Vegetarian restaurants in Cape Town
After seeing Earthlings and subsequently posting about vegetarianism, I’ve been very keen to do a post about vegetarian restaurants in Cape Town. However, it’s not quite that simple. There are very few restaurants which are vegetarian only, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I find that the restaurants which are fully vegetarian are also quite alternative and casual, I can’t believe that there are no vegetarians that want to eat at smart, trendy or modern restaurants. Also, a vegetarian can go to a normal restaurant with a bunch of people who are not vegetarians and select a vegetarian option, but non vegetarians won’t really want to go to a vegetarian restaurant.
I think that it’s more important for all restaurants or at least more restaurants to improve the quality of their vegetarian dishes and to increase the number of vegetarian options on the menu. I was having this discussion with the Chef at the cooking course I attended. He is in catering and he reckons that he always makes extra effort for the vegetarians because they are so appreciative. He’s so right, vegetarians are so used to being an after thought and made to feel like an inconvenience that when you make a little effort for them, they are very appreciative.
I remember a long time ago going for a meal at Bardeli in Kenilworth and someone ordered the 1 of 2 vegetarian options and when it came it was so delicious that we all wanted to try it and I secretly wished I had ordered that instead of my lasagne. You should have seen how pleased our little veggie friend was!
So, below I have listed some fully vegetarian restaurants which I know about and then I have listed restaurants which have a large vegetarian selection or their vegetarian options are of exceptional quality. I know there will be many more in each category and that is where you come in, my dear readers. If you know of a place, please post a comment about it and let’s accumulate a comprehensive list of vegetarian friendly restaurants.
Also, if there is a place which is particularly vegetarian unfriendly, ie. they have no vegetarian options or their vegetarian dishes are horrible, post a comment about them too.
Which restaurant in Cape Town has the best vegetarian options, genuinely exciting, interesting and tasty? Share your thoughts and experiences…
Mainly vegetarian restaurants:
Lola’s – 228 Long Street – 021 423 0885
Fields – CLOSED
Portobello Cafe – 111 Long Street – 021 426 1418
Krishna’s Cuisine – 37 Riverside Mall, Rondebosch – 021 794 3214
Tibetan Teahouse – 2 Harrington Road, Simonstown – 021 786 1544
Vegetarian friendly restaurants:
Addis in Cape – 41 Church Street – 021 424 5722
Annapurna – Canal Walk – 021 555 3595
Health Cafe – 161 Longmarket Street – 021 424 6560
Jewel of India – V&A Waterfront – 021 419 8397
Royale – 273 Long Street – 021 422 4536
Shambala – 134 Long Street
Vanilla Cafe – 117 Hatfield Street – 021 461 7868
Yindees – 22 Camps Street – 021 422 1012
Sage Organic Cafe – 117 Hatfield Street – 021 461 7868
Zuccinis – Loop Street – 021 424 8571
Mountainview Cafe – 171 Long Street – 021 423 1852
Maharaj Vegetarian Takeout – 6 Rondebosch Court, Fountain Square – 021 685 7891
Chandani - 85 Roodebloem Road, Woodstock – 021 447 7887
November 27th, 2008 at 10:35 am
A very necessary post, thank you! But I thought Fields had closed a couple of years ago? I got very excited and dialled the number you list, but it gives a “does not exist” tone. It was a fabulous restaurant and I miss it often, so if you have a lead on whether it’s been resurrected anywhere I’d love to know.
November 27th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Oops, I didn’t verify the list personally so you are probably right about Fields. Sorry to get your hopes up like that. It was a really well known and popular place, I wonder why it closed?
I’ll update the list.
Something else I meant to include in the post was that staff need to be trained so that they a) understand what vegetarianism is about and b) know about the vegetarian options on the menu and are able to make recommendations or suggestions with an understanding of how flexible the kitchen is.
November 27th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
At last! Thanks for this list. I went to a wedding at Buitenverwagting recently and my veggie option was the envy of everyone at my table. I don’t know what their a la carte veggie options are but I suspect they’d also be excellent. Cafe Roux in Noordhoek also does some very yummy veggie salads and ciabattas. I just wish more restaurants didn’t assume veggie = mushrooms / eggs / aubergines only.
November 27th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Awesome list – as a vegeterian in Cape Town, this is just what I need.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:32 am
hey dax. i’m not a vegetarian, but am becoming much fussier about where the meat i do eat comes from… which means it’s usually easier to order vegetarian rather than try to quiz the waitrons about free-range vs not, feedlot-raised beef, versus veld-raised (the glazed look in their eyes dissuades me from venturing further into the abyss). so i’m all for more quality vegetarian options :-)
what about Simply Asia? they have a dedicated vegetarian section on their menu, and their food is generally pretty good.
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:16 am
- Naked (on Kloof Street), awesome wraps – havent been in a while …are they still open?
*now I am stuck thinking really hard here*
Ten years of vegetarianism, one would think I’d be able to rattle it off..
- Vintage India (cnr Buitenkant – level 2 of Gardens Centre), my personal favorite and visit the restaurant at least once a month – they some how remember your name even after months (winter time) of not going there!
- Jamaica me Crazy (Roodebloem Road, next to Woodstock Lounge in Woodstock) , lively , vibey , reggae/dancehall music in the background, cocktail specials btwn 5-6 weekdays, awesome vegetarian menu
Can’t remember the name for this small little restaurant in Observatory (don’t even ask the street name) – and then there’s another Indian one in Seapoint and one in Tableview. I can however remember that the Indian one in Tableview is next to the entrance to Primi Piatti…hope this helps..
btw – What do you mean by “Vegetarian friendly” cause I interpret that as ‘not purely vegetarian but has a section in their menu for vegetarian’
e.g. Maharaj Vegetarian Takeout – they are purely vegetarian since beginning of the year – they should be in your mainly veg list? fyi they also sell egg-less cake at R15 per slice…best chocolate cake without egg by far!!!
Lola’s: be prepared to wait at least 30-40 mins before eating your meal
Krishna’s Cuisine …highly recommend
Royale …favorite
Annapurna…favorite but only the one in Canal Walk (there is a branch in Tygervalley as well)
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:33 am
Thanks for that feedback Anastacia, vegetarian friendly means they have a large selection of vegetarian options and they are good quality.
I think Naked is closed.
December 7th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
“there’s another Indian one in Seapoint and one in Tableview.”
The other two places I referred to was Kabab Mahaal. Lovely food! Not too sure if I got the spelling correct.
Naked closed? Ag no! *sad face*
December 21st, 2008 at 6:57 pm
These are the additional restaurants in the 2009 Eat Out guide which received specific mention for being vegetarian friendly:
Africa Cafe – Heritage Square, CBD – 021 422 0221
Anatoli – 24 Napier St, Greenpoint – 021 419 2501
Bibi’s Kitchen – Medicentre, Wynberg – 021 761 8365
Bihari – Westlake Lifestyle Centre, Tokai – 021 702 2975
The Cedar – 100 Main Rd, Seapoint – 021 433 2546
Chai Yo – 65 Durban Rd, Mowbray – 021 689 6156
Curry Quest – 89 Durban Rd, Mowbray – 021 686 3157
The Health Cuisine – Riverside Mall, Rondebosch – 021 686 4180
Jewel Tavern – Duncan Dock, Harbour – 021 448 1977
Morituri – 214 Main Rd, Claremont – 021 683 6671
Myoga – Vineyard Hotel, Newlands – 021 657 4545
Passage to India – 2 Carnaby St, Bloubergstand – 021 557 5524
Rioja – Solole Game Reserve, Noordhoek – 021 785 5123
Saigon – Cnr Kloof & Camp St, Gardens – 021 424 7670
Simply Asia – many branches
December 28th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
chandani on roodebloom street, woodstock is very vegeterian and vegan friendly indian restaurant. sage on hatfield street in town is totally vegetarian.
February 24th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Thanks, Dax, for referring me to this list. However, I generally steer clear of vegetarian restaurants cos they are usually hippy kinda places, and too grungy for my liking. And the food is less than appetising. I didn’t like Portobello’s – uninspiring food that had been waiting for ages in the warmer. I like my food freshly made, and with more effort than being spooned up from a heated server.
Having said that, the Africa Cafe (I think that’s the name) at the Centre for African Studies on UCT campus has great vegetarian food (ready-made, waiting in the heated server).
The Tibetan Teahouse outside Simonstown has the most delicious lentil “meatballs” served on mash with chunky tomato sauce. But I wouldn’t rush there for the atmosphere. I’d prefer to be eating less delicious food at Kalk Bay Harbour.
Chef Pons Asian Kitchen in Gardens has delicious veg options, but make sure you ask for NO fish sauce or shrimp paste, and speak to the owner, because the waiters have no clue. My experience in Asian restaurants is that “vegetarian” means it comes with vegetables, but also includes prawns etc!
Bukkhara has great veg options. Paranga has an amazing green salad, and the atmosphere and vibe to match. Col’cacchio has great veg pizzas (not just green peppers and pineapple which is the usual veg pizza in other places – what are they thinking??). Newport makes the most delicious veg salad with ricotta and tons of avo.
Gateway to India in Camps Bay looked promising, but the veg food was terrible. Blues veg option of risotto balls was horrible (and always ask if the risotto is made with chicken stock – it usually is in most restaurants).
Just home from a great night out at & Union, where we had a beer tasting session, accompanied by snacks of chorizo and meat meat meat. And yet they made it seem so effortless to give me vegetarian options – what a pleasure! It will be the best cheese you’ve tasted anywhere, and the baby green salad was fresh and crisp.
February 28th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Health for Life has opened in Montclare Place, Main Rd, Claremont.
It’s a vegetarian and vegan restaurant but only open during the day.
021 671 4000
March 26th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Thanks for the article – I actually came here to find out if the Tibetan Teahouse serves momo-cha’s. Does anyone know?
The little restaurant in Observatory that is very vegetarian friendly is called mimi’s – corner of Trill Rd & Lower Main Rd.
There is a Pakistani restaurant/ take away on Kromboom Rd (in a small strip mall called Kromboom Gardens) which has great vegetarian dishes (starters and mains).
March 26th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Re my previous recommendation for Newport’s ricotta and avo salad… The hard times seem to have hit everyone, and my salad two days ago had considerably shrunken in size since last time. And definitely far less than tons of avo. Perhaps they are cost-cutting?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Masal Dosa in Long Str and Main Rd Seapoint does awesome vegan and veggie options.
Believe it or not, Panchos in Lower Main Rd, Obs, does the most yummy vegan chilli poppers, and they truly bend over backwards for vegans/veggies even tho they are always packed.
Cafe Ganesh just off Lower Main Rd does great vegan stuff too.
La Vie on Beach Rd, Seapoint, does a fantastic salad but the service sucks.
I often get takeaways from Asian kitchen and its great. My fave food of all is Chef Pons.
May 27th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Refer to Max’s comment, before purchas from Simply Asia, have to order your food with NO fish sauce or shrimp paste.
June 6th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Portabello has unfortunately closed
June 6th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I think all the good ones have been listed now… One is missing! Deer Park Cafe in Vredehoek makes the most beautiful healthy wholesome veggie food! Just bear in mind that you have to love kids if you feel like checking it out… They are very child friendly!
June 8th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
@Max it’s called the African Cuisine :)
they have two shops on upper campus – one at African Studies Gallery and the other at the Food Court.
That’s not my favorite though at UCT.
I’d rather prefer going to the Kaplan Centre (jewish restaurant)
or to the Krishna lady from the Rondebosch temple. She has her stall on level 1 of the Leslie Commerce Building, only gets there after 11am or so. Not there during vac though :(
July 14th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Bananajam Cafe on 2nd Ave in Harfield is rather vegetarian friendly. I’m fond of their Trinidad Roti, the Da Veggi Mon sandwich, and the Roast Veg Pasta Salad. They also have a few other vegetarian items, such as their own vegetarian burgers, soup and excellent pizzas. And can’t forget their on-tap beer, Jack Black and Pisner Urquell.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Bananajam Cafe is also owned by the same guy who owns Jamaica me Crazy and guess what, that roti you mentioned is one of my favs too; all of the things you mentioned is also on the menu at Jamaica me Crazy.
That makes me think twice about wanting to go eat there now?
http://jamaicamecrazy.co.za
July 24th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Quench is a new organic restaurant in Obs. worth trying.
August 12th, 2009 at 11:53 am
I wonder if most vegetarians know that most vegetarian Pizza, Pasta, lasagne, sandwiches -> aren’t really vegetarian.
Most cheeses & yoghurts have either
(1) rennet,
(2) emulsifiers
(3) stabilisers
which are usually from animal origin.
There is a very useful freeware software “Food Additives 1.0″ which details all food additives for most things. http://www.finitysoft.com/
Also:
Kabab Mahal has only been mentioned once. Originally a Durbanite, I must say its the best Indian in Town (Veg and non-Veg)
September 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Catharina’s is offering a special gourmet vegetarian menu on Mondays for Spring. Read more here:
http://www.relax-with-dax.co.za/?p=118&cpage=1#comment-43526
November 14th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Vegan SA is a useful site for all you vegetarians out there:
http://www.vegansa.com/index.php
November 27th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Other options for a vegetarian degustation menu apart from Catharina’s are: Bosman’s and Buitenverwachting
Also, there is a new veg restaurant Rondebosch Main Rd called Squeeze (021 685 7722).
Also along that stretch, Maharaj (021 685 7891), Olive Station (021 686 8224) and Doyu (021 685 1888).
November 30th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Although Portobello’s on Long Street has closed, it has been replaced by Miyabi which combines fashion retail with a dining experience (daily lunch buffet + menu) so also worth a try for a quick, simple meal.
I would also recommend the following vegetarian-friendly places:
bread milk honey in 10 spin street
crush in st george’s mall (close to greenmarket square)
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
This webpage is awasome! Thanks Dax
December 23rd, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Kwalapa at Montebello on Newlands Ave is an excellent venue for vegetarians. On Wednesdays they also offer a raw food menu.
January 12th, 2010 at 8:47 am
I had the best veg burger at Cafe Caprice in Campsbay last night. A classic burger with lentil/chickpea patty, tomato and onion salsa with mint and lettuce on a toasted bun. Served with half/half chips and salads. Absolutely delicious! And for R40, what a bargain! And much much better than Hudsons. (They also had a Gourmet Veg burger with brie and cranberry sauce — erm, sounds awful.)
Have always avoided Caprice, looks too pretentious (not to mention everyone is almost half my age). But after a long walk, we felt like burgers. And it was great. From the inside out, doesn’t seem pretentious. And the service was friendly and excellent. And no-one tried to kick us out in our daggy walking clothes.
January 12th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Yes, I eat at Caprice regularly. A lot of people avoid it because they believe it to be pretentious, but as you said, it isn’t really and they are missing out on one of the best value dining options on the Camps Bay strip.
I realise that depite eating there often, I haven’t actually reviewed the place. I’ll have to post a review sharply.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Went to Catharina’s last night for their No-Meat Monday menu..
Was a little scared because my finace is an eater and considering that is was not badly priced, AT ALL (R185 for a 3 course meal), I thought the portions would be too small for my ever-hungry man.
I was wrong. It was a wonderful evening. The food was top-notch, service impeccable and portions were more than adequate (even brought home some left overs)!
Well worth a visit, vegetarian or not!
February 15th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
For all the vegetarians, there is a great cooking class at Sense of Taste soon which will cover only vegetarian dishes. If the menu below tickles your fancy, check out the link or email them:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=340700307032
Asian inspired Mushroom Dish with Shiitsake, Enoki & Oyster Mushrooms
Ginger Chilli Mushrooms with Soba Noodles, Spring Onions & Coriander in a Laksa Broth
East African Pea, Tofu and Lentil Curry served as a Traditional Bunny Chow
(This dish includes learning to bake the bread for the bunny chow)
Rosemary and Garlic infused Polenta Cake with Leek, Zucchini and Tomato Ragout
Then we will have esteemed Pastisserie Chef – Angie Haefele – from Vanilla House demonstrating a very special dessert (surprise for the evening) and then everyone to enjoy this delectable delight to end our sumptuous feast!
April 22nd, 2010 at 11:38 am
Hi there
My wife and I went to Kwalapa for their raw food day yesterday (Wed 21 Apr 2010), it was pleasant inside their tent, nice gas overhead heaters,calm setting, nice crowd, food well presented and tasty……..price at R140kg… my plate that was well stocked came in at R57…..not bad..service was excellent from our Zim polite waitron!
April 22nd, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Four of us had lunch at Tibetan Tea House in Simonstown, food tasty, well prepared, organic coffee, choice of dairy or non dairy, organic, raw……expect noise from roof renovations, fantastic view of sea and distant mountains from balcony, peaceful garden……..served by the owner/s.
April 22nd, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Hello, me again,does anyone have the contact details of the new Raw Restaurant in Vredehoek, not listed, neither on the website advertising it???????/
April 22nd, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Hi Dax…..check this out, no address or contact details for the new Raw restaurant?
http://www.capetownmagazine.com/restaurants-cape-town/New-Vredehoek-eatery-offers-food-fashion-and-flowers/27_22_17085
April 22nd, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Here you go, the contact details for RAW
021 461 7648
21 Derry Street, Vredehoek
and their Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=117548984926257
April 26th, 2010 at 10:00 am
This is a great link! Just to say that Maharajah in Rondebosch is a fully-fledged vegetarian restuarant (with vegan options too) as well as Maharajah Express in Rondebosch Main Road.
May 4th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
thanks for the contact details for Raw, I’m confused though after reading the article, i thought it would be Raw vegetarian food, seems not. Anyone been there and could give feedback?
May 4th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Emilee,
I was at Raw last week.
I had a veg quiche.
It was lovely and flavourful, with a nice side salad. Alas, I was left a little hungry.
I realised afterwards that it was only R28, so I should have expected a small meal.
My friend had a chicken/avo/something sandwich, which he said was great.
Overall, a nice spot.
With regards to article: I would definately vote the “SideWalk Cafe” as my favourite Vredehoek spot.
It has fantastic veg fig salad. :-)
And, if you’re not a fussy vegetarian (i.e. you’re not fussy about animal-rennet cheeses etc), they have nice veg dishes & sandwiches.
Enjoy
Nir
May 6th, 2010 at 9:51 am
portobello girls can be found at the biscuit mill, right at the back. the might have a spot in obs
May 19th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
hey everyone you guys should check out signal at the cape grace. they do a 5 course vegan tasting menu.
June 3rd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Cafe Royale on Long street. While famous for their amazing hamburgers, they also offer a great vegetarian selection. Their Googamooly burger (chickpea, soya and lentil patie served with quacomole and humus)is to die for!
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I went to Five Flies recently and ordered the vegetarian option (which was not on the menu) and it was absolutely delicious. My meat-eating partner was incredibly jealous and preferred it to his food. I am usually hesitant, however, to go to such restaurants, as they don’t usually have vegetarian options printed on their menus. At Jardine, for example, one apparently has to let the restaurant know in advance if a vegetarian option is required.
I am also a great fan of Royale. Especially the fact that they have a “Vegetarian burgers continued…” page in their menu!
June 3rd, 2010 at 3:15 pm
After an unnecessarily long conversation with the Buitenverwachting events coordinator, I managed to organise a vegetarian option for my wedding there about a month ago. It took a while to get the concept of ‘vegetarian means no chicken or fish’ across, and I had to order the exact number of vegetarian dishes weeks in advance because guests wouldn’t have the option on the night (just for interest’s sake, the exact number ended up being 4 out of 100). After all that, the vegetarian option was absolutely delicious, and a lot of effort had clearly been put into it, even including the amous buche – but considering the enormous cost of food there for the wedding, I was expecting more cooperation. Especially because I’m a vegetarian myself! (but luckily I’m not a strict vegetarian – otherwise the gelatin in the panna cotta would’ve made it off-bounds!)
July 6th, 2010 at 4:32 am
Wow! Thank you Dax, and all your commenters for all this information. My husband and I are planning a trip to South Africa, and as vegetarians, we have been very worried about being able to eat there. So many sources of information say that it is very difficult for vegetarians to get by in South Africa. I am glad to know that we can find some decent food, at least in Cape Town.
You said, “I can’t believe that there are no vegetarians that want to eat at smart, trendy or modern restaurants.”
I want to say, you should not believe it. We love smart, trendy and modern vegetarian restaurants, but it seems they are hard to find outside of the US and Europe. We moved to Mexico from the United States about four years ago, and one thing that has been very disappointing here is the fact that people have a picture of vegetarian food as nothing but bland, tasteless health food. We have a couple of vegetarian restaurants in our city of Guadalajara, but they are both the type of vegetarian establishment you complain about. In the United States, we had the granola-type places, but we also had some “regular” restaurants that were vegetarian, like Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, Watercourse Foods in Denver or Blossom in New York.
Vegetarians DO enjoy eating at nice restaurants. It just seems that everyone else thinks that the only things we eat are salad and bowls of wheat germ.
July 17th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
How about a fresh list for 2010? This one is nearly two years old and restaurants turn over fast in Cape Town.
July 19th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
I second that, a fresh list would be great
July 19th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Noted, will investigate when i have a chance.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
Dax, when and if u do update the list, maybe include specific ingredients. eg. I buy my soya chunks in Bo Kaap, my vegetarian samoosas lady and egg free cake is in Walmer Estate, etc – just an idea? I personally am keen to hear where others buy their certain food items.
March 4th, 2011 at 9:27 am
http://www.happycow.net/africa/south_africa/western_cape/
Happy cow lists some
My favourites include:
Closer, Muizenberg (100% vegan)
Bella Vegan Cafe, Simonstown (100% vegan)
Earthshine (100% raw vegan) – order online or find them at Old Biscuit Mill & other markets
Cafe Jo Browns, town (100% veg, with lots of vegan options including cakes & tarts)
Tibetan Tea House, Simonstown (100% veg, with plenty vegan options and vegan scones!)
Maharaja’s, Rondebosch (100% veg, many vegan options – the owner is vegan and will be extra kind if your equest vegan)
And of course many other veg-friendly places with vegan items on their menus, and many more that will go out of their way to prepare a vegan meal for you if you notify them in advance.
For more info & support for veganism in SA, visit the South African Vegan Society facebook page or website.
March 16th, 2011 at 7:42 am
Lola’s closed down…
Bella Vegan in Simonstown is also closed, but Jen sells her amazing vegan pastries at markets in the area.
There is a new one in town called Dear Me.
And in the Southern Subs, right by Cavendish it’s O’ways for vegetarian dim sum.
Salad Lovers at Earthfair market.
April 13th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
We’re running a vegetarian and raw food workshop next month. It’s hopefully the first of many as there is generally a lack of vegetarian friendly food out there. While this isn’t a restaurant, hopefully it will give vegetarians an evening to enjoy and also chat to other vegetarians about their favourite haunts! Check out more about the workshop here: http://veggie.buntch.net/veggie-wonder-workshop/
November 22nd, 2011 at 12:05 pm
O’ways teacafe in clarement is really special vegetarian fare.Brilliant chef and unusual food,very well priced and peaceful.Very good coffee and wild selection of teas.
November 25th, 2011 at 6:35 pm
The African Cafe on Buitengracht Street, next to Marshall Music is my new hotspot! They not only offer vegetarian food, but Raw Vegan food too. I am in love