The Best Steaks in Cape Town

The steak savants among us will tell you that a perfectly prepared steak is a rare treat – rare being the operative word – and everyone has their own opinion about what exactly that is. The quality of the meat and the way it’s reared are the cornerstones (are we talking grass-fed or grain-fed, Chalmar, wagyu or Black Angus?).

Then there’s the question of how long it’s been aged (and was it wet- or dry-aged), and the fire it’s cooked on… And, of course, the ambience of the restaurant plays a role too.  We’ve rounded up our favourite meateries in the Mother City, from specialist steakhouses and luxury restaurants with a focus on fire to old-school pub-style eateries…

You don’t have to be protein maxing to appreciate these Cape Town places that are taking steak seriously. There really is a steak for every occasion!

Carne on Keerom

Uncompromising on quality, with very definite ideas on the right way to do things, Giorgio Nava sees no reason to change a winning recipe. You can rely on finding your old favourites at Carne on Keerom (and at his second restaurant on Kloof Street). Classic Milanese cooking with a focus on meat (carne is after all Italian for meat), Giorgio offers the finest cuts of pasture-raised beef, Dorper lamb and game. This is the place to explore lesser-known cuts such as the spider, hanger and flat-iron steaks, all grilled to smoky crispy perfection in a Josper charcoal oven. Start with old-school classics such as lamb (or porcini mushroom) ravioli, polenta gnocchi alla gorgonzola, or pan-fried sweetbreads in white wine, butter and sage. And save room after your steak for a fondente al cioccolato, the classic chocolate dessert with liquid chocolate centre that Giorgio made popular in Cape Town when he brought it here 20 years ago.
Good to know Carne on Keerom and Carne on Kloof share the same classic menu.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 6pm – 10pm
Contact 021 424 3460, [email protected]
Where to find it 70 Keerom Street, Cape Town
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Patina Newlands

Sleek yet inviting, Patina adds a layer of elegance to the steak experience in the heart of Newlands, its American walnut tables and chairs, wooden floors and leather banquettes creating an upmarket vibe that still feels relaxed. Perfectly prepared Chalmar steaks are the main event at Patina… tender juicy Chateaubriand, succulent ribeye, melt-in-the-mouth fillet, T-bone with marrow bones. The rest of the menu is also well worth exploring: sizzling Norwegian salmon, calamari tubes on a creamy parmesan risotto, beef carpaccio, and a whole roast cauliflower. The sides, too, are a cut above, from the crispy onion rings to truffle fries, or the delicious sweet-potato fries. And to finish, who needs anything more complicated than a perfect crème brûlée, baked cheesecake or a decadent chocolate brownie.
Good to know There’s a second Patina at D’Aria in Durbanville
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 10pm
Contact 021 203 5246; [email protected]
Where to find it 33 Dean Street, Newlands Quarter, Newlands, Cape Town
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East City Grill

The traditional South African steakhouse gets a new twist at East City Grill, hidden away in the East City’s landmark hemp building, 84 Harrington. Yes, there are flames, and beautifully fire-kissed prime cuts of rib eye, sirloin and wagyu, hand-cut chips and chargrilled vegetables. But as well as bold South African fire-cooking, local wagyu, seared steaks and swagger, chef Jaycee Ferreira also comes up with inspired Asian twists: pumpkin fitters with miso caramel, triple-fried crispy potatoes with miso butter and smoked bonito furikake. Among the starters, a nostalgic wagyu boerewors with sweet mustard sits alongside a beef fillet tataki and tempura calamari, so you can be as exotic or as old-school as you like. Desserts blossom with creativity, from sesame panna cotta to miso chocolate mousse and Hokkaido cheesecake.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm – 5.30pm; 6pm – 9.30pm
Contact 021 518 3366, [email protected]
Where to find it 84 Harrington Street, District Six, Cape Town
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Yakiniku

Under the same roof as East City Grill, Yakiniku offers a steak experience with a difference: the gentle, interactive Japanese ritual of cooking meat communally at your own table-top grill inspired by Tokyo’s smoky yakiniku-ya. Chef Jaycee Ferreira’s take on a towered bento box serves as the starter in this set menu experience: a delicious selection of sashimi and dumplings. Then things get sizzling… strips of three cuts of wagyu come to your table, the grill is lit and wielding chopsticks you turn your meat on the grid, then dunk it in smoky-sweet tare sauce and pop it onto Japanese Koshi Hikari rice layered on a lettuce leaf. Next you top with kimchi and pickled cucumber, before wrapping it and tucking into a smoky-delicious feast. And there’s a grand dessert finale: a brownie with a beautiful pear ice cream.
Good to know There’s also an express set menu available at lunch.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 12.30pm – 7pm (seatings)
Contact 021 518 3366, [email protected]
Where 84 Harrington Street, District Six, Cape Town
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The Butcher Shop & Grill

The Cape Town branch of this South African legend is famous for its superb selection of steaks, from local grain- or grass-fed beef to Japanese wagyu and Argentinian ribeye. Customers are invited to approach the butcher’s counter and choose their preferred size and cut of steak under the butcher’s expert guidance, just like people used to do in the old days. With a classic steakhouse feel of leather button-back banquettes (and more intimate booths upstairs in the mezzanine), and tall glass walls looking out over the promenade towards Mouille Point lighthouse, there’s a contemporary urban vibe that suits the Atlantic Seaboard setting. Beyond steaks, the restaurant is also known for fine, juicy burgers, made from the same aged-to-perfection meat, and lamb, oxtail, venison and seafood, and an impressive array of vintage wines.
Good to know The restaurant includes an adjoining butchery and deli (that keeps the same opening hours as the restaurant) where fresh, good-quality produce is available for purchase.
Opening times Daily, 9am – 11pm
Contact 021 434 0813, [email protected]
Location 125 Beach Road, Mouille Point, Cape Town
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NV-80 Grill & Bar

A mall may not be your first choice for dining, but at NV-80 Grill & Bar you’re truly none the wiser. Up the escalators and through the dark wooden doors, you step away from the fluorescent shopping centre and into another world. Romantic mood lighting and elegant decor transport you to an 80s-style dining hall in downtown Havana. Enjoy a cocktail on the verandah overlooking Lion’s Head, or settle at a table inside and enjoy some of the best prawns in the city, a juicy grass-fed steak (the fillet with creamed spinach and mash comes highly recommended), beef ribs or a wagyu burger. Now under the same ownership as vibey neighbours Jarryds and Ariel Modern Italian, NV-80 continues to inject a soupçon of cool into classic grill bar dining.
Good to know It’s family friendly at lunchtime, but no kids under 12 are allowed in the evenings.
Opening times Daily, 12pm – 2.30pm; 6pm  – 10pm
Contact 021 439 7112, [email protected]
Where to find it First Floor, The Point, 76 Regent Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
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Iron steak and Bar

When you’re after Bree Street vibes with your beef… The only steak on the main menu is their signature flat-iron steak (and they tell you why they love it), but check out the specials board and you’ll find a whole lot more succulent cuts (rib-eye, T-bone, picanha, according to availability) all grass-fed, dry-aged and cooked on an open-fire Spanish Vulcano Grez charcoal grill. Adding a fine array of tasty tipples and crafty cocktails to the mix, Iron Steak and Bar certainly lives up to its name. But there’s more to this bustling and elegantly moody venue; in addition to professional service and a lively atmosphere, diners are treated to complimentary wagyu beef dripping-fried popcorn when they arrive, and Unframed salted-caramel ice cream with dark-chocolate shavings before they leave.
Good to know The pavement tables spilling onto Bree Street are perfectly placed for urban al fresco vibes in the heart of the action.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 12pm – 10.30pm
Contact 021 422 1175, [email protected]
Where to find it 114 Bree Street, Cape Town
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Don Armando

Located in the Prestwich Street precinct (right next door to its Italian sister, Il Leone), this Argentinian parilla (grillhouse) specialises in asado (that’s braaied meat in this neck of the woods). The restaurant is cosy and contemporary, with wooden floors and comfy booths, and exudes a best-kept-secret appeal. Meat, obviously, is the main event on the concise menu, and as a popular South American cut, the picanha (with its flavour-enhancing cap of grilled fat) is the star of the show, served with the famous chimichurri sauce. Beyond that you’ll find prime rib, T-bone, rump and beautifully marbled wagyu cuts, served with papas fritas (hand-cut chips). Explore the starters menu, too, for other Argentinian specialities, such as empañadas and mollejas grilladas (grilled sweetbreads), and sip an Argentinian wine to match.
Good to know Next door, sister restaurant Il Leone Mastrantonio, is the place for steak with an Italian sensibility, such as tagliata alla Mastrantonio, the classic costolette alla Fiorentina, or the grilled fileto with pepper sauce.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm – 4pm; 5pm – 10pm
Contact 021 418 1462, [email protected]
Where to find it 20 Cobern Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town
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Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants in Sea Point

For ethically-raised, grass-fed, free-range meat, Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants is the go-to. They’ve pioneered traceability, championed grass-fed older animals and using the whole animal, and taught Cape Town a whole lot about meat, with humour and well-informed wit, since they opened back in 2011. They recently opened a new space in Sea Point that combines butchery counter and eatery. It’s a laidback spot where you can tuck into proper steak, properly cooked on a Big Green Egg at café tables (in a foodie hub that also encompasses De Vrije Burger, Lello’s and Delicious Fish). The simple, focused menu includes a couple of small plates (bone marrow or steak tartare), some sides, and the butcher’s cut of the day, sliced rare steak served over crispy smashed baby potatoes, with chimichurri, bourbon butter, or a green peppercorn mushroom sauce.
Good to know The butchery counter is open from 9am daily. The grill fires up at 12pm.
Opening times Eatery: Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 9pm
Sunday, 12pm – 6pm
Contact 021 569 9653
Where to find it 12 Penarth Road, Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town

Ongetem

It means untamed in Afrikaans, and Bertus Basson’s first foray into the innercity has fire at its heart. In the shiny new Canopy by Hilton hotel just off Kloof Street, this is no stock-standard hotel eatery (the tagline is “butcher, baker, cocktail maker”). A heap of South African nostalgia comes through in a superb collection of small plates, wood-fired flatbreads and punchy mains. And there’s a section of free-range, grass-fed steaks from Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants (and others from Kalahari Cuts) grilled over the open fire. Share the loaded furikaki fries for some extra umami heat on the plate. Everything is  made in-house or sourced locally, and with the raffish motorcycle paraphernalia and neon signs, a courtyard to spill into, top-notch cocktails and lively beats, there’s a cool and contemporary Kloof Street vibe.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 6.30am – 10.30am; 12pm – 3pm; 6pm – 9.30pm
Contact 021 569 8880
Where to find it 24 Park Road, Gardens, Cape Town
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Hussar Grill Camps Bay

There’s a reason that Hussar Grill is something of an institution for Camps Bay locals, despite (or perhaps because of) it being set up the hill away from the beach buzz with only a glimpse of a sea view (you do get a generous slice of Lion’s Head and mountain views to compensate). The top-quality aged beef, skilled grillers, excellent service and a no-corkage policy are consistent with all the branches of this well-known steakhouse. You can’t go wrong with the Madagascan pepper fillet served with a cream-and-green-peppercorn reduction (the peppercorns are soaked in brine before cooking, giving them a soft and smooth texture). Or go for fillet, T-bone, or sirloin on the bone. Then there’s a broad menu of other meats, chicken and seafood to cover all bases. The divine cheesecake for dessert is a must, then finish off with their complimentary signature chocolate-vodka martini.
Good to know The Rondebosch branch is another neighbourhood stalwart with a devoted local following.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 5.30pm – 11pm
Sunday, 12pm – 11pm
Contact 021 438 0151, [email protected]
Where to find it Shop 2, 108 Camps Bay Drive, Camps Bay, Cape Town
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ROOI

Fire is the theme of One&Only Cape Town’s ROOI (Afrikaans for red); the name channelling the energy of flames, of vitality and life. The beautifully designed dining space uses exquisite decor to reflect the warmth, community, fire and conversation of our traditional braai, with a sophisticated sizzle of rich colours and local design. The fire-themed grillroom menu is based around sustainably and ethically sourced South African ingredients, and not surprisingly steak is one of the stars… although it happily shares the spotlight with fire-cooked vegetables, grilled South Coast rock lobster and flame-grilled tuna, the flavours and spices telling the stories of South Africa’s melting pot of cuisines and cultures. Choose between various cuts of South African wagyu and free-range grass-fed prime beef (as well as spatchcock chicken, aged mutton, Kalahari venison and masala-spiced kingklip). A bespoke cap classique cart with a curated list of bubblies, a magnificent mixology menu of signature cocktails, and sommelier Luvo Ntezo’s hand-picked winelist encourages bespoke pairings to accommodate every palate, whatever your choice of meal.
Opening times 6.30pm – 11pm (last seating at 9pm)
Contact 021 431 5888, [email protected]
Where to find it One&Only Cape Town, Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
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Marble

At the top of the restored Union Castle heritage building, this is a suitably spectacular spot for chef David Higgs’ Cape Town iteration of his celebration of fire-cooking, with wrap-around rooftop views of Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront’s working harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. The drop-dead-gorgeous 220-seater restaurant continues the signature Marble fire-cooking style – with a grand wood-fired grill imported from Grillworks in Michigan as the focal point. And of course Marble’s celebrated coal-roasted Chalmar ribeye is one of the stars of the show, along with the fillet cooked in the charcoal Josper oven. For the dedicated steak-lover there’s a further section of speciality beef on the menu to explore: deliberate between South African Silent Valley wagyu from Ingogo, Chalmar beef, or get a taste of prime USDA wagyu imported from Idaho, USA. It’s a sophisticated, push-the-boat-out dining experience with glorious views and glamourous vibes.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 12pm – 4pm; 5pm – 10pm
Contact 021 002 8484, [email protected]
Where to find it Union Castle Building, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
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Bo-Vine Wine & Grill House

When you come off the beach with a hearty appetite for a straightforward steak and a glass of wine, served with a patina of Camps Bay cool, Bo-Vine is where you’ll find it. Amid moody, edgy, graffitied decor (or at a pavement table for that sundowner view), sip on a glass from the hand-picked winelist that covers all the bases, while you decide on your cut of meat from the grill. From Karoo wagyu, dry-aged tomahawk and T-bone, to wet-aged picanha, ribeye and hanger steak (all top-quality grain-fed South African beef), there’s almost too much choice… and an array of delicious sauces, butters and sides to decide on too. And you’ll find a classic grillhouse array of starters, burgers, salads and desserts, so there’s something for all the family.
Good to know There’s a second branch of Bo-Vine in the city centre at 101 Hout Street.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 11pm
Sunday, 12pm – 10pm
Contact 021 203 5314, [email protected]
Where to find it The Promenade, 87 Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town
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Nelson’s Eye

Tucked away on Hof Street, next to the Mount Nelson, this may not look like much from the outside, but it’s the steak you’re here for. The old-fashioned decor is kind of charming in an old-English-pub sort of way (it’s hardly changed in 60 years), but, we repeat, it’s the mouth-watering meat that has made it a Cape Town institution. And don’t let the old-fashioned interior fool you into expecting cheap and cheerful. Owners Steve and Luda Albert pride themselves on their premium cuts and attention to quality, and price accordingly. A stand-out is the indulgent brandy-flambéed fillet with a creamy red wine and Madagascan peppercorn sauce, but the whole range of ribeye, rump, dry-aged Tomahawk deserves a mention, as do the wagyu ribs. Then there’s a variety of game (springbok and ostrich), as well as a selection of seafood dishes. A full range of sauces from monkey gland and Madagascan to chimichurri and creamy roquefort, and hearty sides of chunky onion rings, crispy fries and baked potatoes complete the old-school steakhouse offering.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 5pm – 10.30pm
Sunday, 5pm – 10.30pm (mid-August to mid-May only)
Contact 083 701 7101, [email protected]
Where to find it 9 Hof Street, Gardens, Cape Town
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Maru

And now for something completely different… A Korean-inspired steakhouse that pairs its plates with champagne, in a cool Bree Street space (where Boma on Bree used to be) that channels New York. The Butcher’s Experience is a feast of South African grass-fed and wagyu steaks with four different cuts expertly grilled over the fire in Korean barbecue style. It’s served with accompaniments such as pickled vegetables, Maeun-tang stew with Saenchungmu rice, a savoury egg souffle, lettuce and scallion salad with gochugang vinaigrette, and ssam-jang sauce. Or you can choose from a variety of cuts on the à la carte steak menu, and perhaps start with the wagyu steak tartare (with the option of caviar on top), or get a side order of the deeply delicious double-fried chicken, served with sticky-spicy dipping sauces. The substantial winelist features local MCCs, the French stuff and other sparkling wines from around the world. The newest member of the Pan Collection (which includes Scala, Hacienda and Nikkei), “Maru” means “place of gathering”, and if you want your steak with a bubbling Bree Street vibe this is where it’s at.
Opening times Daily, 12pm – 10.30pm
Contact 021 109 0039
Where to find it 107 Bree Street, Cape Town
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Dias Tavern

The home of traditional Portuguese food since 1988, this Cape Town institution in Caledon Street might look nondescript on the outside, but step inside and you’re met with a cacophony of live music and conversation, and mouth-watering aromas. What it lacks in swanky interior design (although it is colourful), it makes up for in flavour. The menu covers all the favourites: massive espetadas, prego rolls, peri-peri chicken livers, prawns, calamari… but when you’re after steak it also comes up trumps with fillet, rump or T-bone on the charcoal grill. Or go for one of the Portuguese-style steaks which come slathered in co-founder Sam Perreira’s secret trinchado sauce in a sizzling skillet and topped with an egg. The excellent pastéis de nata is the star of the desserts.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 11.30am – 12am
Contact 021 465 7547
Where to find it 15 Caledon Street, East City, Cape Town

Brad’s grill

Fifty years after first opening in Claremont, to the relief of local devotees (after a year’s hiatus), Brad’s Grill has settled into its newest home on Sea Point’s Regent Road. Taking over the Que Linda space (in a partnership that retains some of their best-selling tapas plates and cocktails), characterful owner Brad Steele is very much at the helm, and his old-school juicy steaks and signature sauces are bringing back a loyal clientele and winning new fans by the day. Try his legendary pepper fillet, the rib-eye, wagyu or Tomahawk or go for beef ribs or burgers, and perhaps the melting deep-fried camembert for starters.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 5pm – 10.30pm
Contact 063 460 3206, [email protected]
Where to find it 39 Regent Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
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Rare Grill

A cosy 30-seater local favourite hidden away in Harfield Village, Rare Grill is all about the steak. Owner Greg Bax has a long pedigree behind the grill (he ran the Rondebosch Hussar Grill for 11 years before opening Rare Grill in 2016) and is committed to sourcing the best steak from boutique farms across the country and ageing it for the best in flavour. Choose from sirloin, rump, fillet or rib-eye (or get the platter to taste all four cuts), with simple sides and sauces. Nothing complicated, just good steak in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 5pm – 10pm
Contact 076 460 0423, [email protected]
Where to find it 166 2nd Avenue, Kenilworth, Cape Town
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Belthazar

The slick New York vibe of this renowned V&A steakhouse and wine bar is amplified when you look up at the warehouse stacking overhead of iconically named wine boxes from the venue’s formidable wine collection. White tablecloths, Riedel stemware, well-informed waiters in white jackets and bow ties, and wide views of harbour and Table Mountain from the terrace tables where you can dine alfresco, add to the elegant but down-to-earth appeal. A wine-connoisseur’s mecca (250 different wines are available by the glass and up to 600 in total), the menu spotlight is on steak, with an almost overwhelming choice of excellent quality 28-day matured meat: grain-fed Karan beef, Karoo wagyu and prime pasture-raised and grain-finished Chalmar beef. In-house dry-aged prime cuts have recently been added to the selection, and there’s also Karoo lamb and a menu of game steaks – from crocodile to wildebeest – for those wanting a taste of the wild. Seafood from the grill is another highlight.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 12pm – 10pm
Contact 021 421 3753, [email protected]
Where to find it Shop 153, Victoria Wharf, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
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LA Farms

All of the meat (and much of the produce) at LA Farms’ deli-butchery-eatery in Green Point comes from the family farm on the Cape West Coast. Grass-fed herds of Angus, certified wagyu cattle and sheep graze on coastal pastures, producing meat with a flavour profile of the unique terroir. Besides fresh cuts, the meat counter displays their Angus-beef salami, wagyu macon and biltong (all halaal, too). And the relaxed eatery at the front of the store serves up a delicious grill menu based on the farm produce, including a wide selection of wagyu and Angus steaks, burgers, and free-range lamb loin chops, with beef tallow fries and fire-grilled vegetable side dishes. Plus a breakfast menu, pies and panini.
Opening times Sunday + Monday, 8am – 6pm
Tuesday, 8am – 10pm
Wednesday, 8am – 8pm
Thursday + Friday, 8am – 9pm
Saturday, 8am – 10pm
Contact 021 434 1111
Where to find it 105 Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town

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