Cape Town’s kitchens do some of their best work once the crowds thin out and the fires get lit. Restaurants that are near impossible to book in December are suddenly offering three, four or five courses for less than the price of one summer main and this year’s crop of winter specials is worth planning a weekend around.
According to Dineplan, most of these menus run through August or September, though the best weekend tables are booked out fast. Here are nine worth locking in early.
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Fine dining without the fine-dining bill
FYN has built its reputation on precise plating and inventive South African flavours, usually with a bill to match. This winter, the Cape Town institution is running a five-course lunch menu at a considerably gentler price, giving diners a chance to try one of the country’s most decorated kitchens without waiting for a special occasion. It runs on weekdays and Saturdays, making it worth clearing an afternoon for.
- Cost: R1275 per person
- Location: 37 Parliament Street, Cape Town City Centre
Old-world glamour at a new-season price
Amura’s four-course winter menu keeps the restaurant’s usual mix of Mediterranean technique and playful plating intact, all inside the pink-walled grandeur of the Mount Nelson. It runs every night for dinner, with lunch added on weekends, which makes it an easy one to build a slow Sunday around.
- Cost: R750 per person
- Location: 76 Orange Street, Gardens
Three kitchens, one Bree Street bargain
Bree Street’s biggest names have joined forces for winter, with Burger & Lobster, Maru and Hacienda and Yatai each contributing a single dish at R199. Expect a buttery lobster roll, a crisp Korean fried chicken slider or a bowl of birria ramen, depending on which kitchen you land in. It reads less like a set menu and more like an excuse to restaurant-hop along one street.
- Cost: R199 per dish
- Location: 105 Bree Street, Cape Town City Centre
A wine-soaked two-course wind-down
Down in De Waterkant, Bellagio’s winter special adds a complimentary glass of house wine to a two- or three-course lunch or dinner. The menu moves through comfort dishes like a cheese and leek soufflé, a hearty seafood stew and sticky toffee pudding, and it is available every day of the week.
- Cost: R385 for two courses, R485 for three courses
- Location: 74 Prestwich Street, De Waterkant
Korean barbecue theatre for under R350
Maru trades its usual à la carte format for a single sharing-style set menu this winter, gathering the steakhouse’s highlights onto one table for R349 a head. It is a low-commitment way to try the grill-side theatre Maru is known for, without booking out an entire evening.
- Cost: R349 per person, sharing
- Location: 107 Bree Street, Cape Town City Centre
Sea Point’s grande dame gets cosy
The Sea Point institution leans into every winter comfort dish worth having, with truffle and parmesan cauliflower soup, oxtail ravioli, slow-roasted lamb shank and malva pudding all on the set menu. Diners can choose two or three courses for lunch or dinner, seven days a week, with the Atlantic Seaboard views doing the rest of the work.
- Cost: R450 for two courses, R550 for three courses
- Location: 277 Beach Road, Sea Point
A family-friendly pizza night in Hout Bay
Massimo’s keeps its winter deal simple: 20 percent off pizzas and pasta from Monday to Thursday, plus a kids’ pizza and drink combo for R80. In a season when eating out with children can feel like a logistical exercise, this is one of the more relaxed options on the list.
- Cost: 20% off pizza and pasta, kids’ meal R80
- Location: Oakhurst Farm Park, Hout Bay Main Road, Hout Bay
- Contact: 021 7905648 | [email protected] (no same-day bookings, please book in advance)
- Website: www.massimos.co.za
A vineyard lunch worth the drive to Constantia
At Buitenverwachting, beyond’s four-course winter menu draws on indigenous Western Cape ingredients for a lineup built around warmth and comfort rather than showy plating. It runs from Tuesday to Saturday, with a Sunday lunch added on, and the vineyard setting does a lot of the heavy lifting for a menu that already earns its keep.
- Cost: R690 per person
- Location: Buitenverwachting, Klein Constantia Road, Constantia
The Sunday brunch that eats like a feast
For a proper splurge, The Pot Luck Club’s Sunday brunch stretches to ten sharing courses from chefs Jason Kosmas and Luke Dale-Roberts, plus bottomless bubbly, DIY Bloody Marys and live music. It is a long, indulgent Sunday rather than a quick lunch, best approached with a clear afternoon and no plans after.
- Cost: R1 390 per person
- Location: Silo Top Floor, The Old Biscuit Mill, 373-375 Albert Road, Woodstock
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Picture: Jay Wennington / Unsplash
