Meat-free Mother City: Cape Town’s 11 best restaurants for vegetarians

This compact vegan spot in the East City focuses on healthy, gluten-free meals, whether for a desk break or to fuel you for city exploring. Falafel wraps are a quick win: go classic with hummus, aubergine, tahini and herbs, or order the chipotle version with red pepper hummus and coriander. For something more substantial, the Inari Tempura warm bowl brings tempura cauliflower on black rice with red cabbage, avo and ponzu dressing. There are salads too, including a Superfood Cleanse, but leave space to end with a vegan Millionaire Shortbread, Bounty, Snickers or a Peanut Cup.

59 Harrington Street, District Six

Natasha Napoli opened Nourish’d on Upper Kloof Street in 2017 with a simple aim: making healthy smoothies people actually want to drink, while championing a strict zero-waste policy. It was a near-instant hit with Cape Town’s vegetarian and vegan eaters, but the word rapidly spread to others in a city tiring of unhealthy fast-food options. Nourish’d has since expanded, expanding the offering and opening new branches in the suburbs of Observatory and Green Point. All restaurants now serve a full menu of healthy meat-free food, whether you’re after an adventurous CBD Peppermint Crisp smoothie or a delicious homemade lentil and beetroot patty burger. You can also buy juice cleanses, tinctures, meal boxes, and zero-waste merchandise on their online store. 

177 Kloof St, Gardens

In the coastal suburb of Three Anchor Bay The Sunshine Food Co is a quirky hole-in-the-wall restaurant that’s built a loyal local following. The menu focuses on wholesome, hearty meals that will leave you smiling—think bunless vegetarian burgers, vegetarian sushi rolls, and wraps. But it’s also perfectly situated for a refreshing smoothie or fresh juice midway through a sunny sojourn on the Sea Point promenade.

6 Main Rd, Sea Point

Zero waste. Ethical and organic. Plant-based. As the name suggests, The Conscious Kitchen in Kloof Street is all about mindful consumption. You’ll find a broad menu for daytime dining that includes bowls, salads, and all-day breakfasts that pair well with the fresh juices and various healthy smoothies. It’s also worth a visit if you find yourself part of Kloof Street’s famous after-dark revelry: their cocktails and snacks fit the same bill as their daytime items and ethos, but make no sacrifices when it comes to flavour or atmosphere.

34 Kloof St, Gardens

Prashad Café is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant serving Indian cuisine from venues in the city centre, Rondebosch and Constantia. Kloof Street is one of the most popular, and despite its inconspicuous location it’s a popular café that will tick the box for those who don’t need meat in their Indian dishes. On the menu are several meat substitute curries, like soya chicken and prawns, but you’ll do just fine with the authentically vegetarian dishes, too. Local favourites made Durban-style are the first dishes to explore here: Prashad makes a superb mixed vegetable ‘bunny chow’, a Durban-style curry wrapped in naan bread. But their vegetable Malabhar, a South Indian dish with mustard seeds, curry leaves and coconut, is also a must-try.

Palmhof Centre, Kloof St, Gardens

Pizzasaurus calls itself a ‘very nice place for vegan pizza’, which just about sums it up. It’s a quirky, welcoming spot in the heart of Cape Town’s East City District. All 15 of their pizzas are wood-fired and dinosaur-themed, with sizes from ‘Medium’ to ‘Dino’. Some, like the T-Rex, feature vegan bacon, but many are veggie through and through. Don’t miss the flagship ‘The Herbivores’ featuring mushroom, mixed peppers, olive, tomato, artichoke, and onion.

103 Harrington Street, Cape Town

Mary-Ann and Mark Shearer were among the first in South Africa to embrace the whole food movement under the banner of Johannesburg’s Mary-Ann’s Wholefood Emporium. More than three decades later, Mary-Ann and Mark are still at it, only now in the Cape. Their health food shop just outside Cape Town also boasts a cosy restaurant selling vegan meals, including light lunches and other food and lifestyle products.

Triangle House, 1st Floor, 1 URTEL Crescent, Somerset Mall Plaza

In the leafy suburb of Constantia, and adjacent to a yoga studio run by the same owner, Spirit Café the epitome of a healthy suburban café. It’s open for sit-down meals (the spinach and feta quiche gets our vote) and quick bites to go (the smoothies make a great post-yoga treat, as do the homemade vegetarian mini-Snickers bars). This is an unfussy, health-centric suburban eatery that will appeal to all tastebuds, but is a particular boon to those who prioritise a gluten, sugar, and meat-free way of life.

Constantia Village Courtyard Center, Constantia Main Rd, Constantia

Tucked behind the Hare Krishna Centre in Rondebosch, this long-running vegetarian café promises “Karma-free food for higher consciousness”. Govinda's is open only on weekends (10.30am – 4pm) and the menu varies, but you can look forward to generous vegetarian and vegan plates that draw on India’s culinary heritage. Think curries, paneer dishes, samosas, pastries, sweets and weekend specials. It’s warm, affordable and community-minded, with a loyal following.

17 St Andrews Road, Rondebosch

The Vegan Butcherie does what it says on the box: selling vegan ‘meats’ that are plant-based and not derived from animals. Still, despite this strict policy, there’s no shying away from the meaty terms you’ll find at traditional butchers: ribs, sausage, and bacon are all regular fixtures in their breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. They’ve spent five years perfecting their vegan recipes, making this an ideal stop for those hankering for a meaty mix without any of the associated guilt. 

13A Dixon St, De Waterkant

For many South Africans ‘seven colours’ refers to the array of plates served to guests and family on Sundays and during special events, especially the bright mixture of vegetables on offer. It’s this concept, and a homage to African cooking, that chef Nolu Dube-Cele has brought to her charming Seven Colours Eatery in the V&A Waterfront’s Battery Park precinct.  Although there is meat on the menu, a plant-based menu features local delicacies like umfino (maize ‘pap’ with leafy greens), isaladi yamazimba (salad with roasted onion, peppers, chickpeas, and sun-dried tomato), and millet salad with zucchini, called uphoko. Pair any of these with a local bread, like amagwinya or amarostile, and you’ll have a winning meat-free and proudly South African dish in your hands.

Battery Park, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront