Whether strolling in the streets of the city, or hanging out at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town has many restaurants, cafes and bars to choose from. This unique city, hugged by the iconic Table Mountain is a great place to be at any time of the day. However, when taking a tour of Cape Town, should you feel peckish, these are some of the more unusual and unique places to visit when hunger strikes.
1. Tapi Tapi, 76 Lower Main Rd, Observatory
Tapi Tapi is a restaurant that specialises in unique ice cream. The owner is a microbiologist turned ice cream maker, Tapiwa Guzha and his aim is to tell the story of his own food history, as well as stories from across the African continent, with every scoop of ice cream served.
Image courtesy @_tapi_tapi/Instagram
Among the flavours stored in his freezers are wonders like rondo ice cream, which is made from nutritious, edible clay eaten by pregnant women across Africa. He also serves up botanical flavours, such as bitter leaf, black jack and baobab. More tempting is an ice cream version of kelewele, a caramelized Ghanaian plantain snack served with ginger and fire-roasted peanuts. While most of his flavours lean towards comforting, some can be a little challenging to the diner. One of these is matemba, a dried fish that he pairs with toffee as a frozen treat.
Image: ice cream made with sundried blackjack greens courtesy @_tapi_tapi/Instagram
Besides ice cream, Tapi Tapi serves a good range of African tastes like Mawuyu, prepared from the edible pod of the baobab tree, made into pastry dough, then deep-fried and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
Tapi Tapi is set in the streets of Observatory, a diverse and eclectic neighbourhood of the city. Guzha not only makes ice cream and delicious food - he is also an artist and painted his open air parlour with his own artwork and words. The restaurant is open six days a week, but closes for ice cream churning on the seventh, and is definitely worth a try on a hot summer’s day in the heart of Cape Town.
2. Mama Africa, 178 Long St, Cape Town
Opened in 1985, Mama Africa is a celebration of South Africa’s new democracy and is a place where “Mama is cooking for you.” Open for lunch and dinner, Mama Africa specialises in typical South African dishes in a colourful and authentic setting. The walls are adorned with African masks, paintings, wooden carvings of African wildlife and drums.
Image courtesy @mamaafrica_cape_town/Instagram
While dining on Springbok, Kudu, Ostrich or even Crocodile, listen to the African rhythms of a live marimba band, adding to the African experience. Among the starters, patrons can enjoy Kudu Biltong (similar to American jerky), Game Kebab, home-made raisin bread, with home-made Veggie Samoosas for vegetarians.
Image courtesy @mamaafrica_cape_town/Instagram
Main dishes include a good Lamb Curry or Game Potjie (rich stew cooked in an iron pot), or Zimbabwean Dovi (chicken in peanut sauce). From the grill, patrons can dine on game meats, perfectly cooked to their specifications. Take in the full menu here, if you dare. Also, get a taste of the atmosphere at Mama Africa in the video included here.
3. Reverie Social Table, 226A Lower Main Road, Observatory
Located in the quirky Cape Town neighbourhood of Observatory, Reverie Social Table describes itself as a “proudly South African table d’hote style eatery.” Your chef/patron, Julia Hattingh, hosts guests around an 18-seater table to dine on a five-course meal, exclusively created for them. The food is paired with carefully selected wines.
Image courtesy @reveriecapetown/Instagram
Guests are asked to put away their cell phones and engage with one another, as if dining at a private home. They can relax and enjoy the plat du jour selected by Chef Julia that morning in an eclectically furnished setting. The aim of the restaurant is to get a diverse group of people, seated around one table, to break bread and get to know each other. Here you are likely to meet tourists from all over the world, mixed with a diverse smattering of friendly locals.
Image courtesy @reveriecapetown/Instagram
Give yourself a treat on your next visit to Cape Town dining in these, and other recommended restaurants in The Mother City.
