10 Best Halaal Places to Eat in Cape Town
If youâre looking for the best Halaal places to eat in Cape Town, youâre going to need a big appetite.
Cape Town has one of the most exciting Halaal food scenes in South Africa. You can start the morning with breakfast and coffee, eat traditional Cape Malay food for lunch, tackle a Gatsby in the afternoon and finish your day with Turkish grills or even a multi-course Halaal fine-dining experience.
And if this is your first visit to Cape Town, there are two things I think you absolutely have to try.
Cape Malay food and a proper Cape Town Gatsby.
Here are some Halaal places worth adding to your Cape Town food list.
1. Biesmiellah â Bo-Kaap
If you want to experience the food culture that makes Cape Town different, start in the Bo-Kaap.
Biesmiellah is one of the city’s long-standing names for traditional Cape Malay food and the kind of restaurant I’d recommend to someone visiting Cape Town for the first time.
This is your chance to try dishes such as bobotie, denningvleis, tomato bredie, curries and breyani.
And the location makes the experience even better.
Have lunch and then spend some time walking around the colourful streets of the Bo-Kaap.
Good for: Traditional Cape Malay food
Where: Bo-Kaap
Try: Bobotie, denningvleis or a Cape Malay curry
2. Bo-Kaap Kombuis â Bo-Kaap
If one Cape Malay meal isn’t enough â and it probably won’t be â add Bo-Kaap Kombuis to your list.
This family-run restaurant is all about traditional Cape Malay cooking and is particularly useful if you’re new to the cuisine and want to try a selection of local flavours.
Expect curries, breyani and Cape Malay favourites such as denningvleis.
Then there’s the setting.
Sitting above the city and eating Cape Malay food in the Bo-Kaap feels like one of those experiences that belongs on a Cape Town itinerary.
Good for: Cape Malay cuisine and visitors
Where: Bo-Kaap
Try it when: You want traditional food with a proper Cape Town setting.
3. The Happy Uncles â Salt River
Halaal fine dining?
Cape Town has that too.
The Happy Uncles takes the flavours many Capetonians grew up eating and presents them in a completely different way.
Instead of ordering your usual starter, main and dessert, you’re here for a multi-course tasting experience.
This is the restaurant I’d save for a special occasion, anniversary or the night when you want dinner to become part of the entertainment.
The food draws heavily on South African and Cape Malay influences, but the presentation is contemporary and creative.
Good for: Special occasions and foodies
Where: Salt River
Perfect for: A Halaal fine-dining experience
4. Saray â V&A Waterfront
Finding Halaal food around major tourist attractions can sometimes be difficult.
Thankfully, Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront has Saray.
Saray specialises in Turkish food, which means you can expect plenty of grilled meats, kebabs, breads and Turkish favourites.
It’s particularly convenient when you’re already spending the day exploring the Waterfront.
Go sightseeing.
Do some shopping.
Then sit down for a Turkish feast.
That sounds like a pretty good Cape Town day to me.
Good for: Turkish food, families and groups
Where: V&A Waterfront
Try: Charcoal-grilled kebabs and Turkish specialities
5. The Butcher’s Wife â Belgravia
Some days you don’t want a tasting menu.
You want a big plate of comfort food.
The Butcher’s Wife is exactly the kind of restaurant to save for those days.
The menu includes steaks, pizzas, flame-grilled chicken, pasta and other hearty favourites, making it particularly useful when you’re eating with a family or group where everyone wants something different.
It’s relaxed, casual and the portions aren’t trying to win a minimalist food-photography competition.
Which is sometimes exactly what you need.
Good for: Families and comfort food
Where: Belgravia/Athlone
Come hungry for: Steaks, pizzas and grills
6. Wembley Roadhouse â Athlone
You can’t put together a Cape Town Halaal food guide without mentioning Wembley.
Wembley Roadhouse has been part of the city’s food scene for decades and is one of those places many Capetonians grew up knowing.
This isn’t fine dining.
That’s the whole point.
Come for burgers, steak sandwiches, samoosas, milkshakes and proper takeaway-style comfort food.
Grab your food and eat it in the car for the full roadhouse experience.
Sometimes the places you remember most aren’t the expensive restaurants.
They’re the ones where the food comes wrapped in paper.
Good for: Casual food and a local Cape Town experience
Where: Athlone/Belgravia
Try: A burger, steak sandwich and milkshake
7. Eastern Food Bazaar â Cape Town CBD
Travelling with a family can get expensive very quickly.
Eastern Food Bazaar is one of those places that’s worth knowing about when you want plenty of choice without turning lunch into a major financial event.
The food-hall-style setup offers Indian, Turkish and Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, with everything from curries and breyanis to kebabs and shawarmas.
It’s busy.
It’s casual.
And you’re not here for white tablecloths.
You’re here because everyone can find something they want to eat.
Good for: Budget-conscious travellers and groups
Where: Cape Town CBD
Why go: Plenty of choice under one roof
8. Mariam’s Kitchen â Cape Town
If you’re searching for a proper Cape Town Gatsby, Mariam’s Kitchen belongs on the list.
A Gatsby isn’t delicate food.
It’s a giant Cape Town sandwich packed into a long roll with chips and fillings such as masala steak, chicken or other combinations.
It’s messy.
It’s enormous.
And that’s exactly why you need to try one.
Mariam’s Kitchen also serves other classic Cape Town takeaway favourites, including salomies, samoosas and parcels.
Good for: Gatsby, salomies and Cape Town takeaway food
Where: Various Cape Town locations
Don’t leave without: Trying a Gatsby at least once
9. Sabria’s â Wynberg
Sabria’s is another long-standing name on Cape Town’s Halaal restaurant scene.
The menu is broad, with Cape Malay and Indian-inspired curries alongside grills, seafood, pasta and desserts.
That makes it a useful option for a family meal because you’re not forcing everyone at the table to eat the same type of food.
It’s also a good restaurant to remember if you’re exploring Cape Town’s southern suburbs rather than staying entirely around the Waterfront and City Bowl.
Good for: Families and groups
Where: Wynberg
Try it for: Cape Malay and Indian-inspired flavours
10. Khao Hom Thai Cuisine â Claremont
One of the things I like about Cape Town’s Halaal food scene is that it isn’t limited to Cape Malay food, burgers and grills.
You can find Halaal Thai food too.
Khao Hom Thai Cuisine offers Thai curries, stir-fries, soups, noodles and other favourites.
So when you’ve reached the point in your holiday where you announce, “I cannot eat another burger,” this is the restaurant to remember.
Although, let’s be honest.
You’ll probably want another burger tomorrow.
Good for: Thai food
Where: Claremont
Try it when: You want something completely different
Where to Find Halaal Food in Cape Town
One of the great things about Cape Town is the sheer variety of Halaal food available.
If you’re planning your trip around food â and I fully support that decision â there are a few areas worth knowing about.
Bo-Kaap should be high on the list for traditional Cape Malay cuisine.
Athlone, Belgravia, Lansdowne and the Southern Suburbs have loads of established Halaal restaurants and takeaways.
You’ll also find options in the Cape Town CBD, Sea Point, Green Point and around the V&A Waterfront.
The result is that you don’t have to spend your entire holiday travelling across the city just to find something to eat.
Where to Find Halaal Cape Malay Food in Cape Town
If there’s one style of food I’d tell a first-time visitor to prioritise, it’s Cape Malay food.
Head to the Bo-Kaap.
Biesmiellah and Bo-Kaap Kombuis are two established options where you can explore traditional dishes.
Look out for bobotie, denningvleis, breyani, tomato bredie and Cape Malay curries.
And don’t forget something sweet afterwards.
Cape Town’s Cape Malay food culture is part of the city’s identity, so eating it isn’t just about filling your stomach.
It’s part of experiencing Cape Town.
Where to Find a Halaal Gatsby in Cape Town
Durban has bunny chow.
Cape Town has the Gatsby.
And you need to try one.
A Gatsby is an enormous sandwich made in a long roll and usually stuffed with hot chips, sauce and fillings such as masala steak, chicken, polony or other combinations.
This is not something I’d order immediately after breakfast.
Bring an appetite.
Or friends.
Preferably both.
Mariam’s Kitchen is one option for trying a Gatsby, while Cape Town also has plenty of local Gatsby institutions around the Cape Flats.
The Gatsby is meant to be shared.
Whether you actually choose to share yours is between you and your conscience.
What Cape Malay Food Should You Try?
If you’ve never eaten Cape Malay food before, start with bobotie.
It’s one of South Africa’s most distinctive dishes, combining gently spiced minced meat with a baked egg topping.
Then try denningvleis, a rich sweet-and-sour lamb dish.
Add a Cape Malay curry, some breyani and a tomato bredie to the list.
For something sweet, look out for a Cape Malay koesister.
And yes, Cape Town’s koesister is different from the plaited South African koeksister you may have seen elsewhere.
That’s another food discussion entirely.
Halaal Restaurants in Bo-Kaap
If you’re staying in central Cape Town, Bo-Kaap is one of the easiest areas to combine sightseeing and food.
The colourful houses make it one of Cape Town’s most recognisable neighbourhoods, but Bo-Kaap is much more than an Instagram backdrop.
It has a deep connection to Cape Town’s Muslim and Cape Malay communities.
Restaurants such as Biesmiellah and Bo-Kaap Kombuis make it possible to experience some of that heritage through food.
My advice?
Don’t rush through Bo-Kaap just to take photographs.
Stay for lunch.
Halaal Restaurants at the V&A Waterfront
The V&A Waterfront is probably going to appear on your Cape Town itinerary at some point.
For a fully Halaal sit-down meal, Saray is one of the most useful restaurants to know about.
It’s particularly convenient for families because you can spend the day shopping, visit attractions around the Waterfront and then have dinner without travelling across the city.
There are other Halaal and Halaal-friendly options around the wider Waterfront precinct, but always check the status of the specific restaurant before eating.
Halaal Restaurants in Sea Point and Green Point
Sea Point and Green Point are also worth exploring if you’re looking for international Halaal food.
You’ll find everything from Middle Eastern and Moroccan flavours to grills and contemporary dining in this part of the city.
They’re convenient areas to visit if you’re already exploring the Atlantic Seaboard.
And afterwards?
Take a walk along the Sea Point Promenade.
You might need it.
Halaal Fine Dining in Cape Town
Halaal food in Cape Town isn’t limited to takeaways and family restaurants.
The Happy Uncles in Salt River has brought Halaal food into the tasting-menu fine-dining space.
This is the sort of restaurant I’d book for a birthday, anniversary or special night during a Cape Town holiday.
You’re not simply going out because you need dinner.
The dinner is the occasion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it easy to find Halaal food in Cape Town?
Yes.
Cape Town has a large Muslim community and a wide selection of Halaal restaurants, cafĂŠs, bakeries and takeaways.
You’ll find particularly good concentrations of options around Bo-Kaap, Athlone, Belgravia, Lansdowne and the Southern Suburbs, as well as restaurants around the CBD and tourist areas.
What food is Cape Town famous for?
Cape Malay cuisine is one of the city’s most distinctive food traditions.
You should also look out for the Cape Town Gatsby, fresh seafood and local sweet treats such as koesisters.
What is Cape Malay food?
Cape Malay cuisine developed through Cape Town’s complex cultural history and is particularly associated with the city’s Muslim community.
It often uses aromatic spices rather than overwhelming heat.
Popular dishes include bobotie, denningvleis, breyani, bredies and Cape Malay curries.
Where can I find Halaal Cape Malay food in Cape Town?
Bo-Kaap is one of the obvious places to start.
Biesmiellah and Bo-Kaap Kombuis are two well-known options for traditional Cape Malay dishes.
Where can I get a Halaal Gatsby in Cape Town?
Mariam’s Kitchen is one established option.
You’ll also find Gatsby takeaways around Athlone and other parts of the Cape Flats.
What is a Gatsby?
A Gatsby is a large Cape Town sandwich usually filled with chips, sauce and meat or other fillings.
They’re famously large and are often shared.
Are there Halaal restaurants at the V&A Waterfront?
Yes.
Saray is a fully Halaal Turkish restaurant in the V&A Waterfront’s Clock Tower precinct.
Other restaurants around the Waterfront may offer Halaal or Halaal-friendly options, but check each establishment individually.
Is all food in Bo-Kaap Halaal?
Don’t assume that every restaurant in an area is Halaal simply because the neighbourhood has a strong Muslim community.
Check the restaurant’s current Halaal status if this is important to you.
Are all branches of restaurant chains in Cape Town Halaal?
Not necessarily.
Halaal certification can vary between branches, so check the exact restaurant you’re planning to visit rather than relying on the brand name.
A Quick Note About Halaal Certification
There is an important difference between Halaal-certified and Halaal-friendly.
A restaurant may use Halaal meat while still serving alcohol or preparing other non-Halaal items.
If you require a fully Halaal establishment, check the restaurant’s current certification before visiting.
Restaurant ownership, suppliers and certification can change, so it’s always worth checking again when planning your trip.
Final Thoughts
Cape Town is one of those cities where food should be part of the itinerary.
Don’t just visit Table Mountain.
Don’t just drive Chapman’s Peak.
And definitely don’t just take photographs of the colourful houses in Bo-Kaap and leave.
Eat.
Try the Cape Malay food.
Order the Gatsby.
Have Turkish food at the Waterfront.
Save one evening for a special Halaal dinner.
And when someone tells you about another little Halaal restaurant that you have to try?
Add it to the list.
There’s always room for one more Cape Town food stop.
Have you found an amazing Halaal restaurant in Cape Town that deserves a mention? Let me know â because I’m always looking for another excuse to eat my way around the Mother City.
