South Africa

Located in wine country and against the backdrop of the Constantiaberg Mountain, Constantia Uitsig has been a huge success story since day one. The menu is Italian-French, though Chef Clayton Bell continues to create food with broader influences than his original Provencale-Tuscan mix. Bookings are essential.

Food Type :French

Address :Constantia Uitsig Farm, Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia

Website :uitsig.co.za

Miller's Thumb is Jane and Solly Solomon's refreshingly casual seafood establishment. Set in uptown Cape Town, it's ever-changing chalkboard menu offers customers a good chance of discovering something new, though it tends to include familiar options as well. Cajun and Creole dishes are the order of the day, as is Yaki Soba, an award-winning Japanese dish with cashes, chickens and prawns. Thankfully, it's a staple. There's generally a pasta dish or two, complemented by an array of interesting sauces and a selection of good wines.

Food Type :Seafood

Address :10b Kloofnek Road, Tamboerskloof

Website :www.millersthumb.co.za

Situated just behind Camps Bay's main strip, the Codfather offers a unique presentation of fine fish. There is no menu at this low-key restaurant. Patrons make their choice after a personal discourse with their waiter on the daily specials. It is then weighed, prepared to the highest standard, and served to their table. Staff are all first class and provide a service of the highest order. There is also a sushi bar. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner.

Food Type :Seafood

Address :37 The Drive, Camps Bay

Website :www.codfather.co.za

Beluga is a stylish and sophisticated eatery located in the Foundry, a 100-year-old redbrick building that once housed one of the city's oldest metal works. It now has a modern interior design as well as an office centre, integrating into what has become Cape Town's film and modelling district. The restaurant offers the best of a wide range of cuisines. However, there are plenty of robust flavours, interesting ingredients, and generous portions. The cocktail bar serves great drinks, perfectly complemented by its famous sushi menu. Tables spill out onto an enclosed courtyard, serving light meals and coffees from early until late.

Food Type :Modern Eclectic

Address :The Foundry, Prestwich Street, Green Point

Website :www.beluga.co.za

This restaurant takes up five floors, decorated with a combination of modern African designs. Traditionally attired staff serve locally inspired dishes, and live African music enhances the wonderful atmosphere even more. The varied menu has dishes from around the continent, such as fragrant North African stews, East African fish curries, and huge Mozambique prawns. The unusual African desserts, like sweet potato and chocolate pudding, are not to be missed. Booking is essential; the restaurant opens daily for lunch and dinner.

Food Type :African

Address :5 Melrose Square, Melrose Arch

Website :www.moyo.co.za

Wombles Steakhouse serves steak to suit all tastes and appetites, complementing their cuts with fresh vegetables and a choice of potato dishes. Reminiscent of its 1980s predecessor in Harare, Zimbabwe, it is furnished with ornate, high-backed chairs and luxurious sofas set within a candle-lit décor. The efficient staff are incredibly attentive, working to make the patron's dining experience a memorable one. The establishment is open Monday to Friday for lunch and dinner, with dinner also served on Saturdays. Reservations are recommended.

Food Type :Steakhouse

Address :88 Hobart Road, Bryanston

Website :www.wombles.co.za

Royale is the gourmet burger joint of choice in Cape Town. It's not uncommon to see scruffy-jeaned skaters at one table and trendy executives at another. Patrons can choose beef, chicken, ostrich or veggie patties, and can chop and change toppings. Regarding sides, they can go for regular fries, sweet potato fries, potato wedges or delicious salads.

Aside from offerings like 'The Miss Piggy' and 'The Fat Bastard' (double everything), the restaurant serves a variety of pizzas and milkshakes. Royale also boasts an upstairs bar and live-music lounge known as the Waiting Room, and a third floor reserved for private functions and sundowners.

Food Type :American

Address :273 Long Street

Website :www.royaleeatery.com

Regarded as one of Cape Town's most stylish dinner-dance venues, Pigalle is a vast, split-level restaurant divided into intimate dining areas, each boasting a view of the dance floor and band. The lavish furnishings, elegant tables, and background music create the perfect atmosphere in which to enjoy sumptuous offerings from the set menus, or from the à la carte menu. Black mussels provide a delicious start to the dining experience. From there, patrons could move on to the ostrich fillet with mushroom and peppercorn sauce, the fillet medallions, or the Pigalle Platter (prawns and langoustines in lemon butter). Couples could round off their meals by sharing the crème brûlée or baked cheesecake. The restaurant is open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Food Type :Modern Eclectic

Address :57A Somerset Rd, Greenpoint

Website :www.pigallerestaurants.co.za

Something of a Cape Town institution, Café Mozart has been attracting locals and foreigners for over thirty years. Serving some of the best coffee in town, Café Mozart is a great breakfast stop, with tables spilling out onto a shaded pedestrianised walkway, where buskers amuse passers-by with some lively tunes. With superb fruit juices, a mouth-watering selection of sandwiches made on freshly baked bread, and an attractive daily menu created at the whim of chef and proprietor Tom Kelley, there is something for everyone. Tea lovers should sample the restaurant's variety of loose-leaf teas, all of which are served in elegant silver teapots and quirky crockery. Café Mozart is open Monday to Saturday for breakfast and lunch.

Food Type :Cafe

Address :37 Church Street

Found in one of Johannesburg's most affluent suburbs, Browns of Rivonia offers a truly upmarket, fine-dining experience. This establishment is set amongst vineyards in an old farmhouse, adding to its charm and intimate atmosphere. Outside seating is available on the veranda for those balmy summer evenings, and a neat dining area occupies the interior. The food is of the highest quality, especially the roast duck with a Drambuie and orange glaze. The restaurant offers a separate menu for functions and for Sunday lunches. Browns of Rivonia is closed for lunch on Saturdays and reservations are recommended.

Food Type :International

Address :21 Wessels Road, Rivonia

Website :www.browns.co.za

With its prime location near the Cape Town Stadium, Tobago's restaurant in the Radisson Blu Hotel is a celebrated venue for visitors to enjoy a long luxurious lunch or dinner. Diners are offered a wonderful selection of meals from the restaurant's world-class menu, made from locally sourced, fresh ingredients. They can also choose from a buffet, which is best enjoyed in the stylish dining area or outside on the beautiful waterfront terrace. Tobago's is a good option for those seeking fine dining before or after a sport event or concert at the Cape Town Stadium.

Food Type :International

Address :Beach Road, Granger Bay

Website : www.radissonblu.com/hotel-capetown/dining/restaurant

Myoga is a trendy and upmarket Cape Town establishment that serves the finest in contemporary fusion cuisine. With a friendly and laidback atmosphere, its speciality dishes include the caramelised pear and walnut gorgonzola. Another favourite is the seared ostrich with mango and fynbos honey, a unique dish which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The kitchen itself is set in the middle of the restaurant, allowing patrons to see the staff's craft. Myoga is open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Reservations are essential.

Food Type :Fusion

Address :Colinton Road, Newlands

Website :www.myoga.co.za