Where to Eat in Rondebosch: The Best Restaurants and Bars

September 18, 2017 Vivienne Hutton

Rondebosch is one of the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. It is primarily a residential suburb, with a medium-size shopping area, a small business district as well as the main campus of the University of Cape Town.
Things to do in Rondebosch

1. Magica Roma

8 Central Square, Pinelands 7405, South Africa Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar Italian, Pizza, Mediterranean, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Late Night +27 21 531 1489
Excellent
63%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
2%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 352 reviews

Magica Roma

Reviewed By Jelswiss - Chateau-d'Oex, Switzerland

As always fabulous, never a disappointment food service atmosphere are perfect ! Have been going for years now and just had another wonderful experience Etzio is the perfect front of house and owner with Franco in the kitchen. Wine list is excellent always a pleasure to visit and dine in this splendid restaurant in such a funny location,can't wait to go back! Quality is
kept up to scratch.

2. Cargill's

20 Station Road, Rondebosch, South Africa Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol French, European, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options Dinner +27 21 689 2666
Excellent
84%
Good
14%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5 based on 113 reviews

Cargill's

Reviewed By recordable - Clitheroe, United Kingdom

I visit this small restaurant every time I'm in CapeTown and it maintains a high standard for food,service and wine.The food is simply cooked and presented with few 'cheffy' frills but is of a consistently high quality and is wel worth seeking out in Rondebosch.
Service has always been good with a perfect balance between efficiency and friendliness and there seems to be a high proportion of local,return customers.The chef/owner is very personable and usually appears front of house to check that customers are happy and he is a great source of knowledge on wine and always prepared to give advice.
If you are looking for a top fine dining venue then this may not be for you but this place beats the hell out of many central Cape Town/V and A restaurants and is orth searching out especially perhaps for couples or others who prefer a more intimate setting.

3. Greenhouse

The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel | 93 Brommersvlei Road, Constantia 7800, South Africa Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar Contemporary, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Dinner, Late Night +27 21 795 6226
Excellent
82%
Good
11%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 656 reviews

Greenhouse

A state of the art dining room and cutting-edge kitchen sets the scene at Greenhouse, where produce of the Constantia Valley and the region are presented as culinary creations in an intimate taste space. Here guests are invited on a multi-sensory journey of distinctly South African flavours and hospitality, as they savour and indulge in the delectable creations of Peter Tempelhoff and his team. Greenhouse stretches the boundaries of traditional South African cuisine, brings conceptual creations from the garden, veld and sea to the plate and shares local stories and culinary insights through the dining experience. Expect the unexpected... Greenhouse is where meals translate to memories.

Reviewed By Testkitty - Munich

We visited the restaurant for the third time. Again it was fantastic. Excellent service. Extremely creative and outstanding quality and passion! We already look forward to our next visit!

4. Myoga

60 Colinton Road, Newlands 7700, South Africa Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Private Dining, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Valet Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards International, Fusion, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Drinks HK$63 - HK$157 +27 21 657 4545
Excellent
72%
Good
17%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 845 reviews

Myoga

Set in the gracious grounds of the Vineyard Hotel, Newlands Cape Town, Myoga has a very relaxed, engaging atmosphere, where diners are encouraged to feel at home & offers a contemporary fusion cuisine menu which entices the mind, excites the eye and tantalises the taste buds to new extremes. It is what Chef Mike Bassett calls " the four corners menu" Try the famous eight course tasting menu with a wide variety of choices, you won't be disappointed.

Reviewed By AlD134634 - Fleet, United Kingdom

Mike Bassett you and your team continue to excel to make diner a memorable occasion!
We chose the seven course tasting menu with wine parings as were deliberately staying at the Vineyard Hotel next door. With four choices for each individual course its a tough pick what to eat. Luckily my wife chose different dishes so I got to sample a few more than my seven..... heaven.
Based on my taste buds the best picks were, Scotch Egg, Mexican Bowl, Cannelloni, Grilled Ostrich,Chocolate Parfait - two pallet cleansers to add.
This was a great experience again. We always treat ourselves to one visit to this fantastic restaurant each year we visit Cape Town this was yet again a special night.
Many thanks Mike.
The wine parings are an added cost but add to the experience. For me the outstanding wine was the Domain Chardonnay ( Hemel en Aarde)
Apart from the food you need to see the wonderful views across the garden to Table Mountain from the Newlands side - it make the experience more memorable looking up at the iconic mountain!

5. The Test Kitchen

375 Albert Road | Shop 104 A / The Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock 7925, South Africa Free Wifi, Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar Contemporary, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Dinner +27 21 447 2337
Excellent
82%
Good
11%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1 reviews

The Test Kitchen

Reviewed By k3bab - England

Booking process needs changing. They release bookings once every few months, 3 months ahead at 8AM South African time. Travelling from the UK, I tried to secure a booking within 2 hours of them releasing an allocation to no avail. It was completely booked out.
How about - release them gradually, giving people a better chance to book. This is a restaurant, not an Apple store, not everyone wants to camp out overnight to be first in line to be relieved of their cash, before the proprietor runs out of stock, or in this case, booking allocations.
Website says, e-mail for lunch Reservations. Upon e-mailing you get an auto responder saying bookings over e-mail will not be accepted.
A restaurant is not just about food, it is about the overall experience, and if you can't even get a table, the experience sucks right from the outset.

6. A Tavola

Shop #1 Library Square | Wilderness Road, Claremont 7708, South Africa Takeout, Parking Available, Full Bar, Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Street Parking, Free Off-Street Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Outdoor Seating, Highchairs Available, Accepts Credit Cards Italian, Mediterranean, European, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night HK$63 - HK$94 +27 21 671 1763
Excellent
55%
Good
35%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
3%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 206 reviews

A Tavola

Authentic Italian Food We specialize in fresh, home-style Italian fare & seasonal ingredients, with an emphasis on simplicity and flavour. A Tavola brings the real taste of Italy to the leafy suburbs of Claremont. Our open piazza-style dining and relaxed tables buzz with passion, while hearty aromas waft from the open plan kitchen. With an emphasis on freshness, seasonal ingredients and key ingredients imported from Italy, we serve authentic Italian fare freshly made to secret recipes passed down from generation to generation. Come and enjoy a truly authentic Italian experience or browse the deli for fresh assortments of Italian cheeses, cold meats and pasta sauces. A Tavola is easily located on Library Square just off Wilderness Road.

Reviewed By Dewar S

After much scouting around I elected to try Atavola as the final destination for our anniversary dinner.This unobtrusive beacon of Italian cuisine is nestled in the medical district of Claremont. They never disappointed... Our waitress Siphokazi expertly led us through their menus and provided a...MoreThanks for choosing A Tavola to celebrate your anniversary, Dewar - congratulations! Hopefully we'll see you both again before your next anniversary!

7. Barristers

Kildare Road & Main Street | Cardiff Castle, Newlands 7735, South Africa Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Television, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Free Wifi, Reservations, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Accepts Credit Cards Grill, Bar, Pub, International, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Breakfast HK$39 - HK$118 +27 21 671 7907
Excellent
32%
Good
43%
Satisfactory
15%
Poor
6%
Terrible
4%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 406 reviews

Barristers

Barristers is an institution in the Southern suburbs of Cape Town. Having been founded in 1980, Barristers is in the heart of Newlands Village and is an old favorite of locals and international visitors alike. From the deck which looks out over the village circle, through the lively pub and into the welcoming Grill and Tudor Rooms, we offer good old fashioned values at reasonable prices. Barristers has a comprehensive menu, extensive range of draught beers and a huge wine list. Good Food, Great Wine, Warm Friends is a motto we believe in emphatically.

Reviewed By Johan J

Newlands remains a really nice venue. The food is fine, nothing special, and typical of a standard pub-type restaurant. In my view a very limited (craft) beer selection, especially for what is available locally in the Western Cape. Wine selection is fine. Service was good.

8. The Pot Luck Club

373-375 Albert Road | The Silo, The Old Biscuit Mill, Cape Town Central 7925, South Africa Reservations, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar International, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options Lunch, Dinner, Late Night +27 21 447 0804
Excellent
75%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2 reviews

The Pot Luck Club

Reviewed By smaatje - Maastricht, The Netherlands

We went here for a 'goodbye dinner' after three months of cape Town. What was supposed to be the best dinner of our time in South Africa turned out to be a rather overpriced and underperforming dinner.
There is nothing 'wrong' with the dishes, but for a restaurant that pretends to be the best of CT and charges prices to back that up, the food lacks balance and variety. Instead of focusing on the food and the absolute flavor they seem to go for 'trendy and hip'. I don't see why a highly priced bite-sized dish comes in a paper wrap and cardboard box, unless this adds something to the flavor (which it doesn't).
The food is comparable to places that charge much less and worse to places that charge similar prices.
To me it feels this place has hit its peak a while ago and now is riding on their reputation, instead of building a new one.
There is not one dish that stood out. If I had to choose it would be the beef fillet, but even that is nothing special.
Service is ok, waiters seem to have memorized the dishes but are clearly not passionate about the food and lack the ability to really explain the Delicacy or complexity of a dish.
If they would charge 1/5th of the price they would have gotten five stars. But for a restaurant that claims to be the best there is a lot that needs to be improved.

Note: I've been in cape Town over 15 months and have visited dozens of restaurants.

9. The Gardeners Cottage Restaurant & Coffee Shop

31 Newlands Avenue, Newlands 7700, South Africa Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol Cafe, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch +27 21 689 3158
Excellent
46%
Good
41%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 165 reviews

The Gardeners Cottage Restaurant & Coffee Shop

Reviewed By TamJean

Took friends there for my birthday in December and lovely/ consistent experience. Food fabulous and service efficient and friendly.
Poached eggs with spinach and salmon out of this world!
Then returned in January.
Croissants an absolute must to order! Accommodating towards my kids requests/ food needs, and delicious array of options.
Chili sauce (homemade) HOT but a nice accompaniment to my sweet corn fritters.
Ten happy people left full and satisfied.
Fabulous / relaxing setting, great service and friendly staff.

10. Foresters Arms Pub

52 Newlands Avenue, Newlands 7700, South Africa Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Waitstaff, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wheelchair Accessible Bar, Pub, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options, Vegan Options Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night, Drinks +27 21 689 5949
Excellent
23%
Good
52%
Satisfactory
16%
Poor
5%
Terrible
4%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 294 reviews

Foresters Arms Pub

Reviewed By barbmatthews17 - Bucca, Australia

A comprehensive bistro menu,well cooked and brought to us by efficient staff
Atmosphere is a buzz, lively and all good fun. Enjoyed watching the sport on the big screen. The fact that their car park is always full is a testament to the pub's popularity
Visited several times last year and enjoyed the tucker and vibes several times on this last visit to Cape Town

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