop-off bus (£10.50), which links those two locations. There is a stop right outside the President Hotel.

I always smile when I see tourists in London on these buses, but I have to say if you have only a couple of days in a city, it’s a really great way to get around and I was very glad of it in Cape Town.

As well as offering two different routes, from my point of view the bus is great value, offers the option of stopping anywhere you like, and also has an informative commentary.  There are spectacular views from the open-topped, London-style double decker bus.

The 2-day ticket (£16 per person) comes with a canal cruise, a wine tour, a night tour and a walking tour included in the price, which strikes me as amazing value. If you have not already purchased it, a one-day ticket comes free with Cape Town Helicopters.

The Stellenblog campaign was created and sponsored by the Stellenbosch Wine Routes, Stellenbosch 360 and Destinate in partnership with iambassador. The London Foodie has however full editorial control over all content published.

Travel Essentials

I flew with South African Airways from London Heathrow taking a connecting flight from Johannersburg to Cape Town. With two daily overnight flights from Heathrow to Johannesburg, South African Airways offers flights to the largest route network within Southern Africa. To learn more, visit their website on flysaa.com or call 0844 375 9680.

President Hotel
4 Alexander Road, Bantry Bay, Cape Town
www.presidenthotel.co.za
Room rates are in the region of £100 to £150 per night, depending on the season. 

Chefs Warehouse & Canteen
92 Bree Street
Cape Town 8001
http://www.chefswarehouse.co.za

Tiger’s Milk – Muizenberg
Corner of Beach and Sidmouth Roads
http://tigersmilk.co.za/muizenberg

Cape Town Helicopters 
220 East Pier, 
Breakwater Edge, 
V&A Helipad, 
V&A Waterfront
https://www.helicopterscapetown.co.za/

Table Top Mountain 
Going up the mountain by cable car
http://www.tablemountain.net/

Gary Surf School
34 Beach Rd
Muizenberg
www.garysurf.co.za 
Facebook : Garys-Surf-School 

Cape Town Sightseeing Bus Tour
Daily ticket £10.50
http://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com/Search.aspx?Keywords=cape%20town

Stellenbosch – My Top 3 Dining Recommendations on South Africa’s Finest Wine Route

Of the several great meals we had during our recent trip to Stellenbosch, three truly stood out. In no particular order these were:

Indochine, Delaire Graff Estate
The Restaurant, Waterkloof Wine Estate
Makaron Restaurant, Majeka House

With 6 out of 10 best fine-dining restaurants of South Africa in Stellenbosch and surrounding towns, you will be hard pressed to find a better foodie destination in the country. Many of these restaurants are set in beautiful wine estates making for a nice outing if you decide to go for a bit of wine tasting before your meal.

Stellenbosch - green, sunny, beautiful

If you are planning a visit to South Africa’s Western Cape, make sure to allow plenty of time for the wonderful restaurants, wine estates and the gorgeous scenery along the Stellenbosch Wine Route. And of course – bookmark this page!

Artworks dotted around Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is a beautiful place and only 45 minutes drive from Cape Town and is an ideal spot for a relaxing holiday, and with great food and wine.

The Restaurant, Waterkloof Wine Estate

Headed by French chef Gregory Czarnecki, The Restaurant at the Waterkloof Wine Estate serves lunch and dinner for up to 120 diners per sitting.

Claudia Young-Kelly (Waterkloof's Sales & Marketing Manager) and Head Chef Gregory Czarnecki

Gorgeous views from Waterkloof

The dining room and balconies afford wonderful views of the surrounding valleys and the sea, making it one of the finest spots to take in the beauty of the region over a glass of something tempting.

Waterkloof is a biodynamic winery, and all the grapes are hand picked and sorted. No pesticides or other chemical interventions are used at Waterkloof so the wines produced here are aimed to be a true expression of the varietals used and the local terroir. The wines we tried, although young (mainly 2015 vintage) were well made with good flavour characteristics.

Wine tanks at Waterkloof

The food at Waterkloof was exquisitely presented, with the quality of the ingredients and the cooking skills really in evidence.

We started with a gorgeous ceviche of seabass with shavings of celeriac, snoek (a Cape mackerel), seaweed and bottarga (salted, cured grey mullet roe). This was paired with a glass of “Seriously Cool” Chenin Blanc 2015, an intense and robust white.

Next up was chef Czarnecki’s Crayfish Duglère, his own take on the famous 19th century French chef’s brill recipe, cooked in tomatoes, white wine and crème fraiche.  This was my favourite dish of the meal – it was deliciously creamy with chunky pieces of crayfish tail, but still with great refreshing acidity, and beautifully paired with a herbaceous 2015 Waterkloof Sauvignon Blanc.

Chicken dishes have to be exceptional to impress me, and fortunately Waterkloof’s succulent chicken breast roasted on the crown lived up to expectations. Served with a terrine made from paper-thin shavings of pumpkin, curry gremolata, pomegranate sauce and pine nuts, this was as good as it gets.

The chicken was cleverly paired with a 2015 Seriously Cool Cinsault (one of the two grape varietals, along with Pinot Noir, that makes the national Pinotage vine) it was great to taste this single varietal which is more usually blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Served lightly chilled at 14 degrees, this had light tannin and berry fruit aromatics, making a more interesting partner to the chicken than the most obvious white wines.

The dessert was a stunning raspberry mousse, with gel cremeux, lychee custard, elderflower cordial and Martini sorbet.

The restaurant offers 2 and 3 course meals from the a la carte menu at R370 (£17.50) and R480 (£23) and also their 6-course degustation menu for R900/£43 (or R1,100/£52 including wine pairings).

I was hugely impressed by the level of cooking at Waterkloof, and if you are planning one or a few days in Stellenbosch, I would highly recommend this as one of your top fine-dining options.

Indochine, Delaire Graff Estate

Located in perhaps the most lavish wine estate in the region, Delaire Graff Estate is owned by British multi-millionaire diamond merchant, art collector and (now) wine maker Laurence Graff.

The grounds are stunning, with artworks dotted throughout the estate, two restaurants and a Relais & Chateaux accredited hotel. The estate is also home to one of the most impressive private art collections in the country, which alone warrants a visit. 

These include the iconic 1952 ‘Chinese Girl’ by Vladimir Tretchikoff. Like the Mona Lisa, this is one of the most reproduced and recognized paintings in the world.

I was also thrilled to see so many works by Lionel Smit, one of South Africa’s most talented young artists (until then unknown to me), famous for his huge portrait canvases and sculptures. Smit’s works are truly impressive, more information about his amazing work on his website here.

But most importantly, the food at Delaire Graff Estate is exceptionally good. There are two dining options on the estate – The Delaire Graff Restaurant offering French fine-dining, and its little sister, the Asian inspired Indochine, and this is where we headed for lunch.

The lovely Indochine Restaurant at Delaire Graff Estate

We kicked off with a small tasting trio of some of the restaurant’s signature starters – a Thai mushroom salad containing the veg in many different guises: puréed and soiled (made from dried mushroom, onions and chives), and sautéed Japanese mushrooms, but also chilli jam, rice fritters and red curry paste.

The prawn salad had in addition to the seafood, a crunchy kakiage of squid (a style of tempura), ikura (salmon roe), pickled daikon, chives and avocado puree among other ingredients. The third item was a shiitake & edamame gyoza or potstickers served with a refreshing soy & lemon dressing. I thoroughly enjoyed each item – they were bursting with fresh flavours, and had an incredible composition of many different ingredients that came together as a whole, perfectly balanced.

There were two small mains – the beef fillet rendang was gorgeously presented, served in a rich, curried coconut sauce, spiked with lemongrass, chilli and cinnamon, with diced red onions and large tapioca pearls. Better still was the black bean steamed linefish with ginger, quinoa, black garlic, and myriad herbs including Vietnamese coriander (grown in the estate’s greenhouse), Thai basil and mint. The combination of flavours and textures in this dish was in my opinion spot on.

Desserts were also impressive – I liked the beautifully aromatic lime and yuzu tart served with a toasty black sesame macaron crumble. But it was Indochine’s take on the South Asian Gulab Jamun that stole the show for me. Gulam Jamun is a favourite dessert of mine made from milk solids (cooked milk until water is completely evaporated) then kneaded into small balls or donuts, deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup scented with rose water.  At Indochine, the gulab jamun donuts were flavoured in cardamom syrup, and were accompanied by coconut panna cotta, saffron and rose water jellies, ginger, cardamom ice cream and coconut soil. Dessert heaven!

To accompany our meal, we tried two of Delaire Graff Estate’s wines – their 2015 Summercourt Chardonnay and Shiraz. The chardonnay was surprisingly tropical with good minerality and a touch of French oak, a perfect accompaniment to our starters.

Likewise, the Shiraz, with ripe berry fruit and prominent peppery notes expected from the varietal stood up beautifully to the rich beef rendang, a great match.

A visit to the Delaire Graff Estate is a must to anyone in Stellenbosch – the gorgeous setting, private artwork and exquisite food and wines will make for a great day out and I highly recommend it.

Makaron Restaurant, Majeka House

I was so pleased to discover that the food and wine offerings at Majeka House were on par with their stunning accommodation and setting.

We were lucky to spend a night at Majeka House and experience their hospitality as well as reputedly the ‘best’ breakfast in South Africa but more on that later.

Majeka House’s thoughtfulness on the hotel and room designs was impressive – I was pleased to see international sockets in the rooms (so no adapters required), coffee capsule machines, complimentary filtered water and freshly baked cookies on arrival as well as Gourmet and Food & Home magazines in each of the rooms. These are little things that show a real eye for detail and go beyond most people’s expectations.

My room was beautifully designed and comfortable, with all the amenities of the finest hotels including a huge fresco-style nature print on the ceiling, the last and very first thing I got to see as I went to bed and woke up at Majeka House.

In addition, Majeka House has a fantastic indoor swimming pool and spa where I was given a back and shoulder massage – I remember it being ever so relaxing but little else as I fell asleep 10 minutes into it! The spa offers a comprehensive range of treatments to residents.

I loved my stay at Majeka House for all the above reasons but it was their kitchen that really sold it to me. The Makaron Restaurant within Majeka House is a serious restaurant attracting both residents and non-residents since 2008.

They make everything in-house from churning their butter, to the bread and their French patisserie and jams. I was told to make time for breakfast at Majeka House and was so pleased that I did, getting up an hour earlier to give it my undivided attention, I was not disappointed.

So happy to see my favourite - vetkoek (Fat Cakes) at Majenka House

And what a spread - I loved the cannelles, the cheeses and cold meats, the Mimosa section (of course) and the perfectly cooked eggs benedict.

It was a joy to have freshly baked pastries and breads and the coffee was good and strong.

We checked into Majeka House on a Sunday and just in time to enjoy their Sunday Roast menu, usually only available at lunchtime and priced at a reasonable R185 or £9 per person.

The set menu includes roast beef sirloin, served with carrots and horseradish puree, duck fat roast potatoes, baby courgettes and Parmesan, and a green leaf salad. Despite the familiarity and apparent simplicity of the menu, the quality of the ingredients and the cooking really shone through – the beef was succulent and beautifully cooked as were the accompaniments.

We also go to try some of the starters from the a la carte menu – I enjoyed the rainbow beets and goats cheese Chantilly starter (£3.80), it had a variety of coloured beets prepared in different ways so offered a range of textures and earthy, tangy flavours.

The Parmesan risotto with truffle (£4) was also excellent – creamy, cheesy and rich with heady scent and flavour of truffles.

After a stunning selection of cheeses and preserves, we tried two of their desserts – the one that stood out for me was their coconut, lime and granadilla (an Andean passion fruit) option (£4).

Fresh, zingy and sweet all at once, it had a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, and contrasting textures with crunchy pastries, creamy sorbets, mousses - a real symphony of a dessert.

As Majeka House is not a wine producer their drinks list is not limited to a single vineyard, in fact their wine list is one of the most comprehensive I have seen in Stellenbosch. I enjoyed their 2014 Stellenrust ‘50’ Chenin Blanc (£13.50/bottle) as well as the 2014 Longridge Pinotage (£12.50/bottle) served with our dinner.

The Makaron Restaurant at Majeka House is a serious restaurant, serving some of the best food in Stellenbosch. The care and quality of the ingredients and cooking expertise are very apparent and I also highly recommend it as one of my top 3 spots for a meal in the area.

Stellenblog 2016

The Stellenblog campaign was created and sponsored by the Stellenbosch Wine Routes, Stellenbosch 360 and Destinate in partnership with iambassador. The London Foodie has maintained full editorial control over all content published as always.

In the coming few weeks, I will be sharing with you my Cape Town and #Stellenblog adventures, as well as my top recommendations for restaurants and wineries in the region. My fellow international bloggers will be posting their thoughts too, so do check in on Rob of Stop Having a Boring Life, Marvin Schoenberg of NiedBlog, Kiersten of The Blong Abroad, Twiggy Mollison of Sleepless in Soweto and Meruschka Govender of Mzansi Girl for further insights.

Travel Essentials

I flew with South African Airways from London Heathrow taking a connecting flight from Johannersburg to Cape Town. With two daily overnight flights from Heathrow to Johannesburg, South African Airways offers flights to the largest route network within Southern Africa. To learn more, visit their website on flysaa.com or call 0844 375 9680.

Waterkloof Wine Estate
Sir Lowry's Pass Road, 
Somerset West, 7129 
Phone: +27 (021) 858 1292
http://www.waterkloofwines.co.za/

Delaire Graff Estate
Helshoogte Pass
Stellenbosch
South Africa
Phone: +27 21 885 8160
Email: info@delaire.co.za
http://www.delaire.co.za

Majeka House
26-32 Houtkapper Street
Paradyskloof,
Stellenbosch 7600 
Western Cape
reservations@majekahouse.co.za
http://www.majekahouse.co.za