Cape Town Cuisine Route: A Tasty Tour of The Mother City

Like the other experiential excursions that Coffeebeans Routes offers out-of-towners, the Cape Town Cuisine Route is just another exhilarating way that visitors can immerse themselves in the “real” Cape Town, the one that lurks behind travel-brochure persona.

As The New York Times journalist, Todd Pitock, writes: “Unlike many other culinary excursions, the goal is not to find the finest dining (there is no shortage of that) but to use food as an entry to the city’s inner life, visiting home kitchens, alley cafes and markets otherwise easy to miss.”

The Cuisine Route offers half- and full-day options. The latter kicks off with a short spice tour through Bo Kaap or Salt River, after which you will enjoy a series of aromatic Cape Malay dishes, including bobotie, samosas, curries and bredies, as well as some decadently sweet koesisters (without the “k”).

Next up is a trip to Cape Town’s townships of Gugulethu or Langa. Here, you will discover isiXhosa foods such as chakalaka (spicy vegetable relish), umngqusho (dried beans and maize) and amagwenya (deep fried buns).

Also on the full-day agenda is an exciting cooking workshop, which involves sourcing local ingredients with your host and then watching him/her as s/he prepares your meal.

There’s no doubt that Cape Town is dotted with a slew of five-star eateries, but if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, something off the well-trodden tourist track, you might want to book your ticket for this memorable experience.

Read Todd Pitock’s Cuisine Route review in The New York Times.

Starting point: Coffeebeans Routes HQ
Location: Coffeebeans Routes, iKhaya Lodge, 8 Wandel Street, Cape Town
When: Daily, 2pm – 6pm
Cost: $120 (around R1700), includes all food and non-alcoholic drinks and transport
Book Online
Contact: 021 813 9829, info@coffeebeansroutes.com