Gone are the days in South Africa that if you were a vegetarian the only option you could order was the veg platter.   It  came with the same veg every time – butternut, creamed spinach and a baked potato (usually with a side of sour cream and butter!).  In order to understand the limited veg options – you need to understand that we are a country where a meal without meat and a starch was not a real meal!  Veg on your plate would have been a token amount and would literally be a little decor on the plate!

While we still don’t have many pure vegan restaurants, there are however  some wonderful options for vegetarians in Cape Town, and many restaurants now have at least one fantastic creative vegetarian option.  We are going to add a few restaurants into the listing below that have a good vegetarian option.

Luckily I love salads, veg and cheese.  I also have some wonderful vegetarian friends who have inspired the list below!  They are extremely passionate about sustainability and food purity.  An added plus is that we end up with quite a few vegetarian clients on tours – as such it has forced us to head out and explore Cape Town’s vegetarian options.

Cape Town is a city of creative people and artisans and the creativity is reflected in our restaurants and food options, making this a wonderful city to explore!   Have fun dining in Cape Town.   (Updated 2026 – many of our Vegan Restaurants did not make it through the pandemic.   Lets hope we get a lot more in the future!)

Plant Cafe

Was the city’s first vegan restaurant.  They offer wonderfully gourmet vegan options.   Their original restaurant in the city has closed down and they have a small cafe in Camps Bay now.

The Conscious Kitchen 

Wonderful vegan cafe  in Kloof Street just above the city!  Gorgeous decor, fun, vibes, delicious food made from scratch.   An absolute favourite spot to people watch and to watch the world go by!   Open from 7am.   Fab decor and swings!!   

Harvest Cafe

Have closed their branch in the Bo-Kaap and now only have the Muizenberg shop.     From their facebook: “Our menu has a range of beautifully healthy, vibrant dishes for vegans, vegetarians, banters and meat eaters. Everything is locally sourced with high nutritional value and great quality.”  I loved my recent visit – we had a delicious breakfast – I loved their avo dish, their eggs benedict and their vegan cake!   

Honest Chocolate Cafe

The guys who started Honest Chocolate are artisan bean to bar chocolate producers. There chocolates are not to be missed!  The next step on their journey was the dream to open a chocolate cafe.   They used crowd funding to help raise the funds to make this dream a reality.  We love their cafe.   Head there for a huge range of chocolate treats.  We love the chocolate bunny chow – they take banana bread, scoop out the inside, fill it with melted chocolate and then put a scoop of ice cream on top.  (Note they also have a vegan option of this dish!).   This spot is perfect for chocolate lovers and has quite a few vegan options available.   The chocolate cafe operates during the day.  At night the back courtyard changes into a secret gin bar – that is a magical space.  South Africa is now producing quite a lot of locally produced gins – making this spot a magical place to visit!  64a Wale Street

Hokey Poke

We loved our visit to this spot.   It is small and is literally a hole in the wall in a quiet side street in Cape Town with very little foot traffic!  Poke’s are literally bowls of awesome fresh ingredients that are flavour sensations – they started in Hawaii with thinly sliced fish – usually tuna.   This little spot offers a variety of options including the 3 tofu surprise which works for vegans.

Addis in the Cape

Fantastic option for vegan and vegetarians, as well as gluten free!   Ethiopian food is fun, wholesome and delicious!   Great location in Loop Street in central town – great for dinner!

Chefs Warehouse

Offer a vegetarian and vegan options of small plate dishes that can be shared.  It is owned by top Irish Chef Liam Tomlin (Of Bank Restaurant fame in Sydney Australia).    The Chefs Warehouse is open for lunch & dinner Monday to Saturday.  Find them on Bree Street (Corner of Shortmarket Street).  

Spirit Cafe

Vegan/Vegetarian restaurant.    We loved our visit to try them out!  For lunch you can order from the menu (small number of options) or have the lunch buffet – the options are either 100% vegan or 90% vegan on the lunch buffet.  I cannot rave highly enough about the food – everything that they gave us on our plate (we asked to try everything they had for lunch!) was beyond delicious.   I would highly recommend this spot.  Beautiful delicious food on a vibey square where you can sit under the trees – and added plus were the very lovely people who served us.  A wonderful experience.   The fresh juices were also fantastic!  Location – Constantia Village Shopping Centre in Constantia. (about 20 minutes from central town!)

Thali

Indian Tapas from a top chef!  Owned by renowned top chef Liam Tomlin and Dimo Papachristodolou, with head chef John van Zyl at the helm – Thali offers you a flavour journey of Indian inspired tapas dishes to share.   The concept is similar to the Chefs Warehouse in that they do not take bookings and offer you 8 tapas dishes to share between two people.   They however offer a vegan and vegetarian option as a permanent option on their menu.   I would strongly recommend that you include this one for a dinner while in Cape Town.    Decor – fun and Moroccan inspired with an open plan kitchen where you can watch the chefs at work.  Open for dinner Monday to Sat.   Lunch Tues to Sat. 3 Park Street (just off Kloof Street near the Kloof Lifestyle centre)

Nourish’d

Vegan/Vegetarian.  This is a tiny ojuice/healthy drinks spot that is quirky and fun for people watching.  They describe themselves as “A cafe/ juice bar that brings awareness to sustainability, consciousness and environmental issues.  Serves fresh natural nourishments to the city slickers. “The owner describes herself as “City Hippy trying to save the planet one bamboo straw at a time.”  I love it!   Got to get there soon!  I have driven past it often – it is a hole in the wall spot with loads of character.   This is truly a little hole in the wall spot.   They have a TINY kitchen -but seem to be producing some exciting options!     Address 177 Kloof Street (walk to the side of the building).  Open Mon to Friday 7am to 5pm.  Saturday 9am – 1pm

El Buro – Taqueria

Fabulous taco bar with some delicious vegetarian options and insanely yummy chilly poppers.  Every taco we have ever had has been delicious.  Caters to a younger market as one can come in and have one taco at a time!  Suits a students budget.   They dont take bookings – but tables turn over fast!   Corner Kloof Nek Road and New Church Street (across from The Power & The Glory).   Fun, funky decor and lovely for a snack or light meal.   Monday to Saturday from 12 – 11pm.

Maria’s Greek

Fabulous for vegetarians.   I read on a list that they are a good spot for vegans – but I am not sure on that point!   I will have to check out the menu next time I am there.   It is on my hitlist for a return visit in summer.   They are on a lovely square and it is a great spot to sit outside on a lovely summer evening.   Maria’s is an institution in Cape Town  – they have been going forever and have a strong loyal following!  31 Barnett Street, Dunkley Square.

Maharajah Indian Restaurant

Has been in Cape Town for 40 years!  Their offer Durban Indian dishes – which are a combination of both North and South Indian influenced dishes.   They have a large Vegetarian selection.    Many of my friends rate it is as one of the best for Indian food in the Cape Town.   It is a traditional Indian Restaurant in terms of decor!   Corner 1 Kloof Nek Rd & Woodside Rd, Tamboerskloof

Vintage India, Gardens

I am advised that this one is a great spot for vegetarians.   It is a good old fashioned Indian Restaurant with very traditional old world decor!   10 Hiddingh Village, Cnr Mill street and Hiddingh avenue, Gardens

Seapoint:

Mojo Market

Is a fabulous little food market with a mix of food stands and shops.  30 Regent Road Seapoint – open 10am to 10pm.  Great options here for vegans and vegetarians!   Some of the recommended food stands would be – Hokey Poke, and lots of veg options at the various stands……

Sababa

Offers delicious mediterranean and middle Eastern inspired salads and dishes.   Now more of a take away.  You can take your own dishes and get them to make you dishes for dinner or for when you are having dinner parties.   395 Main Road, St Johns Piazza, SeaPoint.   If one pre-orders they would be able to supply you with vegan options for orders.

Jarryds

Has great vegetarian options.   Awesome for breakfast.  Amazing salads and a really good veg burger.  They do everything with 100% passion.   They weave their Jewish roots of the area into their cuisine offerings.   Magical.  Small.  intimate and oh so local for people watching!  Very fun and vibey!

Nu Health Food Cafe

Nu Health Food Cafes are a chain and that you can find dotted around Cape Town.  They have a broad offering of healthy items that cater for most dietary options and includes a good choice of options for vegetarian/vegan.

Kleinsky’s

Have moved to a fabulous location across the road from where they were before in Seapoint.   They are behind the wonderful revival of Jewish cuisine in Seapoint.   They make their own bagels and schmears.   It is a fabulous spot and has a good selection of vegetarian offerings.   They also have a small branch on Church Square in town.   They are an intimate and a fun local favourite to meet up with friends

Greenpoint:

El Buro

Mexican.  Fun.  Vibey.  Young.  Loud.  Perfect for an evening of fun with the girls!  Quite a few yummy veg options on the menus.  Don’t miss the poppers and caramelized butternut tacos!  (they have a small a spot in Greenpoint and one just above the city)

Giovanni’s Deli 

Is one of Cape Town’s best deli’s.   This is a legendary spot to either come eat or to buy a wide assortment of dishes as a take away.   They make all the food fresh and in small amounts on their property above the store.   This is a small paradise for foodies.  103 Main Road Greenpoint

Woodstock:

The Neighbourhood Goods Market at the Biscuit Mill

This market only opens on a Saturday morning from 9am to 2pm.  It is Cape Town’s oldest artisan food market and is great fun!  We go to eat but also to drink wine/cocktails, meet up with friends to socialize and to shop at the artisan shops and stands.  There are loads of vegetarian options and quite a lot of fun  options for vegans – including fun African dishes!   It is our favourite thing to do on a Saturday morning in Cape Town.   Do not miss out on a visit if you are in Cape Town on a Saturday morning!

Waterfront zone:

The Oranjezicht City Farm Market  (OZFM)

The Oranjezicht City Farm is our only inner city farm growing veg just above the city.  They originally started by having a market on the little farm to sell the veg and in order to attract people to come, they also had a couple of other food stands.   Sadly a busy body used the by-laws to shut the market down and it finally found its new home in the Waterfront precinct.   It is on the edge of the V&A Waterfront complex about a block away from the main mall.   This market only happens on a Saturday morning from 9am to 2pm.   Here you can come and stock up on freshly harvested veg and fruit and stay for a bite or two to eat.   There are lots of veg and some vegan options – fromthe Mushroom stick, vegan desserts, shakshuka eggs.   Plus it is a wonderful place to people watch.   Very buzzy and one of our favourite spots as locals to visit on a Saturday morning!

V&A Waterfront:

Tashas – Wonderful large menu and fantastic salads – this is a good spot for breakfast or lunch.   Note they are very flexible – so if a salad appeals – simply ask them to not add cheese/chicken and replace ingredients.   This spot is very vibey and the food is fantastic and fresh.   Tashas is a chain and can also be found in Constantia.  Location – in the main mall at the V&A Waterfront.

Fine Dining places will all do vegeterian or vegan options if dietary is mentioned on booking.   Our favourites in the Waterfront would be – Coy Restaurant, Pier and Waterside.

 

Constantia:

Tashas Constantia -Wonderful large menu and fantastic salads – this is a good spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner.   Note they are very flexible – so if a salad appeals – simply ask them to not add cheese/chicken and replace ingredients.   This spot is very vibey and the food is fantastic and fresh.   Tashas is a chain and can also be found in Constantia.  Location – Constantia Village Mall in Constantia

Spirit Cafe – Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant in the Constantia Village Shopping Mall in Constantia – LOVE LOVE LOVE THEIR SALADS

Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia – my absolute favourite restaurant in the Cape.    Small plate dishes – simply add your dietary when you book and they will do a vegan/vegeterian option.    Book well in advance – incredible chef.  Beautiful architecture.   Wonderful views of vines – perched on a mountain!

Southern Suburbs:

Maharajah Vegeterian – offshoot of the mothership famous Maharajah located just above the city – this smaller version focuses just on vegetarian curries.   6 Rondebosch Court, Fountain Square, Rondebosch, Cape Town.   Open daily lunch and dinner.  

Vegan Goods Market – NEW – every Saturday at inKhanyisa Waldorf School, 4 Victoria Rd, Plumstead, from 10am to 2pm

Hout Bay

Massimo’s – the legendary pizza spot in Hout Bay has introduced a wonderful seperate vegan menu!!   Thanks to Tracy Orion for letting me know!   She says the vegans are heading there in droves!

Green Vine Eatery – located on the organic Silvermist Wine Estate as you head up the mountain from Hout Bay towards Constantia.   They are harvesting their own organic vegetables from their garden.   There is a focus on freshness and local sourcing.   The menu has both vegetarian and vegan options.

Peninsula:

Lakeside (Near Muizenberg)

Organic Zone – lots of vegan options – including raw vegan almond cheese

Kalk Bay:

The Courtyard Cafe –  wonderful vegan spot with a sea view.  It is carnivore friendly and a great spot to stock up on home made salad dressings, hummus………veg.   Cooking with love and a passionate chef.    Great wine list of vegan wines.  Perfect for a long lunch with your friends.   (They now offer humanely sourced proteins as well for the meat eaters!)

Stellenbosch:

Greengate Eatery – do a wonderful fresh lunch buffet with lots of salads and veg – it is in a hidden courtyard just off Kerk Street.  It will work for vegetarians – doubtful for vegans!  No website – no facebook!   Find them at De Wet Square, corner of Church and Bird Streets, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch.  

Paarl:

Babel at Babylonstoren – Babylonstoren is the most beautiful organic vegetable garden in the Cape.   It is open to the public and is wonderful to explore.   One is welcome to pick anything that is ripe and eat it as one goes.   To get the most from the garden – book the garden tour at 10am.  For their restaurant Babel – the Chefs harvest from the garden each morning.   They do the most amazing salads.     For mains there is always a vegetarian option and a big bowl of freshly made vegetables – including the most delicious roast potatoes on the planet.   I am sure they will make a plan for vegans too!  Or order a feast of salads – they are amazing!