Debbie&Guy

CAPE TOWN TO DO

Hi!

See our friends recommendations below:

Our favourites are:

The Potluck Club - the food here is phenomenal! but make sure to book in Advance (Dinner)

Harbour House, Waterfront - lovely views of the waterfront, good sushi. Be sure to ask to sit outside. (Lunch or Dinner)

Kleinskys - in Seapoint for morning coffees, after hike coffee's and New York Style Deli food! delish

The Cousins - Italian place in the city. Homemade pasta. Guy's favourite (Dinner)

Royal Eatery - excellent burgers on Long Street. Speciality is the Royale Burger. Ask for half and half chips!

Yours Truly - Bar, has a great vibe in the day and get jollier as the night goes on. Cafe in the day and turns into DJ venue at night, we love it. There are two: the original quaint one here in town (map location here) and the new bigger one on Kloof Street (map location here)

Neighbourgoods Market on Saturday in Woodstock's Biscuit Mill. Its a buzz! and a Must do if you can! Food markets, shopping and music! (Map Location for uber/car Here)

Truth coffee bar - pretty cool steam punk theme coffee bar located in town (Map location here) some pics here: pictures

The Village Idiot (cool vibe bar and can eat) (map located here)

Tiger's Milk - Bar to hang out and meet up with a group. There is one perfect for sundowners at camps bay (map location here) and for the urbanites or pre-match pre-dinner, there is an excellent one with outdoor courtyard and fairy lights on Kloof Street (map location here) there is a great one in town (map location here)

Aces 'n Spade - indoor outdoor urban bar - a biker theme, live rock music. Clearly this is Guy's recommendation. (map located here)

Cape To Cuba - restaurant in Kalk Bay (fisherman's Town outside of Cape Town) You must book by phone. no website. Its one of our favourite spots for some wine and food while exploring the antique shops and independent designers along the main road. see more details below in Things to do!

La Colombe - fine dining and superb.

Miller's Thumb - Low key homemade fish restaurant. Great meal. Very cheap. Close to Long Street where there are bars and can go for drinks afterwards.

Royal Eatery - burger joint on Long Street. Quick easy and really really cheap.

Chef's Warehouse at Beau Constantia - Was on the Masterchef final. Also amazing - tasting menu but not so expensive.

Butcher's Shop - meat. Quality.

Hussar Grill - meat. Not as 'cool' as Butcher's Shop but very good as well.

Carne - meat. Good for game.

Kloof Street House -. Bustlingly busy. Great vibe, recommend for drinks but not for food.

Foodbarn. In Nordhoek but well worth the trip. One of the top recomendations..

Test Kitchen - same owners as Pot Luck Club. Get a table here. Supposedly the best restaurant in Africa.

Shortmarket - Very good meat and pretty cool place. Good drinks too.

Burrata - Pasta place. Very low key, next to Test Kitchen. We went in the first year. Really cheap + had incredible pasta.

Codfather - pick your fish from the front of the counter and then they serve it to you cooked.

Mzansi - restaurant in a woman's house in a township. Number 1 on TripAdvisor. Is like being at a dinner party in a township. Very touristy but very cool to see what she has done. It is safe and she employs people from the township as waiters, security etc. Really fun and food is local. Could be a good shout.

The Black Sheep (definitely book, my favourite)

Haiku (fancy but delicious sushi and dim sum)

Café Paradiso (low key and cosy, worth booking, good for brunch/lunch in the courtyard as well as dinner)

Villa 47 (delicious Italian restaurant on Bree street with a nice bar upstairs)

Outrage of Modesty (speakeasy style secret cocktail bar on shortmarket st)

Jerry’s Burger (very casual but excellent burgers)

Olympia Café (delicious lunch spot in Kalk Bay on the way to see the penguins)

Bombay Bicycle Club (loud and fun with a delicious steak in chocolate sauce that is off the menu but always on offer)

Bocca (excellent pizza and fun vibe)

The Secret Gin Bar (the best gin and tonics in a little courtyard behind the honest chocolate café)

Stack (good cocktails and courtyard, fun on the weekend)

The Culture Club (amazing cheese shop and good brunch spot)

The Oranjezicht City Farmers Market in the waterfront (amazing food and produce + good vibe)

The Rumbullion or Camps Bay Retreat as a dinner spot with great views above Camps Bay (will also need to book these)

Activities:

Rent a kayak in seapoint (here), or book through Air BnB

Sand-boarding - Use SA Forest Adventures to arrange. BTW, they do loads of activity/adventures search their website!

Paragliding
Professional tandum paragliding for all ages, and including goPRO video recording: In Cape Town, we paraglide mainly from Lion's Head and Signal Hill. Visit Paraglide for details

Cycling Around
Cycle from Green Point the to camps bay. Can rent bikes there and drop off in Camps Bay. Cycle through Clifton and Bantry bay. Very nice.

Penguins at Boulder's beach. Half day trip from Cape Town. Very scenic drive and you can stop in Simons Town on way back for lunch.

Cape Point - supposedly the southernmost tip of Africa. Depending on the tide can be a little underwhelming but apparently can be really cool too.

TOP TIP: Muizenberg . 30 mins from Cape Town and one of the top 10 surfing spots in the world. Rent a board and go for a surf (here). Mix this day with half a day at Kalk Bay.

Market’s with food or live music

Woodstock Biscuit Mill & Neighbourgoods Market (MUST DO ON A SATURDAY) (here)

The Hout Bay market (here)- for live music, food and drinks (We don’t get what all the fuss is about Hout Bay)

Beaches

Simons town - Boulders Beach (here) – Penguins Beach, combine with Chapmans Peak an Cape Point

Cape Town - Clifton 1st, 2nd and 3rd beach (here) chilling (warning: water is cold)

Cape Town - Camps bay beach, come here for ‘sundowners’ lots of nice places

Cape Town - Another great beach is Llandudno (here), also a good surf spot!

Hiking

Lions head - A Must Do Hike! (start map location here) Don’t start later than 8am! It will be hot by the time you come down.

Hike up TABLE MOUNTAIN (difficult level – high) or take the cable car up / or just down (it rotates so you don’t have to worry about where you stand for the view :).
TIP: Book Table Mountain Ticket Online! And don’t go at the beginning of the session, go at the end (no queue) coming down is anytime.

Signal Hill. You wan walk up signal hill for sundowners if you dont like hiking! Its a nice stroll. Amazing views over Cape Town. Alternatively you can drive up, or get an uber there and back. Easy Easy. ( Map Destination location here)

Cape Town Boomslang (here)- Lots of hikes around Kirstenbosch gardens – also a beautiful place to visit. C

Nice places to eat, drink, coffee?

Kalk Bay (near Cape Town) You Must go to Kalk Bay! A beautiful, cute seaside fisherman town with amazing shops, curios, clothes, antiques and art – amazing restaurant is Cape To Cuba, must book in advance and ask to sit by the window. Combine this day with a surfing lesson in Muizenberg. Lots of lovely shops to walk around. Also famous for ‘Kalkys’ fish and chips down at the harbour - dont be scared! its local and its as fresh.

V&A Waterfront

Lovely to walk around and have lunch / dinner at Harbour House.

Worth seeing the new Zeitz MOCAA museum of contemporary art by Thomas Heatherwick. Houses the Silo Hotel which has a nice rooftop (slightly overrated but great views).

If going for one day, recommend getting a driver (not an uber), u can do 3/4 estates a day with one for lunch. Tastings should be booked in advance.

Our favourites are:
1. Grande Provence (tasting)
2. Lunch at Babylonstoren
3. Delaire Graff (you can book)

Babylon Storen - www.babylonstoren.com/
A must see, low key french influenced cape dutch farm - soho farm house wishes it was this.

Delaire Graaf - www.delaire.co.za/ Bling, go there for their position and view they are at the top of the mountain, where as the others are in the foothills. So their view is amazing,

Grand Provence - www.grandeprovence.co.za/ Dutch colonial very pretty estate, big art gallery, lovely lawns for walking, nice outdoor tasting are and less packed than others

OTHERS:

La Motte - www.la-motte.com/ old english colonial style wine estate

Rupert & Rothschild - Big family name, great estate - but we went there with our friends just to see the car collection not the wine tasting. The cars on display are absolutely incredible with a mix of the owrlds most famous vintage cars, sports cars, heavy duty vehicles and luxury cars - you name it the Rupert's have 'em www.rupert-rothschildvignerons.com/

Mont Rochelle - www.virginlimitededition.com/en/mont-rochelle I have not been yet , but Richard Branson bought it, and he is cool, so maybe its good :)

In Franschoek - try Tayne Ruddock - Taynetrax@gmail.com. He does cycle tours around the vineyards. Email him for his options but he will also make you lunch on a vineyard.

In Stellenbosch - use Corne Stwart (corne@tuktukstellies.co.za) for a Tuk Tuk wine tour. Again look at his website or speak to him for options.

Surfing Buffels Bay (Wilderness) - Cheap Surf lessons in a small holiday/beach town called Buffels Bay (2hrs in the morning 9am or 11am)

Kynsna (wilderness) – In the afternoon (can be done same day as surfing) take a catamaran boat for sunset 2hrs out to the Knysna heads R400pp great and relaxing way to end the day. Go for seafood dinner after.
Kysna: // Boat Company:

Beach: Natures Valley - , there is a nice hike to a secluded beach here (for chilling out, take food etc): phenomenal place on the garden route. See if you can go here and we’ll tell you which beach to go to.

Beaches: Plett has beautiful beaches!

Plettenberg Bay - Robberg Island is another must do hike to a secluded beach and a top pick! You can hike to a peninsula with beaches on either side of you !

The Wilderness - hike to the waterfall (here). you can just walk full distance there and back on your own take a picnic for the waterfall (1.45hr walk)
TIP: This Place, EDEN Adventures lets you hire a canoe to and go half way up the river, then u hike to waterfall, and take canoe back again. You can swim in the river.