Luxury things to do in Cape Town
Tasting menus, grand bars, and the tables everyone talks about.
This is Cape Town at full volume: mornings in museums and markets, afternoons on foot, and evenings at the restaurants that have put the city on the world food map. It suits travellers who treat dinner as the main event and see no reason to compromise on anything in between.
Day 1: City Bowl, from history to Fyn
The day moves from the city's slavery museum through a seafood lunch at Galjoen and the Company's Garden, then ends at Fyn's Japanese-leaning tasting menu.
- 9:30 AM
The Strangers Club
Beloved neighbourhood breakfast spot, start the day with great coffee and a morning bite before heading out.
Map - 10:30 AM
Iziko Slave Lodge
Iziko Slave Lodge is one of Cape Town's most important historical museums, sobering, world-class, and right in the city centre.
Map - 12:30 PM
Galjoen
Seafood room on Harrington Street cooking only sustainable local catch; let the kitchen choose the fish.
Map - 2:30 PM
Company's Garden
Company's Garden is Cape Town's historic green heart, a perfect unhurried afternoon stroll to walk off lunch.
Map - 7:30 PM
Fyn Restaurant
Peter Tempelhoff's Japanese-leaning tasting menu built on South African produce, served round an open kitchen.
Map - 10:00 PM
Perseverance Tavern
Perseverance Tavern is one of Cape Town's oldest pubs, atmospheric nightcap close by before midnight.
Map
Day 2: Irma Stern, Woodstock and Belly of the Beast
A morning with Irma Stern's collection, shared plates at The Pot Luck Club and a Saturday market browse, then the no-menu tasting dinner at Belly of the Beast.
- 10:30 AM
Irma Stern Museum
Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town's most celebrated fine-art museum, in the late painter's own house; a short drive up the slopes.
Map - 12:30 PM
The Pot Luck Club
Small plates on top of the Old Biscuit Mill silo; order the beef fillet with truffle café au lait sauce.
Map - 2:00 PM
The Neighbourgoods Market
The Neighbourgoods Market is Cape Town's most famous Saturday market, browse local food, art and design stalls at the Old Biscuit Mill.
Map - 6:45 PM
Belly of the Beast
No-menu tasting dinner on Harrington Street, cooked nose to tail from whatever the farms sent that week.
Map - 9:30 PM
Fireman's Arms
Pub dating to 1864 on the edge of De Waterkant, hung with fire brigade memorabilia; a pint and a pizza.
Map
Day 3: Kalk Bay coast and SALT at dusk
The southern peninsula earns a full day: harbour seafood at Harbour House, Kalk Bay's galleries and a mountain walk, then the drive up to La Colombe for the finale.
- 9:30 AM
Olympia Cafe
Top-rated local café right on the strip, perfect morning coffee to kick off the day.
Map - 10:30 AM
Kalk Bay
Fishing harbour village on False Bay: watch the boats come in, then browse the antique shops and Kalk Bay Books.
Map - 12:30 PM
Harbour House Kalk Bay
Iconic Kalk Bay seafood institution right on the harbour, the city's most famous lunch spot for a reason.
Map - 2:30 PM
Table Mountain National Park
Walk up Echo Valley from Kalk Bay into the park's fynbos for caves and wide False Bay views; about two hours.
Map - 7:30 PM
La Colombe Restaurant
The Chef's Menu up at Silvermist: French technique, Cape produce, and the famous tuna 'can' early on.
Map
Where to stay
Camissa House
Camissa House sits in the City Bowl, putting Fyn, Galjoen and the Slave Lodge within easy reach on Day 1.
Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel
Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel is a handsome Gardens address that works equally well for the City Bowl days and the drive out to Woodstock.
Make Cape Town your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Table Mountain: a few days ahead
- Cape Peninsula: a few days ahead
- Robben Island: weeks ahead
- Bo-Kaap: a few days ahead
- Cape Point: a few days ahead
- Boulders Beach: a few days ahead
Skip these
- The V&A Waterfront as a day of mall shopping. Go for Zeitz MOCAA, Pier, the ferry and the market.
- A Long Street bar crawl. Kloof Street and Bree Street are the better night out.
- Camps Bay strip sundowners at full tourist price more than once. Picnic at Clifton or Sea Point Promenade instead.
- Shark cage diving sold as a must do. It is a long day to Gansbaai and great whites are largely absent now.
The full Cape Town travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around