Restaurants, Restaurants Everywhere!

Of every type, size, national or international - the choice is bewildering. But you're sure to have the time of your life at any of the restaurants you choose, because food is high up on Cape Town's menu of the best things to do.

Quality is good and service is as important to the restauranteurs as the presentation.

Take our guide as tried and tested, as all the restaurants recommended by us have been used frequently and having been born and brought up in the hotel industry, we don't suffer bad food or service lightly!

One of our most favoured restaurants is Maestro's, Woodbridge Island. Quite apart from it being extremely good, it's very close to the house and is within easy walking distance! So no taxi's or cars necessary.

That's not the main reason we like it so much though! The views from the dining area truly are sensational.

Mum and Dad took some English friends there the other night, partly to watch the sun go down and also because the menu is very wide ranging. It will suit anyone's taste.

The atmosphere is lively, if a little on the noisy side (but this comment did come from the older members of our family), with very attentive staff.

Of course, it does help that Cousin Steven is one of the managers there, but we don't get any extra attention - everyone is treated very well. This restaurant also gets our vote for good value for money.

Right down in the working docks and definitely not in the 'posh' part of town is a gem of a restaurant. One of the best seafood restaurants in town! Probably in the Western Cape.

The dining area is a shack - that's not to say it's shabby, run-down or dirty - far from it, but when you arrive outside for the first time, you do wonder where you've come to. Step over the threshold to a wonderful array of seafood, although meat-eaters are not left out!

Outside of Panama Jack's

Dad chose to have Pan Fried Sole, which he really enjoyed, but his plate came up after ours!

We chose to have a Seafood Miso for three people and you can see in the pan in the front of the picture, all the wonderful seafood in the Miso - Crayfish, Mussels, Prawns, line fish, Calamari along with a few others I've forgotten and with a base of savoury rice steeped in pan juices.

Lawrence contemplating his Lobster

Lawrence loves Lobster! I think the whole idea of going up to the tank and actually choosing the lobster is all part of the fun, but I can almost see him wishing that he'd chosen a bigger one here!

 
Now, I know you're counting! So what did William have?

William is our large meat-eater. One of the most succulent T-Bone steaks was his choice and since he is such an expert on quality steaks, gave it top marks, which says a lot in a seafood restaurant!

One of the new restaurants that we tried this year was Belthazar's, Waterfront.

This is an award winning Steak House and definitely NOT a joint!

You might also guess that this is one of William's favourite restaurants.

However, it caters for Lawrence's tastes too, as most of the restaurants in Cape Town do, simply because the sea is such an integral part of life in Cape Town.

I think that the reason Belthazar rates so highly with us, is not just the great quality of it's steaks and food in general, but the service is exceptional.

We were being told of the specials that day, when Lawrence's ears alighted on the words 'Oysters'. He immediately decided that he wanted Oysters, but as he hadn't experienced them before, we rather tried to persuade him that here and now was not the place to try them.

The waiter suggested that Lawrence could have two to try, rather than a whole plate full and immediately set about telling us how they would be served.

Needless to say we hadn't the heart to say no! Lawrence got his first taste of Oysters in one of the world's most beautiful settings - something that he'll remember for the rest of his days!

View looking across the Waterfront towards Belthazar's and the Victoria & Alfred Mall

The rest of us, naturally had steaks - Michael and William had the ubiquitous T-Bones and I had a Giant Kebab with mixed cuts of Fillet, Rump and Sirloin, served on a bed of rice.

The meat was tenderness personified! Need I say more?

The Steaks are not the only specialities at Belthazar's. It's also a wine bar of some note, having the largest range of wines, over 600 bottles and over 100 offered by the glass. The glasses are also notable for being extremely large, so when you ask for a wine by the glass, you get a very decent sized serving. Certainly unique in Cape Town.
 

One of the whole family's favourite restaurants is infact a chain, Spur Restaurants.

They're found all over South Africa and most large towns and suburbs around Cape Town have their own Spur restaurant.

 
We tend to frequent the ones at Table Bay and The Waterfront, although we did visit the one at Strand this year.

The best thing about them is the uniformity of quality. The standard is very high in a Spur restaurant and of all the ones I've been to over the years, I can't fault any of them.

High praise indeed, considering that we've visited a good number over the years we've been going to Cape Town and indeed South Africa.

Children take priority at Spur, with balloons, special children's menus and family friendly service. The waiters are not adverse to getting down on their haunches to speak directly to the children themselves.

There are also play areas for the children, when they're fed up with waiting for Mum and Dad to finish their wine.

 
What can I suggest you try here? Buffalo Wings and Steaks are our personal favourites, but you really can't go wrong with much on their menus.

 
By the way, the views from Table Bay and Strand Spur's are fantastic - go just for the view alone and you'll have a great time!

Out at Hout Bay, you'll find Mariner's Wharf.

Hout Bay is a very pretty fishing town, running down to Cape Point, on the Atlantic coast about 30 minutes out of Cape Town itself.

You don't need me to tell you that the fish here is excellent. However, we've found it a little on the expensive side in comparison to other restaurants.

We went this year for the first time in a number of years and spent an extremely pleasant lunchtime with friends who stayed in Hout Bay on their first visit to Cape Town and South Africa.