Cool vibes and colourful views.
There’s a quirky energy to the South Peninsula suburb snuggled between mountain and sea on a curve of the False Bay coast. Famously labelled “The Coolest Neighbourhood in the World” by Forbes magazine, it attracts streams of visitors to its colourful fishing harbour, famous tidal pool and buzzy high street of cool boutiques, bohemian bric-a-brac shops, vintage bookstores and art galleries. When it’s time for a break, there are restaurants and cafés aplenty… Whether you’re looking for a top seafood experience, breakfast with your feet in the sand, the freshest croissants or simply takeaway fish and chips, Kalk Bay has something for everyone. Here are our favourites.
Olympia Café
The sign that’s been hanging above the coffee station at Olympia forever says it all: “No self-discipline, no smoking, no split bills, no bullshit”. Kenneth, the co-owner, is proud of the fact that Olympia was the first to bring “good coffee” to the South Peninsula, as well as ciabatta bread. In fact, their cavernous bakery at the back has been crucial to their success. In 2010 they opened a shop attached to the bakery and now sell up to 200 loaves, 300 croissants and a whopping 800 coffees a day – but there are plenty of other baked treats to take away, too. On any given night, the café is packed with chipper customers, many of whom have been coming here for years (and ordering the linguine di mare, which is what you should do, too). Don’t expect frills and frippery; do expect love made visible.
Opening times Restaurant: Daily, 7am – 10pm (last orders at 9pm)
Bakery shop: Daily, 6.30am – 7pm
Contact 021 788 6396, info@olympiacafe.co.za
Where to find it 134 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
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Salt
This small eatery, which started life as the entrance way to the movie house, the Olympia Picture Palace, has gone through a number of incarnations in its time – but Salt is sticking. That might be due to the food – so-called “global small plates” (don’t even ask, just order the yellowtail ceviche practically straight off the boat, and butternut and burnt sage butter ravioli now, quickly). Or it could be the drinks (great boutique wines and, as 30-year-old owner Nicolas MacLeod puts it, “secret ingredient margaritas that are very, veeeeeery good”). Or maybe it’s the atmosphere – cosy, friendly, relaxed – courtesy of the exposed brick wall and bar counter-like tables. Combine all that with vibey staff and you have a place that’s always buzzing, from the moment it opens at 6am (they serve R15 coffee until 9am on weekdays) to when it closes, party depending.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 6am – 11pm
Contact 063 019 8300, hello@saltkalkbay.co.za
Where to find it 136 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
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Harbour House
Towering over the bustling fishing pier and boasting spectacular views over both the mountain and False Bay, Harbour House is known for its seafood (fresh, delicious, pricey)… but you’re here for the luxury of lifting a glass to the ultimate seafront location. Pop in for a drink (they have an extensive cocktail menu) before the dinner shift starts, and if luck is on your side, ask to sit at table 40, the only outside spot on a tiny balcony facing the sea, with the waves crashing directly beneath you. Inside is a treat, too: with the late-afternoon light pouring in through floor-to-ceiling windows, everything seems to glow.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 12pm – 10pm
Contact 021 788 4133, kalkbay@harbourhouse.co.za
Where to find it Kalk Bay Harbour, Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
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Live Bait
Just below Harbour House (its sister restaurant), with an equally open expanse of bright glass windows, this beach-themed eatery offers wonderful harbour and False Bay views from its oceanside location. In summer, it’s the perfect spot to sip sauvignon blanc, while in winter (between July and September), regular visits from calving humpback and southern right whales make its tables some of the most covetable in the peninsula. As for the food, it’s simple and tasty – ranging from sushi and moules to calamari, fish and chips, and surf and turf.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 12pm – 10pm
Contact 021 788 5755, kalkbay@livebait.co.za
Where to find it Kalk Bay Harbour, Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
Ohana Beach Café
Situated a stone’s throw away from the lapping waves of the rocky Kalk Bay shore, this vegan-friendly café and bakery is a local favourite for a light bite, good coffee, or a cold-pressed juice. In addition to all-day breakfasts and freshly baked scones, cakes and pastries (the Ohana Bun, made from croissant dough with chopped up pecan-nuts and a butterscotch sauce, is rightly famous, and sells out fast), it also serves a selection of healthy wraps, salads, quiches and sandwiches. Plant your feet in the sand at the casually clad tables under sun-shielding umbrellas on warm days, or take a table in the large glassed-in interior, and soak up the ocean vibes.
Good to know Look out for popular “harvest table” menus on selected Friday evenings and Sunday lunchtimes: R200 for “a bit of everything”, bring your own wine, no corkage. The menu changes according to what’s in season; check their Facebook and Instagram pages for updates.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 7.30am – 4pm
Contact 072 756 9055, ohanakbay@gmail.com
Where to find it 23 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
Satori
Satori is a go-to for Kalk Bay locals and visitors who love the no-frills trattoria atmosphere and a menu serving up consistently tasty and hearty Italian meals. Wood-fired, crispy based pizzas are the order of the day (and they do them really well), but they also have excellent seafood, pasta dishes and salads (don’t miss their truly showstopping strawberry, feta and avo salad). Leave space for the tiramisu – it’s belissima!
Good to know Call in your order and do a drive-by collection for pizza to eat on the Kalk Bay harbour wall.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 11am – 10pm
Contact 021 788 1123
Where to find it 76 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
Sirocco Café
On a patio under a towering palm tree next to the train station, Sirocco Café is the perfect place to lounge and people-watch. What was once a station-side plaza has been transformed into a pavement café, with shades of a boujie beach-taverna thrown in. Everything is outdoors here – but if it’s raining you can opt for the “train”, an original dining car in service for the SA Railways between 1914 and 1981. Tuck into fresh sushi or pizzas made with 72-hour-fermented, hand-stretched dough while listening to the DJ spin his tunes.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 7am – 11pm
Contact 081 310 3067, hello@siroccocafe.co.za
Where to find it 75 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
Cape to Cuba
You’ll hear Cape to Cuba restaurant before you see it; there’s always a strident salsa beat belting through the speakers (and often live music on Sundays). Its bar, Hemingway, is a chilled spot from which to drink in the buena vista (good view) of sea and harbour, along with a cocktail. Pull up a cane chair beside the railway line and relax, beneath a canopy of giant monstera leaves and palm fronds in acid yellows and greens. The experience and the impressive cocktail menu make for a heady combination. Adjacent is the restaurant, where you’ll be able to indulge in the likes of their famous mussels, chilli poppers and seafood paella while admiring the OTT interiors.
Opening times Monday – Thursday, 11am – 11pm
Friday – Sunday, 11am – 12am
Contact 021 788 1566, kalkbay@capetocuba.com
Where to find it 165 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
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Kalky’s
Edwin and Liz Rosslind’s large cabin-like restaurant on the harbour quay offers the best fish and chips on this coastline. Daughter Allison now runs it, and business is brisk – especially on weekends when crowds queue for the just-caught fish on offer. The most popular dishes are battered hake and chips or snoek and chips, but the calamari, kingklip, yellowtail and prawns are also delicious. A waitress shouts out your number when your order is ready and you tuck in at one of the plastic-covered tables – it’s casual value-for-money eating for the whole family, and a famed Kalk Bay institution.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 10am – 7pm
Contact @kalkys_restaurant
Where to find it Kalk Bay Harbour, Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
Chardonnay Deli @ Dalebrook
Across the road from Dalebrook tidal pool is the Kalk Bay branch of the much-loved Constantia deli and café. Charmaine Lilje’s inimitable recipe for delicious food and wine simply served with rustic style and plenty of panache continues here, on the ground floor of an old mansion block with large windows overlooking the ocean. The café welcomes a stream of early morning cyclists and bathers with coffees, smoothies, super juices, delectable pastries and more. For those who’ve worked up an appetite, a menu of healthy but indulgent breakfasts and lunches awaits. Warning: the cakes are too good to resist.
Good to know The café has lockers available for swimmers to leave their valuables.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 7am – 6pm
Contact 021 795 0606, managerKB@chardonnaydeli.co.za
Where to find it 20 Main Road, Kalk Bay, Cape Town
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12 Responses to “The 10 Best Restaurants in Kalk Bay”
Eleni
Beira Mar! Beautifully fresh fish, no frills!
We always enjoy a stop there on a Sunday walk, and the owner is always in attendance!
Tzara
I concur. These are all terrific. Number 11 could be Beira Mar – an all time favourite. Need to give Pizza Shed a try too.
Clifford Eliason
How on earth can you not mention Brass Bell ??? Talk about an institution ! Excellent setting with the waves crashing all around you…plus they feed the local bergies after closing !
Inside Guide
An institution indeed, Clifford, but in a list of just 10 restaurants, setting is not enough of a pull; the food offering and service need to be consistently good.
Vikash
JJ’s deserved to be on the list.
Wonder if the evaluator of this article had considered it, in its evaluation or were they selective on the number of resturants sampled from the onset?
Inside Guide
Thanks for your feedback, Vikash. On a list of just 10 restaurants, it’s impossible to feature everyone’s favourites.
Ranell February
What about JJ’s? I rate myself as a connoisseur of curries and have come to the conclusion that JJ’s is the only restaurant that sells an authentic Durban bunny chow and their lamb samosas are to die for. You should try it not overlook it.
Inside Guide
Thanks for your feedback, Ranell. On a list of just 10 restaurants, it’s impossible to feature everyone’s favourites.
Dee
Chardonnay Cafe: dreadfully overpriced wine, food ok.
Olympia Cafe: when we saw the cockroaches go into the kitchen we left before ordering.
Harbour Huuse: far too expensive for the average local.
Cape 2 Cuba: got to the door, heard the loud music and left
Inside Guide
Thanks for your comments Dee.
Yes, this is the Deep South, and certain things come with the territory.
Sally Ashburner
What happened to The Brass Bell on Kali Bay Harbour that’s was a treat I loved going there
Neene Essie
Brass Bell not only has the best setting but their food is great and spoilt for choice😍😋