The 10 Best Artisanal Bakeries in Cape Town + The Winelands

Bread is life… especially when it’s a crusty loaf of slow-fermented sourdough with a soft chewy crumb, begging to be slathered with butter. Cape Town is lucky enough to have rather more than a baker’s dozen of artisanal bakeries. We’ve picked out crackling new finds and long-established old favourites: shops luring you in with the waft of bread fresh out of the oven, where you can pop by for your daily loaf, and café bakeries where you can settle in for a leisurely coffee and croissant or sandwich. There are mouthwatering sourdough pastries to discover, loaves of all shapes and sizes, venerable sourdough cultures that have been handed down the generations, and a passionate breed of bakers dedicated to their craft.

La Motte Artisanal Bakery and Garden Café

Baker extraordinaire Markus Farbinger (founder of Knysna’s Île de Pain) works with resident baker Ricardo Slawers to create a stunning wood-fired bread offering at La Motte’s relaxed and informal artisan bakery. Carefully sourced flours, slow-fermented doughs and old-school artisan methods result in beautifully chewy ciabatta, crusty sourdough, crustique, rye bread and the fabulous ‘Motte’ organic sourdough (plus divine mosbolletjies in harvest season). Then there are pasteis de nata and a delicious range of patisserie. The all-day breakfast and light lunch menu is approachable and delicious: scrambled eggs on fresh-baked croissants, eggs Bennie on toasted brioche, full farm breakfasts, plus winter soups, plankie steaks and summer salads, and the various breads featured as generous open sandwiches. In the historic Jonkershuis, with glass walls opening onto a terrace and looking over shaded lawns, ancient oaks and a farmyard-inspired playground, the café appeals to the whole family.
We recommend Take home a different loaf (or two) each time you visit…it’s impossible to decide on a favourite.
Good to know Book ahead at weekends, it gets busy.
Opening times Wednesday – Sunday, 8am – 4pm (kitchen closes at 3pm)
Contact 021 876 8825, bakery@la-motte.co.za
Where to find it La Motte Wine Estate, R45, Franschhoek
Book through DinePlan

C’est La Vie

This French-inspired bakery café is just around the corner from Fish Hoek beach. Owner Jo Hill now has two locations: the Bakery on Recreation Road for the freshest, most delectable artisanal breads (usually at least five different sourdough styles on the shelves), plus croissants and pastries, and the Café around the corner on Beach Road. Here you can munch toasted sourdough sandwiches made using the bakery’s breads, sip coffee, freshly squeezed fruit juices or milkshakes, or scoop up swirly soft-serves with all the toppings.
We recommend The white sourdough pain de campagne is irresistible, and so are the croissants, pain au chocolat and the cinnamon sticks. Go hungry!
Good to know Jo’s nephew, Brett Nortier, started off baking here and now has his own excellent bakery in Yzerfontein, Rosemead Artisan Bakery.
Opening times Bakery: Wednesday – Sunday, 7:30am – 12pm
Cafe: Daily, 8am – 4pm
Contact 083 676 7430, hillybop@gmail.com
Where to find it Bakery: 2A Recreation Road, Fish Hoek, Cape Town
Cafe: 24 Beach Road, Fish Hoek, Cape Town

Motherdough

A 105-year-old sourdough culture named Alfonsina is the star behind this new Franschhoek panetteria and café. Born in Italy in 1919, she arrived in South Africa just in time for lockdown, when Willem van Schalkwyk and Lance Littlefield began selling sourdough starters and providing support to home bakers. Motherdough has since evolved into a specialist sourdough bakery with a charming shop and café in Franschhoek. They offer a whole range of naturally fermented breads and pastries (sourdough brownies anyone?), as well as some superb savoury pies. Sit outdoors on the side patio and tuck into panini, focaccine and several other delicious treats.
We recommend Try the bomboloni and the maritozzi, two traditional Italian pastries made with Alfonsina’s singing and dancing sourdough pizzazz.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 8am – 5pm
Sunday, 8am – 3pm
Contact care@motherdough.co.za
Where to find it Corner Main Road & De Wet Street, Franschhoek

Jason Bakery

Aromas of freshly baked pâtisserie emanate from this Victorian-era house on Green Point’s main drag, where “Captain Bread” (aka Jason Lilley) prepares the best almond croissants in town, and gets creative with other forms of pastry (it used to be his legendary doughssants, now it might be a one-day-only cookie/brownie love child, or a luscious filled croissant roulade… check insta for what’s baking). Come for that perfectly simple combo of a cup of freshly brewed coffee and heavenly pastry (blueberry Danish, milk tart brioche doughnuts, pasteis de nata, etc). Or tuck into heartier options that might include mushroom ragout on toast, a flapjack stack, toasties, bagels, burgers, and more.
We recommend No time to sit-down? Join the separate queue for the take-home bakery counter and grab a loaf of Jason’s Bree Street sourdough, croissants and a pasteis de nata to dive into on the way home.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 7am – 3pm
Sunday, 8am – 2pm
Contact 021 433 0538, orders@jasonbakery.com
Where to find it 83 Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town

Olympia Café and Bakery

This Kalk Bay institution stands the test of time, for its warm atmosphere, harbour-facing setting and buttery croissants (a perfect breakfast in itself). In the main café check out the blackboard menu for hearty, unpretentious and delicious breakfast and lunch dishes, with their fluffily moreish ciabatta to mop up the sauces. If you’re in a hurry, and are just after a coffee and pastry (or a loaf to take home), head to the red-door bakery around the back. It has a pet-friendly section, making it the perfect place to enjoy a post-walk cappuccino, Fido in tow, on the benches under the trees.
We recommend The flaky croissants, pigs ears, cinnamon twists, and the ciabatta. And pop in for hot cross buns at Easter.
Good to know No reservations
Opening times Café: Monday – Sunday, 7am – 9pm
Bakery: 6.30am – 7pm
Contact 021 788 6396, info@olympiacafe.co.za
Where to find it 134 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town

The Foodbarn Deli Shop

A stalwart of Noordhoek Farm Village – and its biggest drawcard – The Foodbarn has transformed with the times, but the standard of food (set by owner, renowned chef Franck Dangereux) remains top-notch, both at the restaurant and at the separate Foodbarn Deli Shop across the way. The bakery churns out excellent croissants, pain au raisins, sourdough bread, ciabatta, focaccia, olive sticks, fougasse à l’huile, pies and cakes, all of which you can grab to go at the deli (get extra to eat on the way home or they’re likely to evaporate en route). And it’s also a treasure trove of ready-cooked meals and pantry essentials.
We recommend The croissants and pain chocolat, but go early (especially on weekends) as they sell out fast.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 8am – 8pm
Contact 021 789 1390, info@thefoodbarn.co.za
Where to find it Corner Main Road (M6) and Village Lane, Noordhoek, Cape Town

South Yeaster

This tucked away gem of a bakery in Hout Bay was a lockdown baby… siblings and chefs, Amber and Brode Gleeson, took advantage of the down time and started experimenting, getting to know the farmers and millers and crafting small batches of naturally leavened breads. Fast-forward to today and South Yeaster has become what they call a ‘dirty bread cult’, baking up a storm of sourdough breads and very moreish butter-rich sourdough croissants. Pop by for your daily loaf, or sit out in the back courtyard with coffee and a pastry, or a multi-layered sandwich stacked with fresh local ingredients.
We recommend The almond croissants are divine… and try the kimchi and gruberg croissant for something different.
Good to know Sourdough and regular croissants are baked by 8am, sourdough baguettes and other speciality breads and pastries come out of the oven at 9.30am.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 8am – 4pm
Contact southyeasterza@gmail.com
Where to find it 4 The Promenade, Hout Bay, Cape Town

Proof Bakery

Proof Bakery is behind the freshly baked patisserie and bread offering in many a discerning guesthouse and deli around Cape Town, with their bakery operation hidden away in Salt River. But the easiest way to track down their stoneground sourdough loaves and flaky croissants is to head to their small Claremont store, where you’ll find the whole range of breads, as well as tantalising pastries and cakes. Look out for decadent specialties such as the chocolate mousse croissant, and the recent TikTok sensation, the crookie… a butter croissant filled with chocolate-chip cookie dough (using premium Callebaut chocolate) and then baked to all-out decadence. There is a single pavement table to perch at, if you can’t resist tucking in straight away.
We recommend You have to try the crookie at least once, but they sell out fast especially on a Saturday.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm
Saturday, 8am – 2pm
Sunday, 8am – 1pm
Contact proofbakeryinfo@gmail.com
Where to find it Belvedere Square, Claremont, Cape Town

Backerei

This is artisan sourdough bread made in the German tradition, with a very old sourdough starter and experience that has been passed down through 12 generations since 1680. Newly established in the heart of Somerset West, Backerei uses local ingredients and flours which Tobias slow-ferments in traditional German style, for stoneground wheat and rye loaves that are deliciously robust, soft and full of flavour. Irresistible pretzel twists, apricot crumble cake, cinnamon rolls and raisin bread also take turns on the shelves.
We recommend The signature sourdough bread, and for an extra treat the almond and sesame loaf.
Good to know Currently the bakery is shop-only but there are plans for an eat-in café & deli in the future.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm
Saturday, 8am – 2pm
Contact info@backerei.co.za
Where to find it Shop 4B, Corner 1 Dirkie Uys and 149 Main Road, Alexandra Place, Somerset West

Oswald’s Bakery

A hole-in-the-wall, hidden gem of a bakery, you wouldn’t know about Oswald’s unless you ventured into the parking lot behind Checkers Kloof Street and the smell of fresh bread lured you in…the family-owned bakery has been baking up sourdough breads and pastries since 2020 and added sourdough croissant to the list last year (only on Fridays and Saturdays). Friendly service, and a couple of bar stools to perch on for coffee with a pastry or a sandwich make it one to seek out when you’re on Kloof Street.
We recommend The cinnamon twists keep regulars coming back for more.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 7.30am – 5pm
Saturday, 7.30am – 2pm
Contact 064 028 3554, oswaldsbakery@gmail.com
Where to find it 29 Union Street, Gardens, Cape Town

For more…
We’ve only included bakeries that have their own retail spaces, but we can’t talk about artisanal bread without mentioning Woodstock Bakeries (for their fabulous sourdough loaves, which you’ll find at various Cape Town delis and at OZCF market) and Manuello’s (try their delicious woodfired ciabatta and sourdough, which they supply to wine farms and cafés in and around Stellenbosch).

Which are your favourites? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

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