Info special holiday tips South Africa

A visit to Cape Town isn't complete without these in-the-know restaurants and other special spots

We admit it: there isn't a lot of coherence between the tips you'll find in this list. But since there are countless lists with the motto ‘Places to see before you die’, we felt that a list with the overarching theme ‘must see in Cape Town before you die’ would also work. Now that you mention it, we have that list too: 52 things to do in Cape Town before you die (or before you fly back to the Netherlands, which is slightly less dramatic).

So this list isn't quite that either. What it *is*? The binding factor is that these tips are simply all places that, in our opinion, you absolutely *must* see or do during a holiday in Cape Town. And importantly: that you won't necessarily come across many of them in other travel guides. Long story short: just keep reading. And in the meantime, grab a pen and paper to make notes.

1. Drinking gin and tonic at The Gin Bar
By day, you walk past it, thinking it's a chocolate coffee shop. And that's correct, it is. But in the evenings, Honest Chocolate Bar on Wale Street transforms into The Gin Bar, one of the city's nicest and best-kept secrets. Cosy yet trendy, creative but not too hipster, that sort of vibe. And gin and tonic in a number of special forms. We can't say much more about it, except that you'll definitely want to pop in for an evening. Not if you don't like gin and tonic, because that's all they sell here.
64 Wale Street, CBD

Eat the best sushi in Cape Town at Willoughby's, V&A Waterfront
Eating in a shopping centre? Let's be honest; there are more atmospheric settings to be imagined. But if we tell you that at this restaurant in the V&A Waterfront you'll eat the very, very best sushi in Cape Town, then you'll listen a bit more closely. Remember the following names: 4×4, salmon roses and jalapeno salmon sashimi. Then you know enough. And by all means, order a number of other items too, because actually, everything at Willoughby's is delicious. There's almost always a queue, but you never have to wait long. And nice: while you wait, you'll already get a glass of wine on the house. Also nice: they've recently had a significant ‘revamp’ which has made it look a lot fresher and ‘cosier’ (as far as that's possible in a shopping centre). Like!

3. Sunbathing stealthily on Glen Beach, Camps Bay
Sure, Camps Bay beach is a party, as are the four Clifton beaches. But do you want to hear a secret? Of course you do. The secret is called Glen Beach, and because it’s separated from the big Camps Bay beach by a few boulders, not many people know about it. Bonus point: because it’s nestled in a ‘bend’, it’s less windy here (even if it’s windy 100 metres away in Camps Bay). And as lovely as they are, every now and then you do get a little bit fed up with the ice cream vendors and sunglasses sellers. Another bonus point: you don’t get those here either.

4. Eating the biggest burgers of your life at The Dog's Bollock, Gardens
Welcome to the most atypical burger joint you'll ever see. Because it's actually just a garage where someone fries fantastic burgers. Every evening, 50 burgers, until they're gone and then it's closed. You won't find bigger ones anywhere else. Big eaters will want to come back every night, and small eaters will still be full the next day. Nice to know: during the day, you can also go here for breakfast and lunch, then the ‘garage’ has the equally special name ‘The Bitch's’ Tits’. No joke.
Yard 6, Roodehek Road, Gardens

5. Eat the best steaks in Cape Town at HQ Restaurant, City Bowl (tip: on Mondays)
HQ stands for Headquarters and is one of Cape Town's oldest restaurants. The fact that it's been around for years and is still incredibly popular, immediately explains why it's on this list. The keyword is: steak. Supplemented by the words ‘chips’ and ‘salad’. And then ‘the tastiest’. You're done, nothing more to do. Nothing else is on the menu here. Tip: on Monday, you can eat two for the price of one. Read more about HQ Restaurant in Cape Town.
Headquarters, 100 Shortmarket Street, City Bowl

6. Eating mussels and drinking cocktails in picturesque Kalk Bay at Café Sirocco
Kalk Bay is one of the loveliest, most picturesque seaside towns you'll ever encounter. Situated between Cape Town and Cape Point, on the ‘east coast’ alongside Muizenberg, Boulders Beach and Simon's Town. If you're driving from Cape Town to Cape Point, do yourself a big favour and drive there or back via this coastal road (M4). And if you do, plan a stop in Kalk Bay. Preferably around lunchtime, because the mussels at Café Sirocco on the Main Road are legendary. Fresh from the sea – combined with a glass of wine, cocktail or fresh fruit juice, you'll be incredibly happy here.
Sirocco, Main Road, Kalk Bay

7. Spotting sharks at the Shark Spotters Lookout, Boyes Drive
The very idea fills people with dread, but yes, there are sharks swimming around Cape Town.Mind YouThat's not daily, and generally they swim mainly on the coastline east of Cape Town – near Muizenberg and Fish Hoek. The fact that the number of incidents with these sharks is limited and you can swim there quite safely has everything to do with the Shark Spotters. Indeed, people who do nothing all day but watch to see if there are sharks. If you are coming from Cape Point, especially take Boyes Drive up from Kalk Bay (parallel to Main Road, turn left at the fish auction), to see the Shark Spotters' cottage on your right after a few kilometres. Usually, there are several people spotting with them.

Underground Hip-Hop Pop-Up Chef's Table at Spasie Restaurant, Bo-Kaap
Would you like to dine at an incredibly hip restaurant that's so exclusive that many Capetonians don't even know about it? Sometimes they're so well hidden that even locals struggle to find them. In the narrow streets of Bo-Kaap, you'll find Spasie – a pop-up restaurant that fits that description perfectly. But open only three days a week (Thursday-Friday-Saturday) and on Wednesdays, it's exclusively invite-only. Every Thursday and Friday, it's The Chef's Tablean intimate dinner where young, up and coming chefs prepare a multi-course meal. Read more about it in our article on Spasie Restaurant in Cape Town.
97 Church Street, Bo-Kaap

9. Coffee, breakfast, lunch – anything at the Company’s Garden Café, Gardens
We recently heard someone refer to the Company’s Garden Café as a ‘playground cafeteria’ before its renovation. The kind of place that has existed for decades, where some locals order the exact same thing every weekend, on the same day and at the same time. They secretly call it a faded glory. The solution? Let Madame Zingara (a chain of Cape Town's most successful, fun restaurants and bars) take over the establishment and completely ‘revamp’ it. The name stayed the same, and that was it. Nowadays, Company’s Garden Café is *the* place where Cape Town gathers for breakfast, coffee, and lunch. For the latter, booking is advised. You're right in the heart of the city here, yet completely surrounded by greenery and peace.
19 Queen Victoria Street, Company's Garden

10. Roast & Co, City Bowl
At Roast & Co, it's all about chicken. And not just any chicken, but the freshest, crispiest, and most delicious chicken you can eat in the city. As soon as you enter, the aroma of chicken greets you, and you'll see marinated chickens hanging on the rotisserie. The restaurant is modern yet cosy, with a style reminiscent of global cities like London or New York. It's also a great bonus that you can dine comfortably both indoors and outdoors in the sheltered courtyard almost all year round. The heaters, canopies, and walls protect the garden from the unpredictable weather of the Mother City. A nice detail: the majority of the dishes you can enjoy here are – surprisingly – chicken. The chicken Caesar croquettes are particularly.
98 Shortmarket Street

Source: kaapstadmagazine.nl