The 10 Best Greek Restaurants in Cape Town

The mere mention of Greek food evokes cobalt-blue seas, whitewashed houses, hot, white sand and long, lazy lunches of delicious, comforting (and actually healthy) Greek food.

Cape Town’s growing number of tavernas and new Greek-inspired restaurants takes our palates on a culinary voyage (without having to wait for that dream-come-true holiday…). Think homemade taramosalata (not that luminous pink stuff from supermarkets), pillowy pita breads, tender-fried squid, wispy spanakopita, creamy tzatziki, luscious fried halloumi, lamb chops marinated with oregano, lemon juice and thyme, and so it goes on….

Ouzeri

Sam Linsell

Channelling the Aegean islands with its curved white walls, mosaics and tapestries, Ouzeri is owner-chef Nic Charalambous’ tribute to his Cypriot heritage. It’s where you’ll find some of the most exciting cooking in Cape Town, and recently earned international recognition with a place on the World’s 50 Best Discovery List. Nic takes you on a flavour odyssey, with thoughtful and beautifully presented dishes spotlighting the individual flavours of different Greek islands and regions. Snacks, meze and mains on the ever-changing menu currently include Saldanha Bay oysters with grated tomato and saffron vinegar, the incredibly moreish eliopita bread with taramasalata, charcoal-grilled sea bass with mussels and smoked tomato kritharaki, and Spartan-style loukaniko with fermented red pepper. The drinks list includes wine from the barrel, and an eclectic music selection creates a lively ambience. In keeping with its name, it’s the perfect spot for drinks and shared food.
Opening times Tuesday, 6pm – 9.45pm
Wednesday – Saturday, 12pm – 2.30pm; 6pm – 9.45pm
Contact 061 533 9071, seeyou@ouzeri.co.za
Where to find it 58 Wale Street, Cape Town
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Kiki

A lively new addition to Sea Point’s Regent Road scene (from the owners of Jarryds, Ariel et al), Kiki does for Greek food what Ariel does for Italian, putting a contemporary spin on the delicious flavours of Athens and the Greek riviera. And it’s already creating a stir for its on-point vibes and simple but beautiful decor. On the menu you’ll find meze-style sharing plates of dolmades, tzatziki, fried halloumi, spanakopita, kotopoulo (grilled chicken thigh skewers) and more, as chef Scott Walker re-interprets the flavours he explored on his recent Greek odyssey. To complete the experience, there’s a pantheon of creative cocktails, and delicious desserts, such as the portokalopita (citrus cake) and loukoumades (chocolate and pistachio doughnuts).
Good to know No children under 12 allowed at dinner. A lunch service is planned soon.
Opening times Tuesday – Sunday, 6pm – 10pm
Contact 021 023 2667, info@kikicapetown.com
Where to find it Piccadilly Court, 85 Regent Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
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Maria’s Greek Café

Charming Dunkley Square, with its piazza-like bricked pavement and trees, is home to this beloved taverna, where Cleon and Kate Romano have been serving top-notch food for more than three decades. Expect traditional fare based on Cleon’s mom’s and Kate’s recipes, fresh and bursting with simple, bold flavours – pillowy pitas or flatbreads with more than 20 choices of mezethes (meze); mains of chicken souvlaki, mussels and youvetsi (a baked meat and pasta casserole) with either chicken, lamb or mushrooms. It’ll be hard to choose, so settle in for a long, laidback feast. On sunny days and balmy evenings, tables flow out under the trees on the square.
Good to know They also serve breakfasts with a Greek touch, think grilled halloumi and scrambled eggs with tahini, shakshuka or Greek yoghurt with granola.
Opening times Monday,  11am – 10pm
Tuesday – Saturday, 8.30am – 10pm
Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Contact 021 461 3333, @mariasgreekcafe
Where to find it Dunkley Square, 31 Barnet Street, Gardens, Cape Town

The Athletic Club & Social

One of the city’s best spots for live music, The Athletic is also much more than that, as devotees of the Trapezaria (the dining room serving fantastic Greek and fire-roasted fare) will attest. Entering this grand old building on Buitengracht Street, explore upstairs and downstairs, through a moody labyrinth of spaces each more sumptuous and “extra” than the last (a whimsical design fantasy of colonial-meets-modern and plush gentleman’s club), until you find the Trapezaria and claim a table. Settle down to a feast of meze (spanakopita, pita and hummus, dolmades, marinated aubergine and more), share deep fried sardines, beef keftedes and Greek lamb chops, or go for mains of kleftiko (slow-braised lamb), coal-roasted chicken thighs, aged beef fillet or an aubergine Parmigiana perhaps. And finish with baklava cigars or a slice of lemon polenta cake. There are also three glorious bars (with a separate canapé menu), a balcony with views of Signal Hill, and a speakeasy-like basement, The Trophy Room, where live jazz creates sexy magic. This is a place with a story… get to know it and you’ll understand the name.
Good to know In the winter they host Cypriot family lunches: a feast of Greek Cypriot flavours topped with ouzo and Greek dancing. Live jazz happens Wednesday – Saturday from 8pm (book via Quicket).
Opening times Lunch: Thursday – Saturday, 12pm – 3pm
Dinner: Monday – Wednesday, 4pm – 12am
Thursday – Saturday, 4pm – 2am
Contact 084 087 5566, info@theathletic.co.za
Where to find it 35 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town
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The Greek Club Restaurant

The no-frills, community-hall ambience has a certain charm, but it’s the deliciousness of the unpretentious, authentic food that keeps Hellenic enthusiasts coming back for more. This is a true community restaurant (with convivial noise-levels to match on the weekends) run by second-generation Greek, Helen Comninos, whose love of entertaining and cooking shines through. She serves hearty and generous dishes using true Greek ingredients from meze to mains and divine desserts (try the ekmek syrupy kataifi pastry topped with layers of custard and whipped cream). Every week new dishes are added to the specials menu, but if it’s your first time the moussaka is a must… or the soutzoukakia (spicy meatballs in a tomato sauce, served with rice). And the views from the outside tables over the soccer fields to the stadium and Signal Hill are an added bonus.
Good to know There is a kids play area and jungle gym.
Opening times Tuesday – Friday, 1pm – 9.30pm
Contact 021 801 4514/082 375 0443
Where to find it Hellenic Community Centre, 24 Bay Road, Mouille Point, Cape Town

Omilo Greek Kitchen

This brand-new Greek eatery spirits you away to a Greek island hillside with a rustic chic interior and evocative flavours of mint, thyme, honey and charred lemon… you easily forget that you’re on the alfresco food piazza of sleek new Riverlands mall (between Obs and the M5)… albeit with tree-fringed views towards Table Mountain. Omilo is already on the map for Southern Suburbs locals hungry for a relaxed but delicious neighbourhood eatery and a taste of authentic Greek food. We feasted on warm soft pitas scooping up taramasalata and tirosalata, crispy fried calamari, luscious chargrilled halloumi drizzled with lemon and honey, keftedakia (beef meatballs) on tzatziki and thyme aioli, a twist of spanakopita, beef gyro with cucumber and oregano tzatziki. Then there are chargrilled meats and fish, souvla (skewers) and oven-baked moussaka and lamb shank. And a showstopper of a baklava cheese cake on a base of kataifi pastry, pistachios and almonds, that is the stuff of new cravings.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 11.30am – 9.30pm
Sunday, 11.30am – 4pm
Contact 021 002 8520
Where to find it Riverlands Mall, 51 Gogosoa Street, Observatory, Cape Town
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Mykonos Restaurant

A light and airy 120-seater venue in the heart of Claremont, with brightly painted chairs, bougainvillea overhead and large potted plants scattered around, Mykonos Restaurant takes you to the island of its name with a traditional taverna vibe. The owners treat guests like family, with genuine Greek hospitality, serving traditional village dishes their yia-yias used to make. Think utterly delicious calamari, finger-licking mezze, seafood platters, tender and tasty flame-grilled lamb chops, fresh supreme salad and Kleftiko slow roast lamb shank that falls off the bone.
Good to know Look out for the monthly Greek evenings where Greek dancing and plate smashing amp up the energy and there’s a 3-course set menu. There’s a play corner where kids can roll out dough and keep busy.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 10pm
Sunday, 12pm – 9pm
Contact 087 152 5323, vicky@mykonosrestaurant.co.za
Where to find it 7 Vineyard Rd, Claremont, Cape Town
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Cozco Mediterranean

A family café much-loved by Sea Point locals by day, Cozco has just expanded into a full-flown Mediterranean restaurant by night. Costa and Natasha Peroglou call it Mediterranean so they can encompass dishes from wider shores, but their Greek family background (Costa’s father Peter founded Mykonos) means that you’ll find plenty of Greek specialties on the menu, too. These are home-style dishes made with love. Costa’s spanakopitas come highly recommended, and (although you’ll want to try their trinchado, pastas and arancini too) among the Greek favourites are stuffed eggplant, souvlaki stix, skinny lamb chops, grilled chicken with lemon roast potatoes, bifteki, and Peter’s famous zucchini roses… simply delicious.
Good to know There’s a full breakfast and lunch menu too. Booking is essential.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 8.30am – 10pm
Sunday + Monday, 8.30am – 4pm
Contact 067 801 9898, reservations@cozco.co.za
Where to find it 343 Main Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
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Sloppy Sam

When Hooman Saffarian took over Sloppy Sam from its Greek owners back in 1985, he was an enthusiastic and creative 25-year-old looking for a place to make wood-fired pizza. Inheriting the existing customer base, he ditched the pizza idea and added Persian dishes from his childhood in Iran to the existing Greek focus, evolving a warm-hearted style that locals have loved ever since. Sloppy Sam’s current home is in the heart of Heritage Square, with stone walls hung with Persian carpets, mis-matched tables and a welcoming buzz. The menu of small plates encompasses Greek, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours. We loved the legendary loaded hummus with beautifully blistered flatbread, luscious fried halloumi, crispy grilled baby squid, and lamb moussaka, but there’s loads more to tempt, including oven-roasted lamb riblets with garlicky tzatziki, beef kebabs and a fall-apart lamb shank with lemon and oregano. Fill the table with a whole selection and dig in to a generous finger-licking feast.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 6pm – 10pm
Contact 082 377 3707, info@sloppysam.co.za
Where to find it Heritage Square, 100 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town
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The Greek Fisherman

You could almost be in the Greek village square among the Mamma Mia cast rather than in busy Sea Point as you relax outside beside the fountain in this peaceful enclosed courtyard. (It’s the old La Mouette space given new life when The Greek Fisherman relocated here after 28 years at the V&A.) Indoors the several small rooms are cosy and contemporary with fireplaces for winter. The warm welcome and classic Greek fare, from meze and homemade pita breads to seafood (including grilled sardines when available), beef souvlaki, moussaka and lemony slow-cooked lamb, keep up the illusion of island holidays in a relaxed family-friendly style.
Good to know The courtyard is perfect for sunny summer evenings and is dog friendly.
Opening times Daily, 12pm – 10pm
Contact 021 418 5411, info@greekfisherman.co.za
Where to find it 78 Regent Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan

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