This restaurant, in an elegantly restored 17th-century town house close to the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court, was an instant hit when it. The food has a northern Italian emphasis, but there is an almost obsessive focus on local ingredients; the restaurant has its own fishing boat, so the seafood is appropriately delicious. The desserts, especially the molten chocolate cake, also get top marks, as does the attentive service.

For an unforgettable meal in the winelands, take a trip out to this Eden where the farm-to-table cuisine is imaginative and exquisite (a red salad of beets, strawberries and tomatoes is almost too pretty to eat). The institution's purity is evident when, between courses, diners are encouraged to walk through the gardens where almost all of the ingredients are grown. This is an experience that should not be missed by foodies, garden lovers or those who appreciate living well.

This modish glass, steel and slate-stone restaurant is the centerpiece of Steenberg, the oldest wine farm in the Cape, established 1682. Chef Kerry Kilpin presents seasonal local produce in a tapas menu—lots of oysters, sashimi, tartars and terrines—and heartier bistro fare, such as Karoo lamb chops and braised pork belly, à la carte. Grab a table on the sunlit terrace next to the reflective pool and sip a local wine—it’s the place to be.

One of Cape Town’s hot spots, Black Sheep brings a lively bistro option to Kloof Street. The chefs behind the restaurant worked at gastropubs in the UK and Ireland (including Chapter One in Dublin), and focus on what’s in season. Blackboards announce the daily menu, but you can expect a steady parade of regional specialties such as grilled ostrich, Kohlapuri lamb curry and roast kingclip with saffron mash. The delightful comfort food is served in a fun and casual atmosphere.

A stunning Indian restaurant with a beautiful setting at the Taj, Bombay Brasserie is by far the best Indian restaurant in Cape Town.

Run by a Greek family, this delightful bright-white café is opposite the Mouille Point lighthouse and the water. There’s a long communal table inside, but grab a table on the outside terrace and enjoy the views of open sea, sky and far-off mountains. A breakfast of pistachios, honey and yogurt is a fine way to start the day, and Greek dishes like pasticcio and roast lamb are always on the menu, along with spanakopita, tyropita and a good selection of sandwiches.

This contemporary steak house is run by chef Giorgio Nava whose first venture, 95 Keerom, is still one of the most beloved spots in town for a great meal in a relaxed setting. Carne is an ode to all-things meat, much of it organic and raised on the chef’s Karoo farm. The menu, which is printed on butcher’s paper, also offers a wide variety of classic Italian dishes, though most applaud such local dishes as kudu tartare and black wildebeest filet.

This restaurant, with a terrace with gorgeous views of Hout Bay, is ideal for a casual summer lunch. Order the perfectly fried or grilled calamari, the grilled line fish (a South African term for whatever fresh fish is available), a Greek salad and an icy beer or a Shandy—a popular South African concoction of beer and ginger ale. Afterward you can stroll on the beach nearby or wander around the shops in Hout Bay.

The Madame Zingara restaurant group has a cult following in Cape Town for its sometimes quirky, always delicious stable of eateries (Bombay Bicycle Club, Sidewalk Café, and Café Paradiso among them). November 2014's opening of this restaurant was a stroke of genius: the historic garden in the heart of the city center finally has a chic restaurant inviting visitors to linger amid the lush surroundings, tucking into delicious sandwiches and benedicts in between scampering around the life-size outdoor chess set and quirky grown-up size swings.

At FYN, South American produce is enhanced in contemporary Japanese cuisine while service and management are conducted with French vigor.

This Green Point delicatessen has a bar for snacks and outstanding coffee, made by a famously surly barista. It’s a hangout for the beautiful and trendy, as well as locals who come by every morning to meet friends. There is wonderful prepared food in the deli if you are packing for a picnic or hosting a drinks party, and the friendly owners, Giovanni and his brother, will help prepare it if you phone in advance. There is also a wide choice of bread, cheeses, wine and Champagne, and it might be the only place in town that sells truffles (on occasion).

The Grand Café franchise (an African version of the Nikki Beach scene) reaches its apogee at this glam restaurant-bar on a reclaimed beach in Granger Bay. The café—a converted warehouse decorated with vintage chandeliers, Parisian wicker chairs and retro ceiling fans—opens onto a sand beach shaded with umbrellas. Style trumps substance: the pizzas, salads and steak béarnaise are merely decent; the strong drinks, music and seaside setting are what you come for.

Award-winning chef Peter Templehoff incorporates South Africa regional produce and culture at this restaurant, part of which is in an actual greenhouse. With an emphasis on sustainability, the restaurant’s exquisite menu shifts according to the season and what is locally available. In the summers, a house favorite is “Release the Kraken”, an ethically sourced octopus dish present with swirling dry ice and black octopus ink. Greenhouse’s honest, ornate and tasty dishes have earned it a spot as one of the most influential restaurants in the country.

I usually distrust restaurants that claim to have cuisines from many countries, but Haiku overcame my reservations with its fabulous range of Asian tastes—from steamed dumplings to wok chili beef to salmon and avocado-topped sushi rice. It’s a glamorous spot, but not pretentious in the least.

Hemelhuijs beautifully presents modern South African cuisine.

This Italian restaurant in Camps Bay is the kind of warm, welcoming joint with fabulous food that you wish was in your neighborhood. Owners Aldo and Cetti met while they working on a yacht (he as captain; she as chef). When they finally decided to settle down, they chose Cape Town and opened Il Cappero in 2011. The walls of the dining room are decorated with aerial photographs of Italy and Africa shot by Aldo. Cetti serves delicious Sicilian cuisine, including memorable eggplant soufflé, pesto tagliatelle and Neapolitan mussels. Lunch is only served on Saturdays and Sundays, and reservations are recommended.

This Italian trattoria in Green Point serves authentic pasta dishes in a congenial ambiance. It also has an impressive wine cellar, stocked with South African and Italian wines. Be sure to save room for the crème brulée.

Kyoto Garden Sushi, a Japanese spot just off Kloof Street is a go-to for sushi-crazy Capetonians.

In 2014, the award-winning La Colombe moved to the Silvermist Wine Estate, where chef Scot Kirton turns out refined tasting menus from a prime hilltop perch. Standouts from an ever-evolving menu include Karoo lamb, quail and celeriac, and foie gras and langoustines.

La Perla, in Sea Point, has served generations of Capetonians as a kind of upmarket canteen where they eat several times a week and know the Indian waiters by name. The menu is large and fairly traditional, with a few nods to culinary trends (like tuna carpaccio), and you won’t go wrong if you stick to it. But one of the ways La Perla retains its regular customers is to make whatever they want, so this is where to indulge your inner diva and make special requests. It’s also the place to come to if you are in the mood for sea creatures; order one of the lavish seafood platters and a bottle of South African Sauvignon Blanc, admire the chic crowd, and tuck in.

A pale blue heritage building on Long Street is the site for this delightful café featuring, as the name might suggest, fresh artisanal breads and pastries. But there’s a lot more to it than that: you’ll also find great coffee, eggs, sandwiches, and a particularly decadent French toast with homemade mascarpone and berries on offer. But if its carbs you’re really craving, owners Lyndal Wakeford and Ciska Rossouw also run baking classes.

This relaxed Mediterranean style eatery on lower Bree Street’s booming restaurant row serves classic Greek dishes, with ingredients purveyed locally, South African wines and beers. Guests can sit outside by alfresco patio in the warmer months and in the charming interiors in the winter.

Manna Epicure is a popular Argentine-inflected spot on Kloof Street.