The Happy Rooster

Turn the clock back a century, and Muizenberg was one of the Cape’s most fashionable seaside resorts. With grand homes along the so-called Millionaire’s Mile and a lively beachfront culture, famous visitors included everyone from Cecil John Rhodes, who died at Rhodes Cottage in 1902, to Rudyard Kipling, Agatha Christie and George Bernard Shaw.

And now, with Muizenberg’s massive beachfront renovation well underway, it looks like this corner of the city is about to enjoy its next heyday, as visitors flock to the warm waters, gentle surf and an ever-growing menu of cafés and restaurants.

While The Happy Rooster, which opened in late-2025, might be on the ‘wrong’ side of the tracks, across the railway from the beach, it’s worth the short walk to take a seat in this laid-back Portuguese-style restaurant, where trinchado steak and peri-peri chicken are served up at great prices with a side order of knock-out sea views.

The Backstory

15 December 1882 was a big day for Muizenberg. A Friday in Cape Town, and I’d like to think that the good and great of this seaside suburb turned out in numbers to watch the first train huff and chuff its way along the railway line that had finally reached False Bay. Suddenly, this corner of the city’s coastline was easy to reach for day-trippers and holidaymakers, and Muizenberg’s first heyday as a seaside resort was about to begin.

But it would be another 31 years before the grand red-brick train station – that still stands today – was built. With its clock tower designed by a pupil of Sir Herbert Baker, the train station opened in 1913, and remains one of Muizenberg’s most recognisable heritage buildings. It’s also the starting point of the suburb’s Historic Mile, the stretch linking many of Muizenberg and St James’s best-known historic sites.

The train station itself shows the weariness and scars of Cape Town’s struggling Metrorail system, but once you hop out of the train (aim for the #137 from Claremont, arriving just before lunch) and onto the platform, you’re also just steps from one of the city’s best-value Portuguese restaurants, all served with a side order of knock-out views.

The Vibe

Ignore the slightly foreboding feel of the dark staircase that winds up from the platform (on the mountain side of the train station) and delivers you to the door of The Happy Rooster. A warm welcome from the waiters comes standard, and you’ll soon have to make a choice: a table in the main restaurant – soaring arches and sash windows lend a touch of light grandeur that’s marred by the giant TV – or out on the terrace for the best views of Muizenberg beach. It’s a no-brainer, right?

Out on the terrace, you have a choice of high bar-style tables with stools, or the long counter that runs the length of the windows to look directly out over the beach. These lower counter seats are more comfortable, offer the best views, and are ideal if you’re dining solo or as a couple. But because you’re seated in a row, you’ll want one of the larger tables for a group.

The Food

The menu at The Happy Rooster is broadly Portuguese, with a roll call of the usual suspects and perennial crowd-pleasers. As you’ll find at many of the city’s best Portuguese restaurants, the plates are variations on a theme: protein (calamari, steak or chicken) with sauces that range from peri-peri to trinchado to something involving garlic, white wine and more garlic. Chips or rice on the side. And, like they say: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Starters at The Happy Rooster run from peri-peri chicken livers and calamari strips to sirloin cubes seared in a trinchado sauce. New to trinchado? It’s arguably the classic sauce of Afro-Portuguese cooking, made with chilli, tomato, wine and stock, and pairs very well with beef.

It’s arguably the star of the ‘On The Grill’ plates too, where you’ll find it basting sirloin steak and cubes of chicken. But really, if there’s a chicken dish to order here, it’s the classic flame-grilled bird, spatchcocked on the flame and basted with your choice of peri-peri or BBQ (no contest, always peri-peri). A full bird, at R185, is excellent value, and it was perfectly cooked: crispy skin, a good brush of sauce, and juicy inside. Pork ribs and espetada round out the grill section, keeping meat eaters happy.

There’s a large selection of burgers on offer, along with the must-have prego rolls. Like a shaken gin martini at a good hotel bar, this is something of a litmus test for me in a Portuguese restaurant. If you can’t get this basic dish right, you’ve lost me. Happily, The Happy Rooster nails it, with a fresh prego roll and a solid slice of steak (cooked to medium, so for me it could be a little rarer) with fresh lettuce and tomato. At R135, it’s good value too.

Beyond those two staples, the menu ranges through surf and turf combos and seafood pastas (why would you?) and paella (hello, not Portuguese), along with a choice of pizzas to keep the crowds happy. What’s curious here is that their bases (home-made, they say) are brushed with trinchado sauce, rather than classic pomodoro tomato sauce. It could be genius, or it could be a disaster. I’ll have to return to find out.

Desserts are limited, with chocolate brownies, peppermint fridge tart and pastel de nata custard tarts.

The Drinks

A word to the wise… The Happy Rooster does not (as of March 2026) have a liquor licence. So, don’t be like me and settle into your seat, only to have to run down the road for a few cold beers on a Friday afternoon. The wait staff are on the ball though, and are only too happy to rustle up an ice bucket, glasses and a bottle opener to make things easy. Remember that no booze on the bill means a lower percentage tip for the staff, so be sure to tip generously.
Otherwise there's a small selection of soft drinks and milkshakes.

Why Go?

Whether you’re coming for the sea views or the spice, The Happy Rooster ticks all the right boxes for a laid-back lunch or dinner. Terrace seating is far and away the favourite, but in winter perhaps the grand dining room will have its own charm. Throw in a well-priced menu, solid portions and friendly waitstaff and this will definitely become a regular haunt for me, post-surf. 

Time Out Tip

If you really want a counter seat, you might want to book ahead, especially on weekends. The Happy Rooster is right above the northbound platform, and trains run every 20-30 minutes on the Southern Line, so why not take the train and skip the Muizenberg traffic?