Best Vegetarian and Vegan Food in Cape Town
Read on to learn more about our favourite places to eat veggie food in Cape Town:
- Oranjezicht City Farm Market (Cape Malay, etc. Waterfront)
- Seven Colours (South African, Waterfront)
- Addis at Cape Town (Ethiopian, CBD)
- Faeeza’s (Cape Malay, Bo-Kaap)
- GOLD Restaurant (African, CBD)
- The Conscious Kitchen (Vegetarian, CBD)
- Nish Nush SA (Falafel, CBD)
- Obi Japanese Restaurant (Sushi, CBD)
- Leo’s Wine Bar (& Max Bagels) (CBD)
- Unframed (Vegan-friendly ice cream, CBD)
- Moro Gelato (Ice creams and vegan sorbets, CBD)
- Skotnes Restaurant (Vegetarian-friendly, Tokai)
- SALT (Vegetarian-friendly small plates, Kalk Bay)
- Minari Korean Kitchen (Vegetarian-friendly, Simon’s Town)
- Caprice Cafe (Vegan-friendly, Camps Bay)
- Beau Constantia (Vegetarian-friendly, Constancia)
The Best Places to Eat Vegetarian African Food in Cape Town
One of my favourite things about travelling is trying new foods from the local cultures. I had been warned that African cuisine doesn’t cater much to vegetarians, but I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of vegetarian and vegan options.
Cape Malay cuisine, which is a rich mix of African, Malaysian and Indonesian influences, is full of vegetarian and vegan dishes that we enjoyed at Faeeza’s and Oranjezicht Market. We tried traditional (vegan) South African chakalaka at Seven Colours. Ethiopian cuisine, which is traditionally vegan two days a week, is readily available throughout Cape Town. Here are our favourite places to eat vegetarian and vegan African food:
Treat Your Tastebuds at Oranjezicht City Farm Market (Waterfront)
As well as being a great place to pick up fresh vegetables and artisan products, the Oranjezicht City Farm Market has a fantastic selection of food stalls serving mouthwatering meals. The only drawback is choosing just one place to eat!
We decided to go for a vegan Cape Malay meal (ZAR 120) that included spiced chickpeas, cauliflowers, potatoes, rice, salad and fresh roti. The meal was spectacular and we bought a Cape Malay spice mix to take home with us! If Cape Malay doesn’t take your fancy, vegetarians and vegans can enjoy Indian food, falafels, mushroom kebabs and much more!
The Oranjezicht City Farm Market is open Saturday and Sundays until 2 PM, and on Wednesdays from 5PM-9PM.
Explore South African Cuisine at Seven Colours (Waterfront)
If you want to try authentic South African cooking, Seven Colours Eatery is the place to be.
We were drawn here because I noticed they were selling chakalaka, which one local had described to us as a life-changing African dish that doesn’t contain any meat. One taste and I can confirm: chakalaka is delicious and I’ll be making it at home.
Our lunch (ZAR 125) included either samp and beans or steamed mealie bread, chakalaka, coleslaw, spinach and mushrooms. Chakalaka is a blend of beans, carrots and veggies with spices.
This is not a vegetarian restaurant and the meal we had wasn’t on the menu, but the friendly waiting staff were happy to cook a vegetarian lunch for us and it felt as though they were used to doing so.
Seven Colours Eatery has two locations, one at the Watershed and one at Battery Park. Our review here is based on the sit-down location at Battery park.
A final note, the person who recommended we try chakalaka originally was from Zimbabwe and claimed it as a Zimbabwean dish. I don’t plan to start off any culinary conflict, so I’ll just say that the chakalaka I tried in South Africa was great and I look forward to trying the Zimbabwean version too.
Try Ethiopian Food at Addis in Cape (CBD)
Addis in Cape is an Ethiopian restaurant with an extensive vegan selection. Did you know that orthodox Ethiopians eat vegan for 180 days per year, as part of their fasting regimen? This means that Ethiopian cuisine has a lot of excellent vegan and vegetarian dishes!
Our combo meal for two (ZAR 390) included red lentils, mushrooms, chickpeas, yellow split peas and mixed vegetables all cooked in feisty, Berbere spices and served on injera (a flat, springy bread made from teff grain). Ethiopian food is traditionally eaten by hand, using the injera to scoop up your food. You can sub your teff injera for a rice injera, at additional cost, for a gluten-free option.
I recommend booking a table through either Google Maps or Dineplan. The best seats are all upstairs and there’s also balcony seating available.
Faeeza’s Home Kitchen Serves Authentic Cape Malay Home Cooking! (Bo-Kaap)
Don’t they always say that the best meals are cooked at home?
Faeeza’s Home Kitchen. As the name suggests, it’s a kitchen run out of a lovely lady’s home and it specialises in home-cooked Cape Malay dishes. I had a delicious butter bean curry with roti and sambal that was amongst the very tastiest things I ate in South Africa!
Faeeza’s Home Kitchen is in Bo-Kaap, which is a colourful Cape Malay neighbourhood that’s worth seeing in its own right. You can arrange cooking lessons at Faeeza’s, which cater to vegetarians and vegans on request.
Listen to African Drumming with Your Dinner at GOLD Restaurant (CBD)
Eating at GOLD Restaurant is a full-on experience, complete with African drumming, dancing and a “14-course meal” (ZAR 455) that can be fully vegetarian. Many (but not all) of the dishes can also be made vegan or gluten-free.
The food comes from all over Africa, including Ethiopian iab (cheese curds), Tunisian briouats (carrot and potato cakes) and Cape Malay lentil bobotie.
If you’re less interested in the participatory drumming (which we thought was a bit too touristy) and more into the eating, you can sit away from the stage and in the normal restaurant area.
The Best Vegetarian and Vegan Food in the CBD
The CBD is Cape Town’s beating heart, so it’s no surprise that much of the best vegetarian and vegan food can be found here. Below is a selection of our favourite vegetarian-friendly restaurants and eateries in the CBD.
Eat Clean at The Conscious Kitchen (CBD, Kloof Street)
In the mood to choose from a large menu of veggie classics? The Conscious Kitchen on Kloof Street is a fully vegetarian kitchen. I had some healthy Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls (ZAR 105) whilst Charlie had the Buddha Bowl (ZAR 105). I was particularly impressed with the falafel, which were made with a touch of turmeric for extra colour and flavour.
The vibe is somewhere between hippy and yoga studio — think white walls, wooden counters, digital nomads at work and vials of mysterious superfoods. If I had one small criticism, it’s that my Vietnamese rolls came with a vegan mayo, rather than the peanut satay advertised (I find vegan mayo a bit hit and miss, but each to their own).
Enjoy Falafel and Hummus at Nish Nush SA (CBD, Bree Street)
Falafel is one of those foods that I get serious cravings for if I go without for too long, so naturally Nish Nush SA was one of the first eateries that I checked out in Cape Town. This is not a fully vegetarian kitchen, but there are plenty of both vegan and vegetarian options.
Nish Nush is a casual and inexpensive, hole-in-the-wall place with metal chairs on the street. It’s on Bree Street, which makes it a convenient place to pick up a bite after a few wines at Leo’s. If I were to go back, I’d choose the falafel plate over the pita option, as I wasn’t in love with the pita, but judging from the place’s excellent reviews I’m comfortably in a minority.
Indulge in Cape Town’s Best Japanese food at Obi Restaurant (CBD)
Obi Restaurant is an unassuming and very authentic Japanese ramen and sushi spot on Long Street. Walking into this low-lot, wooden floored restaurant, you know it’s going to be good. Rows of rice wine line the wall, the kitchen is flanked by noren (traditional Japanese fabric dividers hung in doorways) and the tables are set with neatly lined chopsticks and Kikkoman soy sauce.
There’s a delicious range of Japanese delicacies on the menu, including edamame, agedashi tofu and pickled daikon sushi. There are plentiful vegetarian options, and we opted for a range of starters and sushi. Do not miss the nasu miso (sticky glazed miso aubergine) which was melt-in-the-mouth perfection.
A meal for two people, with an alcoholic drink each, came to ZAR 750.
Eat Bagels and Drink Wine at Leo’s Wine Bar (Max Bagels) (CBD, Bree Street)
Wine and bagels, why did I never think of putting the two together?
Max Bagels is a popular bagel joint that has a couple of decent vegetarian options. What makes this place special, however, is when the bagel shop closes at 5PM, it converts into Leo’s Wine Bar on the same premises!
Leo’s Wine Bar, which spills out onto Bree Street, is a trendy spot to enjoy a glass (or perhaps bottle) of wine. They had a nice selection of wines from local vineyards. If you’re peckish, they serve toasted bagel ‘pizzas’, which are made by toasting the bagels made earlier that day.
When we visited one Friday evening, the place was packed with friends chatting after work and couples on nervy first dates. We were lucky to get a seat!
Taste the World’s Best Ice Cream at Unframed (CBD, Kloof Street)
It isn’t everyday you get to try ice cream declared the best in the world, so if time allows make sure you stop at Unframed Ice Cream to pick up a scoop (or three). We tried the lychee ice cream which was delicious and also happened to be vegan – it’s the creamiest vegan ice cream we’ve ever had. Other enticing flavours included white chocolate lemon-infused olive oil and classics like honeycomb and vanilla.
Unframed is on Kloof Street, which is something of a hipster playground. It’s the trendy place to buy not only ice cream but also stop for a drink, get a bite to eat or have your trainers repaired at the Sneaker Shack.
Treat Yourself to Hand-made, Italian-style Gelato at Moro (CBD)
Moro Gelato is the best ice cream shop in Cape Town, according to Charlie, though we loved Unframed too. The gelato is made by hand and flavours are based on seasonal ingredients.
Their gelato is kept in a traditional “pozzetti,” a sunken counter protecting the gelato from air, light and temperature changes. We enjoyed a double scoop of peanut and vanilla, which were both beautifully light and subtle in flavour. Also on the menu is rooibos gelato. For vegans, try a refreshing sorbetto!
The Best Vegetarian and Vegan Food outside the CBD
Many of Cape Town’s best attractions are found outside the CBD, from the vineyards of Constancia to the penguins of Boulders Bay. Here are our favourite places to eat vegetarian food outside the CBD!
Enjoy Haute Cuisine in a Sculpture Garden at Skotnes Restaurant (Tokai)
The Skotnes Restaurant offers fine dining and a view of the Norval Foundation’s beautiful sculpture garden. There’s an upmarket menu with vegetarian options. If you’re after something vegan, I think it would be possible but I’d call ahead to confirm (there are vegan options on the menu, but they sometimes run out).
I enjoyed my homemade pappardelle pasta with tomato sauce and goat’s cheese (175 ZAR) with a beetroot, carrot and apple juice (45 ZAR). You can access the Skotnes Restaurant without paying the admission fee for the Norval Foundation.
Sample Small Plates on the Seafront at SALT (Kalk’s Bay)
For some serious vacation vibes, you can’t do much better than SALT in Kalk Bay. This hipsterish cafe/bar/restaurant is pleasingly located just over the road from the beach and has an impressively large menu written on the wall as you come in. They do serve meat, but they also have both vegetarian and vegan options clearly marked.
We stopped for an excellent oat milk cortado then decided to stay for a lunch of handmade butternut squash ravioli, pan-fried courgette with kale pesto and flash-fried sugar snap peas in a mint and chilli dressing. The staff were warm and welcoming.
Savour Korean cooking at Minari Korean Kitchen (Simon’s Town)
Hankering for some gochujang? Minari Korean Kitchen (rated 4.9 on Google Reviews) is a relaxed street-side eatery that does Korean food as well as other popular Asian dishes. The restaurant does serve meat, but there’s a good number of both veggie and vegan options to choose from, including Korean ramyun (veggie instant noodles with spicy sauce and eggs), gimbap (Korean vegan sushi) and both veggie and kimchi dim sum.
It’s in Simon’s Town, which makes it a great place to catch an early dinner (closes at 18:30) after seeing the penguins. The prices are very reasonable but the portions are small, so I’d recommend a decent number of sides if you’re feeling hungry! Ask which dishes contain fish sauce if you’re a strict vegetarian (the friendly waitress we spoke to was also veggie and happy to help!)
Watch the sunset from Cafe Caprice (Camps Bay)
Watching the sunset from Camps Bay is a beautiful way to enjoy a South African evening. While it can be enjoyed from the beach, it’s better still with a drink in your hand and a meal on the way.
We decided to eat at Cafe Caprice because it was one of the few places on the beach with vegan options and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the vegan meze board that came complete with olives, hummus, falafel and freshly baked breads.
Cafe Caprice is a trendy place with cool people and cool (also loud) music, on a prime beachfront location, so expect high but not prohibitive prices and a party-ready crowd.
Drink locally grown wine with your meal at Beau Constantia vineyard (Constantia)
The vineyards were amongst our favourite things to do in South Africa and Beau Constantia is both one of the most beautiful and convenient, being only a 20-minute drive from the centre of Cape Town.
If you’ve never been to a vineyard and don’t know what to expect, I highly recommend visiting this one. You don’t need a reservation, you don’t need to know your merlot from your chenin blanc, and you don’t need all the money in the world. You can simply rock up, enjoy the views, and order excellent wine by the glass, bottle or tasting set.
We ate twice at Beau Constantia: the first time we had the superb vegan bao buns with crispy-fried oyster mushrooms and vegan mayo from How Bao Now. This is a more casual option to be enjoyed with wine on the terrace. The second time, we had a decidedly not vegan but vegetarian-friendly cheese board that had a wonderful array of local cheeses which paired excellently with our wine.
Have you visited any of the restaurants recommended here? Let us know what you think in the comments below! Likewise, if you’ve got a favourite vegetarian or vegan-friendly spot in Cape Town that we missed, send us a message and we’ll get it added in.
