The 20 Best Street Food Restaurants in Cape Town

Sometimes you just need a Cape Malay jaffle or a juicy boerie roll; a comforting bowl of ramen, freshly baked pita stuffed with falafel, or a fire-grilled yakitori skewer. Eat with your hands (or slurp from the bowl), Cape Town’s street food restaurants are all about relaxed, flavour-packed comfort food, casual meet-ups with friends, or impromptu solo dining when a craving strikes. From the South African street food locals have grown up with to global-trotting eats that take your tastebuds travelling without breaking the bank.

Everyone on our list prides themselves on using proper ingredients, authentic flavours, making their sauces, noodles or breads from scratch. And we’ve picked restaurants where you can eat in, however tiny, and enjoy the buzzy vibes as you feast (much as we love a good market or food truck, those are for another list).

Ramenhead Izakaya

If it’s umami-rich, slurp-worthy bowls you’re after, this ramen bar and izakaya, recently relocated to buzzy Kloof Street, is the gold standard. From the team behind award-winning FYN restaurant, this is a more casual, but no less thoughtful, offering. Their famous noodles (handmade on-site using an imported Yamato machine) in delicious, long-simmered broths continue to be the draw, and now they’ve added even more Japanese street food favourites, a host of fire-cooked izakaya dishes, and a dedicated sushi counter, serving up made-to-order new oshizushi (Osaka-style pressed sushi). The vibey courtyard at the back becomes a sake and cocktail bar and hosts live music nights too.
Go for the classic Tonkotsu ramen bowl with pork belly chashu and Tokyo noodles.
Good to know While booking is recommended, there is a section reserved for walk-ins.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm – 2.30pm; 6pm – 10pm
Sunday, 12pm – 3.30pm
Contact 067 312 8061, ramenhead.co.za
Where to find it 75 Kloof Street, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan

Tomson

Sharing pavement space with Max Bagels and Leo’s Wine Bar, this pocket-sized diner deals in a tight but formidable repertoire of Cantonese-style street food that punches well above its size. At the helm is Chinese-South African Andrew Kai, riffing on the flavours of his childhood: pork and shrimp wontons; sliced Sichuan pork with a kick of kimchi; chilli beef with broccoli in a moreish sauce; roast Cantonese duck; “smacked” cucumbers. If you’re lucky enough to nab a spot at the counter, you’ll have a full view of – and glorious aromas from – the galley. Alternatively, sit on the pavement benches and enjoy Bree Street’s passing trade.
Go for the comfortingly umami pork and shrimp wonton noodle soup, so satisfying.
Opening times Monday, 6pm – 10pm
Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm – 3pm; 6pm – 10pm
Contact 073 811 8245, @tomson_cpt
Where to find it 120 Bree Street, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan

Obi

Under the joint stewardship of chef Hatsushiro Muraoka (Papa San) and chef Ben Bettendorf, this unpretentious lower Long Street haunt has quietly made a name for itself with faithfully rendered sushi, ramen and tempura. For lunch, go for the Bento Box (salmon nigiri, tuna nigiri, salmon rose, four prawn California rolls, and four pieces of vegetable tempura, served with tentsuyu dipping sauce and miso soup). There’s an extensive sushi menu, or try Chirashizushi, one of Obi’s specialities: sushi rice topped with a selection of sashimi and vegetables. The tempura, too, ranks among the best in town – featherlight with a flaky batter and a mouthwatering dipping sauce.
Go for the tempura udon. It combines the best of two firm favourites, two tempura prawns topping a bowl of dashijiru broth and udon noodles.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm – 2pm; 6pm – 9.30pm
Contact 021 418 4040, [email protected]
Where to find it 14 Long Street, Cape Town

The Melting Pot

Bold, borderless streetfood is the calling card of chef John van Zyl and partner Sage Fell’s characterful restaurant, shaped by extensive travels and the food sampled at street markets and late-night stalls along the way. Now they’ve settled into a heritage building in De Waterkant with streetside tables and a roof terrace, keeping the menu short with only five mouthwatering plates at a time (plus some vegetarian options). Dishes such as fish tacos, linefish sashimi, chicken wings, smoked lamb biryani, cabbage okonomiyaki and calamari arroz meloso are designed to share.
Go for one of everything and get a true melting pot of flavours.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm – 9.30pm
Contact 066 363 2559, [email protected]
Where to find it 137 Waterkant Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan

Zuney

In a narrow, brick-walled berth on Kloof Street, Zuney takes “farm-to-table” seriously. Two neighbouring family farms in the Eastern Cape’s Zuney Valley have raised certified wagyu herds since 2014, grazing on pasture and living the best possible life. Once the steaks have been claimed for the burger patties, the rest of the carcass is put to good use: chips are fried in wagyu tallow, and there’s cold-smoked brisket “wacon”. Warning: Simply delicious, these burgers showcase wagyu beef at its juicy, hands-on best, the kind you’ll still be craving weeks later.”
Go for the juicy classic wagyu burger with the superb sweet-potato fries.
Good to know No reservations
Opening times Monday, 1pm – 10pm
Tuesday – Wednesday + Sunday, 11am – 10pm
Thursday – Saturday, 11am – 1am
Contact 076 430 7584
Where to find it 69A Kloof Street, Cape Town

El Burro

Since first winning over locals back in 2010, this spirited Mexican spot has kept its regulars coming – whether for a quick bite on the move or a long, unhurried night of margaritas and small plates. Hand-pressed corn tortillas form the backbone of the menu, filled with fish, beef, chicken, prawns, pulled pork or duck (jackfruit or broccoli-pickled ginger for the vegans). Beyond tacos, expect enchiladas and quesadillas, with churros to finish. Other tempting offerings include chicharrones (pork scratchings), ceviche, gorditas (flatbreads) and corn-and-jalapeño croquettes with chipotle mayo. Cute, colourful interiors, a strong tequila selection and a walk-ins-only policy make for a relaxed and buzzy vibe, at both the Green Point and Kloof Nek taquerias.
Go for the Cabrito taco if it’s on the menu (it’s seasonal): slow-braised goat with spiced tomato and walnut gravy… accompanied by a margarita!
Good to know No reservations
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 11.30pm
Sunday, 12pm – 9pm
Contact 021 433 2364, [email protected]
Where to find it 79 Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town

Seven Colours Eatery

A passion project of chef Nolukhanyo (Nolu) Dube-Cele, this colour-drenched eatery is hidden away at Battery Park, just off the main V&A Waterfront precinct, with a clutch of outside tables. Looking out over the canal, Nolu celebrates the rich diversity of traditional South African food, dishing up home-style plates of hearty soul food that are as colourful as they are flavourful. All served with kindness and warmth. For authentic South African street food try the igwinya (vetkoek) with mince and chakalaka. But you’ll also want to settle in to a feast of umleqwa (organic farm chicken) or the rich, slow-braised oxtail potjie on a Seven Colour Plate that includes umngqusho (samp with sugar beans), umfino balls (maize meal with leafy greens) and amazimba (sorghum). The shisanyama plate (braaied meat in a special BBQ basting sauce, with roosterkoek and salads) also comes highly recommended as does the mogodu (some of the best tripe in Cape Town!).
Go for the umleqwa chicken and the umfino balls for a taste of traditional South African home cooking .
Good to know Seven Colours also serves breakfast, as well as dinner three days a week.
Opening times Sunday – Wednesday, 9am – 6pm
Thursday – Saturday, 9am – 9pm
Contact 087 265 8762, [email protected]
Where to find it Unit 3, Battery Park, 19 Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

Ganesh

The team from Bodega Ramen (Ryan McDonagh, Bryn Divey and Jade Konz, themselves Obs locals) took over Obs institution Café Ganesh in 2025, when long-time owner Anthony Baker retired. Tipping their hats to Anthony’s legacy, the menu is inspired by a trip they took together to Thailand and stars a short menu of Thai street food dishes that are perfect for sharing. On our visit we enjoyed moo ping pork skewers (dashed with their homemade prik nam pla sauce); the signature beef short rib phad krapao topped with a crispy fried egg; and street food classic Som Tam Salad (green papaya salad, with peanuts, shrimp, chilli and fish sauce). The signature Tofo Slushy (inspired by a tamarind margarita Bryn and Jade tasted in Tofo, Mozambique) and the Thai street café decor fit in perfectly with the laidback local scene, and service is friendly and fast.
Good to know There are live music performances in the bar area on Thursdays; ambient experimental music on Sunday afternoons; plus listening room, The Flat, hosts intimate performances of the weird and wonderful on Tuesday night. Check out @ganesh_capetown on Instagram to plan your visit according to your preferred vibe.
Go for the Thai street food, stay for the vibe.
Opening times Tuesday – Sunday from 4pm
Kitchen: Tuesday + Wednesday, 5pm – 9pm
Thursday – Saturday, 5pm – 10pm
Sunday, 4pm – 9pm (limited menu, no reservations)
Contact 062 585 9854
Where to find it 38 Trill Road, Observatory, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan

Anthm

An unusual wood-panelled old building on Loop Street is home to a bar and restaurant in the style of a Japanese kominka house, run by ex-NYC mixologist (and fine artist) Tetsuo Hasegawa. Mixing cultures and cocktails is what he does, creating “classics” with a big twist, using shrubs and washes made in-house, so your drink might be infused with mushrooms, matcha, mphepho or Durban masala. An unexpected menu of Japanese street food-inspired sharing plates forms a delicious foundation to the cocktail wizardry and is worth popping in for in itself. Think karaage chicken, dumplings, oxtail shoyu ramen, fish and chips with Japanese tartar sauce, and the unlikely but delish potato salad sando. An eclectic vinyl collection inspires the drinks’ names – and is the rocking soundtrack to your night out.
Go for a trio of dumplings and the lobster miso ramen.
Opening times Tuesday + Wednesday, 5.30pm – 12am
Thursday – Saturday, 12pm – 1am
Contact [email protected]
Where to find it 63 Loop Street, Cape Town

Bao Down

From the moment chef Graham Oldfield and his wife Philippa opened its doors, Bao Down has been thronged with regulars chasing its bold, Asian-inflected small plates. Bao buns are the star of the concise menu, filled with Korean fried chicken, pork belly, tuna and beef tataki, gochujang sweet potato and spicy prawns, each artfully plated on Chinese supermarket crockery and paired with a superb winelist. The intimate space is beautifully done up: soft-pink walls, vintage bird prints, a fireplace, antique mirrors and origami-esque lights, perfect for a quick bite or a whole-evening affair.
Go for the prawn toast, the Korean fried chicken bao, and finish with the addictive lemon and miso slice.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm – 2pm
Contact 066 022 1165, baodowncapetown.com
Where to find it First Floor, Exhibition Building, 79 Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town

Kalky’s

The Rosslind family’s large, cabin-like restaurant on the Kalk Bay quay has been frying up some of the best fish and chips on this coastline since 1996. Business is brisk – especially on weekends when crowds queue for just-caught fish. Battered hake (or snoek) and chips are their bestsellers, but the calamari, kingklip, yellowtail and prawns are also delicious. The charm is in the no-frills harbour setting – seals, seagulls, locals, fishermen and visitors rubbing shoulders at plastic-covered tables – and the lively banter (the waitress shouts out your number when your order is ready). It’s unapologetically casual, value for money and a community favourite.
Go for the snoek and chips (or yellowtail when available).
Good to know Payment is cash only (there’s an ATM close by).
Opening times Daily, 10am – 7pm
Contact 021 788 1726, [email protected]
Where to find it Kalk Bay Harbour, Kalk Bay, Cape Town

Lello’s Trattoria

This Sea Point gem channels the buzz of Roman street food through trays of thick-based pizza al taglio (by the slice). A famiglia affair, siblings Chiara and Danilo Turilli combine the flavours of their Italian heritage with a devotion to local and artisanal produce. Pizzas are topped with melanzane, artichoke, porchetta or potato; there are focaccia panini stuffed with mortadella or porchetta, fresh home-made pastas and other trattoria dishes too. Sit out on the covered terrace (shared with neighbours, Delicious Fish, Frankie Fenner and De Vrije Burger) and finish with proper Italian coffee and truly superb tiramisu.
Go for several different pizzas by the slice (cut to the size you request), and don’t miss the porchetta and potato. The tiramisu is also a must.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 8.30am – 9pm
Sunday, 8.30am – 2pm
Contact 060 795 9071, [email protected]
Where to find it 7 Penarth Road, Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town
Enquire Now

How’s Your Yaki

A buzzy Japanese streetfood spot in Gardens, where Rebecca Aziz and MinChan Kim (also of How’s Your Oni) nail the informal izakaya vibe. Japanese beer crates form tables in a cosy, simply decorated space that spills onto the terrace in the evening sun, while a charcoal grill sends out smoky wafts of kushiyaki (skewers). Start with golden takoyaki (squid balls), creamy with kewpie mayo. Then move on to okonomiyaki (cabbage-filled pancakes) and share a round of kushiyaki with a Japanese beer or sake. They recently started lunchtime opening with a tempting bento offering.
Go for a mushroom kushiyaki, a chicken one and a whole prawn, all tinged with the smoke and char of the fire.
Good to know If it’s authentic (and inventive) Japanese onigiri you’re after, head to their sister spot Hows Your Oni at 47 Main Road, Green Point.
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 12pm – 5pm; 6pm – 9.30pm
Contact 063 795 1550
Where to find it 7 Scott Street, Gardens, Cape Town

Nish Nush

“No drama, just shawarma” was Ofer Hollinger’s motto when he opened his original hummus hatch on Bree Street in 2021. When Nish Nush moved two doors down to a former motorbike shop, the authentic Middle Eastern street food dynamic settled into the cheerfully relaxed space, with stone walls, low wooden beams, a sunshine-yellow-tiled counter, tables out on Bree Street and a pocket-sized courtyard at the back. Come for falafel, hummus and shwarma, all made from scratch daily (as are the pitas), and anointed with homemade tahini and spicy zhoug (spicy chili and fresh coriander sauce) Or try the popular arayes: lamb and beef mince crammed into a pita, quartered and fried to crispy perfection, then drizzled with tahini and amba (a spicy and sour pickled mango sauce). Sabich is another vegetarian choice: fried aubergine, boiled egg and salad with amba and tahini in a pita, or plated with pickles. There’s also beer, wine and a selection of cocktails and mocktails.
Go for the arayes, so delicious, juicy and crispy. And a falafel pita is essential too.
Good to know There’s a Happy Hour daily, from 4 – 7pm.
You can get everything on the menu to go, and can even buy frozen falafels to take home.
Opening times Monday – Friday, 11am – 10pm
Saturday, 12pm – 10pm
Contact 063 483 4284, [email protected]
Where to find it 100 Bree Street, Cape Town

Yen’s Vietnamese Street Food

In an atmospheric side street of the old Cape Quarter, chef Yen Nguyen serves up her short but sweet-salty-spicy-sour menu of authentic Vietnamese. The dinky little eatery opens onto the street, with a dozen or so tables inside and a few on the curbside verandah. Surrounded by exposed-brick walls covered in newspaper clippings, vintage adverts and photos of Yen’s homeland, beneath dangling tropical foliage and traditional pointy straw hats, you’re transported to Vietnam… and the food in front of you – most likely, the hearty pho (rice noodle broth) – is truly, deliciously “Vietnam in a bowl”. Other dishes include delectable bun (rice noodle salad), delicious pho xao (stir-fried noodles) and superb egg-topped banh mi (baguettes), along with starters of spring rolls, rice-paper rolls, dim sum and bao. For a perfectly sweet ending, the traditional Vietnamese iced coffee, made with a dash of condensed milk, is out of this world.
Go for the beef pho, it’s the stuff of cravings!
Opening times Monday, 10am – 5.30pm
Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 9pm
Contact 071 156 6782, [email protected]
Where to find it 19 Dixon Street, Cape Quarter, De Waterkant, Cape Town

De Vrije Burger

You used to have to drive to Stellenbosch to get your mitts on one of Bertus Basson’s scrumptious burgers (and it’s worth the drive). But now he’s got a permanent home in Sea Point, (opening onto the covered terrace of tables shared with Lello’s, Frankie Fenner and Delicious Fish) and a takeaway-only offering in Bellville, too. Bertus keeps things simple with his signature burger, going for full-on flavour with free-range beef, home-made buns and just four burger options. De Vrije Burger is the classic combo of beef, cheese, lettuce tomato, onion and pickles, or Die Bennie Griessel (named after Deon Meyer’s fictional hero) comes with mustard pickle. Then there’s a vegetarian mushroom miso and parmesan burger, and a plain beef and cheese burger without all the salad bits… and you can order with or without the hand-cut tjips.
Go for the classic De Vrije Burger – it has it all.
Good to know Each burger comes with a complimentary De Vrije Roomys (ice cream)
Opening times Daily, 12pm – 9pm
Contact  [email protected]
Where to find it 7 Penarth Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
Welgemoed Forum Corner, 24 Kommissaris Street, Welgemoed, Bellville

Barakat

When you’re craving a delicious jaffle or a generous plate of butter chicken with a flaky roti, head to Pinelands. Barakat (chef Anwar Abdullatief’s sister restaurant to The Happy Uncles) has moved out of the Time Out market and found a new home in the heart of the community, where he and his team serve up the Cape Malay-inspired flavours of their childhoods, with a few playful contemporary twists. The vibe is informal cafeteria-style with a cluster of smart red tables indoors and an outdoor terrace. We loved the variety of jaffles (traditional mince curry, butter chicken and more), a spicy bobotie with yellow rice, and a deliciously evocative crispy battered hake on a fragrant and earthy Cape Malay dhal. There’s also a chalkboard breakfast menu that includes a hearty whopper burger on roosterkoek. And you can pop in just for a snack of samosas dipped in homemade blatjang, or for coffee and koesisters, fragrant with cardamom, cinnamon and naartjie peel, and served piping hot. Nostalgic flavours and a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere already has customers driving across Cape Town for their morning jaffles or their Sunday koesisters.
Go for the mince curry jaffle, but leave space for hake and dhal too… traditional Cape Malay flavours done to perfection.
Good to know There is ample paid parking in the Howard Centre.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 10am – 9pm
Contact 068 430 0851
Where to find it 3 Founders Way, Pinelands, Cape Town

Buri

The newest sibling in The Belly Restaurant Group, Buri puts the focus on South Africa’s favourite street snack, the humble boerie roll. Neil Swart and Anouchka Horn have upped the ante and had their boerewors custom-made by Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants and their rolls by Flour Market (the bakery arm of Truth Coffee) and cook the boerie over the coals for that authentic braai smoke and char. A choice of just three different boerie rolls come with all  house-made sauces, and the monthly special is one to look out for (it might be venison sausage or something even more creative). And to drink there is beer, cider, and even gin on tap! The brightly decorated pocket-sized eatery has a few inside tables.
Go for the OG boerie roll which comes with garlic mayo, chili chutney and rocket. And make sure to get the mini ring doughnuts with dark chocolate for dessert.
Good to know Walk-ins only and takeaways are available.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 10am – 10pm
Contact 066 177 9842, [email protected]
Where to find it 99 Harrington Street, Cape Town

Bodega Ramen

Hidden away upstairs above Honest Chocolate and the Gin Bar, the moody green walls, antique furnishings and retro art of Bodega Ramen create a fitting backdrop for slurping up a comforting bowl of ramen. The menu of homemade ramen bowls goes beyond the classic miso chasu pork belly with pickles and ajitama egg, and a braised-beef short-rib and kimchi ramen, to spice things up with Sichuan hotpot pork (keep an eye on the menu board for other variations). And there’s also a vegan option with shiitake, glazed tofu and slow-roasted tomatoes. It’s a serious hug in a bowl and might just be the ultimate hangover cure! Not partial to ramen? Sharing plates, such as crunchy karaage (deep-fried) chicken or the Korean fried cauliflower with sesame fill the gap.
Go for the braised beef ramen with kimchi and end with a glass of Umeshu (Japanese plum wine made locally by Pienaar & Son).
Opening times Tuesday – Saturday, 6pm – 11pm (kitchen closes 9.30pm)
Contact 078 241 3285, [email protected]
Where to find it 64A Wale Street, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan

The Falafel Guy

It started as a kiosk on Sea Point Promenade in 2021, but the long queues and enthusiastic following for their authentic falafel and shawarma soon prompted owner David Gabay to open a restaurant on Main Road too. Everything is made on site, including the pita breads, Iraqi laffa (flatbread wraps), pickles, hummus and spice mixes. After a welcome snack of crispy pita chips and sauces, choose between a generously stuffed pita or a laffa wrap, or tuck into the chicken or beef shawarma plates with crispy potatoes and/or salad. The inside seating and a handful of pavement tables look out onto views of Signal Hill over the Main Road and there’s always a buzz.
Go for a classic falafel pita and add crispy potatoes (aka potato crack) and extra hummus so you don’t miss a thing.
Opening times  Monday – Sunday, 8am – 11pm
Contact 021 015 0090, [email protected]
Where to find it 152 Main Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
Enquire Now

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for hot new openings, secret spots and incredible escapes – straight to your inbox every week.