It doesn’t take much to find extraordinary food in Cape Town and the Winelands beyond. In a city where glittering high-rises cradle rooftop restaurants and fine dining spots hide among historic wine estates, the culinary landscape is as striking as its surroundings. Long celebrated for its dynamic and diverse food, Cape Town is a symphony of contrasts where local ingredients meets global influence. In 2026, it reinvents itself while staying loyal to its sense of place, with a slew of new openings – and next eras for existing spots. Here are the most exciting restaurants right now.
Amura by Chef Ángel León
A cinematic experience that puts sustainable seafood front and centre
Hailing from Cádiz – the bleached-white Andalucian city – “Chef of the Sea” Ángel León is among Spain’s top five Michelin-starred chefs. This much-anticipated restaurant is his first outside his home country, exploring the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Beyond conventional seafood cuisine, León is constantly pushing the conversation forward – from cooking with plankton to developing marine grains and using underutilised fish species. A meal at Amura by Chef Ángel León is like a glimpse into his world, where he shows you just how stunning seafood can be while reimagining the possibilities of the ocean. On top of that, it’s in Cape Town’s Wes Anderson-style pink palace: Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel. With its magnificent kelp forest-inspired interiors and double-height wine library, Amura evokes the feel of a vintage luxury ocean liner. When you move through the space, designed by Tristan du Plessis of Studio A, it’s like you’re aboard a palatial vessel – down to the domed ceilings, curved banquettes, timber panelling, bronze accents and sub-aqueous lighting. It’s luxury to the max, but in that effortlessly chic, Belmond sort of way. There’s magic here in spades – in the oysters and kelp mignonette; butter-soft scallop, beautifully served in a half-shell with samphire; and yellowfin tuna “steak tartare” prepared tableside. Special mention must also be made of the golden squid ink croquettes jolted with pickled chilli; springy prawn toast brightened with green curry; and delicate langoustines swimming in a clam “marinera” sauce. For mains, we suggest opting for León’s iconic plankton risotto – an emerald emulsion that features squid and garlic aioli – although the tuna schnitzel made for sharing is equally as tempting. Desserts are strategically light, with the standout being a flan – it tastes like a dense crème caramel, served with spirulina crème Chantilly sprinkled with sea salt. Signature cocktails are as creative as the food, like the seaweed martini laced with seaweed-infused olive brine. For anyone who enjoys eating from the sea, Amura by Chef Ángel León has all the ingredients for a truly transportive experience. Tables are in high demand and best reserved well in advance. Don’t wait for an occasion. Just say I do.
Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, 76 Orange Street, Gardens, Cape Town
021 483 1000
restaurantreservations.mnh@belmond.com
Foxcroft
Theatrical dining in an iconic heritage-listed building
A Constantia institution’s next era is off to a strong start. Foxcroft has found a new home at the historic Constantia Nek, a landmark dating back to 1929 and perched at the top of Constantia Nek Pass – with a grander culinary offer to do justice to its mountainside location. The dining room has been updated with a contemporary-luxury palette of creams and beiges, as well as increased lighting throughout the space. A statement linen ceiling installation, natural stone and wood finishes, bouclé upholstered chairs and herringbone-parquet floors create an overall tonally muted aesthetic. The views across the valley towards distant mountains and the ocean, set against dramatic skies, are as mesmerising as the food. The menu is heavily inspired by chef-owner Glen Foxcroft Williams’ extensive travels around the world and the century-old site’s natural surroundings – from the nearby Cecilia Forest, where dense mosses carpet the trunks beneath a canopy of indigenous trees, to the fynbos-covered slopes of Constantia Nek. Over nine courses, the Chef’s Menu balances precision cooking and artful plating with compelling storytelling. Soft, buttery herbed salt bread smeared with Jersey butter or truffled cauliflower dusted with roasted yeast is a wintry joy. Asian-style snacks of market fish ssam, beef noodle soup and a garden tartlet pop with vibrancy and colour. If the caviar supplement is offered, say yes. A sip of Beluga vodka before indulging in Cru Caviar Imperial – served with crispy potatoes and smoked snoek pâté topped with bokkom furikake – helps prime your palate and activate your tastebuds. Next, Namibian crab shines with Thai basil in a refreshing tomato kimchi broth. A spicy dish of crayfish with mushroom, jollof rice and berbere is worth the price tag alone. Similarly swoon-worthy is tuna ceviche punched up with coconut and pineapple. Williams’ deft twists and turns – and gorgeously composed flavours – are the work of an artist. A cannon of lamb appears rosy-pink inside with well-rendered fat, complementing turnip and a Cape-Malay denningvleis stew, while a dessert of chestnut, mascarpone and burnt vanilla makes a lasting impression. The relief of a landmark being in the capable hands of the La Colombe Group is palpable. Even better is the well-deserved feeling of excitement about where Foxcroft might go.
Constantia Nek, Constantia
021 202 3304
The Restaurant on Precious Hidden Valley
Essential wine country dégustation with contemporary African flavours
Buffalo isn’t something you see every day – at least not paired with a luxurious buchu jus and bee pollen. Then again, Precious Hidden Valley’s fine-diner isn’t your everyday restaurant, especially following the appointment of executive chef Bjorn Guido – a creative powerhouse for modern African cooking. Pioneering what he calls “new African gastronomy”, he has a knack for showcasing native flavours in ways that feel both novel yet natural. His imagination is anchored by technical finesse and a sustainable backbone, as seen in the monkfish elevated by shio koji and Cape Malay onion relish, or elegant crayfish served atop a velvety emulsion with brined mussels. The 360-degree views surrounding The Restaurant on Precious Hidden Valley are reason enough to book. They’ll make you want to stop and gaze awhile. The panoramic vista out front encompasses the undulating vineyards, deep valleys and majestic Helderberg Mountain. The décor, by Dr Precious Motsepe, includes earthy tones – olive green and mustardy yellow to terracotta and cream – natural materials, vases of dried flowers and jars of fermented ingredients. It’s a pleasure to relax in the intimate setting. Guests are greeted with a ceramic vessel of kombucha on arrival, setting the tone before a six-course menu of uncommon textures, shapes and tastes. For snacks, there are dainty canapés followed by mosbolletjie bread made from grape must and aniseed, its impressive depth of flavour matched by robust butters, spreads and marinated olives. Crisp-skinned duck delivers on both texture and umami with caramelised parsnips, braised red cabbage, pumpkin seed miso and a quail Scotch egg – yolk perfectly gooey, wrapped in guinea fowl mince and crumbed fried for full flavour-bomb action. The “Forest Foraging” dessert is elaborate with its dollops of pistachio ice cream, shards of honeycomb and scattering of edible elderflowers. Dishes and palate cleansers are presented in handmade earthenware, nest-like bowls and pine cone hideaways, drawing gasps across the room. The assured team on the floor will likely steer you towards choosing the Hidden Valley wine pairing – a very wise move, as the estate wines range from the exquisite to the extraordinary.
Precious Hidden Valley, Annandale Road, Stellenbosch
021 007 3477
reservations@hiddenvalleywines.co.za
East City Grill
Cooking with embers and open flames in downtown Cape Town
There’s no ignoring this new, seductive Asian steakhouse on the first floor of 84 Harrington Street, the world’s tallest building made from hemp in Cape Town’s East City precinct. Describing itself as Afro-Asian, it’s the Asian influences that are immediately obvious at East City Grill. East City Grill forms one half of a dual concept, alongside its sister restaurant, Yakiniku – a Japanese-style dining experience centred around tableside grilling that merits a visit in its own right. The cracking à la carte menu, inspired by open-fire South African cooking and wagyu from the owner’s family farm in the Swartland, has smoke, flame and ash at its heart. Inside the dark and moody restaurant, the atmosphere is similarly up-tempo, supported by enthusiastic and engaged service. There’s plenty of dark timber, offset by blonde wood and copper panels. The most Zen spots are the softly backlit leather banquettes. Start with a craft cocktail and the wagyu biltong to whet the appetite and cast your eyes over the menu. Under the considered hand of executive chef Jaycee Ferreira, Asian standards arrive crisp and polished. Among the starters, the wagyu tartare is a clear highlight – featuring cured egg yolk, shaved parmesan and sweet-savoury yakiniku sauce. It’s simple but ridiculously moreish. A surprise must-try is the nigiri – hand-pressed rice topped with toasted nori, finely sliced avocado, chopped fresh fish, Kewpie mayonnaise, sesame seeds and caviar in a pool of ponzu dressing. Despite the good selection of mains on offer, there’s really only one right order here: The confidently charred steaks. The real beauty of fire lies in its simplicity, allowing quality ingredients to reveal their inherent flavours. East City Grill’s fillet steak, with the exotic mushroom sauce and Gruyère mashed potatoes, is in a class of its own. Meanwhile, the sweet grilled prawns in a glossy, aromatic miso butter smell so good they turn heads. For dessert, the jiggly Hokkaido cheesecake with matcha, toasted rice ice cream, puffed rice and ginger milk curd – washed down with an espresso martini – is the perfect finisher. Whether you’re after a new haunt to frequent with your special someone or in need of a stylish atmosphere for a momentous occasion, East City Grill is poised to give you an excellent date-night experience.
84 Harrington Street, District Six, Cape Town
021 518 3366
