Mining Indaba 2026: How to experience Cape Town

With a clutch of awards for both its innovative cuisine and commitment to sustainability, FYN offers a thoroughly contemporary fine dining experience in a beautifully eye-catching loft-style space boasting city and mountain views. But your eyes will be fixed firmly on your plate here, as you taste your way through a menu inspired by a unique fusion of South African ingredients and Japanese flavours and techniques. Cape Malay-style trout, prawns cooked in kelp and guinea fowl wontons are among the creations you can expect to find on the kaiseki set menus. Non-carnivores need not worry – pescatarian and plant-based menus are also available.

37 Parliament St, CBD, Cape Town, 8001

The valley where South Africa’s wine industry first took root, located just 20 minutes’ drive from the city centre.

It’s the most convenient Winelands destination if you’re short on time, but can also be woven into your travels in and around Cape Town. The Valley is home to some of the most storied brands in South African wine, alongside boutique cellars fast making a name for themselves. Stop in at Klein Constantia for a taste of the iconic Vin de Constance, then soak up the history of Groot Constantia where you’ll find heritage buildings and some lovely vineyard walks.

Chefs Warehouse on Beau Constantia combines stellar small-plate fine dining with vineyard views, while Constantia Glen turns out remarkable cool-climate reds. Uitsig does the same for Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, while Steenberg Farm is an all-in-one destination offering fine food, award-winning wines – don’t miss the Cap Classique sparkling wine – and a boutique hotel on a golf estate.

The Time Out Market is a unique global concept that aims to celebrate the authentic flavours, foods and chefs of a city under a single roof. What began in 2014 with Time Out Market Lisbon has become a global phenomenon, and in 2023 Cape Town became the first city in Africa to host a Time Out Market.

Located in a renovated historic building in Cape Town’s popular V&A Waterfront precinct, Time Out Market Cape Town brings together more than a dozen of the city’s top chefs, serving up a diverse menu of dishes that find inspiration both in Africa and beyond. Alongside the food, a dedicated wine bar showcases the acclaimed New World wines of South Africa, while a trio of bars serves up everything from local craft beers and artisan spirits to signature Time Out Market cocktails.

It’s a vibrant space of communal tables – with plenty of outdoor seating dishing up amazing mountain and harbour views – with an easy ordering and collection system.

Table Mountain has long defined this corner of South Africa, from the early San people’s reverence of ‘Hoerikwaggo’ (the ‘mountain in the sea’) to modern-day locals who’ll use it to give you driving directions. There are myriad hiking routes to explore or there’s the option to ride the scenic aerial cableway and be whisked to the top in a few minutes. 

The views are spectacular, with panoramic vistas over city and ocean. At the top you’ll find a choice of easy paths to explore – including an easy five-kilometre round-trip walk to the true summit at Maclear's Beacon – and longer hikes to the ‘Back Table’ – but be warned that cloud cover (known locally as the tablecloth) can swoop in suddenly and obscure the panorama completely.

Ongetem – Afrikaans for 'untamed' – is the latest outing from celebrated chef Bertus Basson, who goes back to basics in delivering a menu that leans into flavour-forward fire-cooked fare, with the occasional flourish. There’s a superb burger and whole-grilled chicken, but you’ll also find more refined options: ricotta gnudi, or pork neck blanquette. Long-time fans of Basson’s cooking will applaud the return of the Grand Marnier soufflé he made famous at Overture restaurant in the Stellenbosch Winelands. To drink? There’s an excellent choice of Cape wines with a focus on boutique and lesser-known cellars. Usually with prices to match, but look closely and you’ll find some bargains. Although set within a hotel, it's fast attracting a local crowd who flock here for an urban taste of Basson's fine cooking.

Canopy by Hilton, 24 Park Rd, Gardens

Billed as the world’s largest collection of contemporary works from the African continent, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa features works from across the diaspora. London-based architect Thomas Heatherwick outdid himself in converting an abandoned grain silo into striking gallery spaces.

The works speak for themselves, and across a roster of rotating exhibitions you’ll discover the depth and breadth of African creativity. Arts aside, the central atrium is magnificent. If it's your birthday, you get free entry!

Gourmands wept when Luke Dale Roberts announced in 2021 that he was closing The Test Kitchen, his groundbreaking fine-dining destination that put Cape Town on the global map for well-heeled foodies. But at Salon there’s an echo of The Test Kitchen’s glory days, with a menu of layered, adventurous and creative cooking that takes its cue from Dale Roberts’ career in kitchens across the world. That globetrotting inspiration is blended with the talent of Executive Development Chef Carla Schulze, and together the pair have created a remarkable dining experience in an intimate, yet glamorous, space in Woodstock’s Old Biscuit Mill precinct.

Choose between the shorter Explorer menu, or the full eight-course (with other surprises thrown in) Global tasting menu, where dishes roam widely and change regularly. While Salon was originally inspired by Dale Roberts' travels, the menu has since evolved to focus on produce and seasonality, all while blending in global influences and ingredients that inspire Luke and Carla. The experience begins with a selection of thoroughly inventive snacks, before rolling seamlessly through the courses. Across the menu it’s playful, creative cuisine that’s less experimental than The Test Kitchen once was, but all the more enjoyable for it. The recent addition of tableside service for selected courses adds a gentle dose of culinary theatre. Signature cocktails, expert wine pairings – or let the sommelier help you choose from the superb winelist – make Salon one of the city’s most remarkable culinary experiences.

Turn the adrenaline dial right up on a scenic flight around the peninsula, taking in scenic panoramas and ocean vistas from above.

For the best views of this beautiful city. Helicopter tours take off regularly from the recently expanded heliport on the edge of the V&A Waterfront: the shortest flips (15 minutes) dash to Camps Bay and back for a taster, while the longer journeys head as far south as Cape Point for an epic discovery of the entire peninsula.

Hidden in the forests above the Constantia winelands, La Colombe – 'the dove' – is widely hailed as one of the world’s best restaurants. This is a destination, not merely dinner, so set aside some time for the extensive Chef’s Menu (there’s also a vegetarian option and a reduced menu at lunch) that combines flavours and textures from Asia, Latin America, Europe and Africa into an experience gloriously playful, interactive, and creative at every turn. The hours slip by as talented chefs send a wonderland of dishes across the table, while inspired pairings – from cocktails and craft beer to boutique wineries – make this optional extra worth the spend. 

Silvermist Estate, Constantia Nek, Cape Town

Cape Town’s dramatic scenery offers the perfect backdrop for a round of golf, whether you’re teeing up on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean for memorable city views across Table Bay, or wandering fairways framed by the peaks of the Table Mountain National Park. Some are approachable nine-hole tracks, while others are championship layouts that will challenge even low-handicappers. Most golf courses in Cape Town are run as private clubs, but warmly welcome visitors. Club and golf cart rentals are available at all courses, via the pro-shop, which also handles bookings. Some courses allow online bookings.

Cape Town’s friendly nature means that you’ll be welcomed to join a four-ball, or follow it up with a few rounds in the vibrant ‘19^th Hole’ at each course. Where to begin? Pack your bags – and perhaps a few extra balls – and tee up for the Time Out guide to the best golf courses in Cape Town, which you can read by clicking the button below.

You’ll want to smarten up a little before booking a table at this classy hotel bar. Set on the sixth floor of The Silo Hotel – itself perched atop the world-class Zeitz MOCAA art museum in the V&A Waterfront’s Silo District – The Willaston Bar offers dazzling city views in a deeply elegant setting. Sink into barstools of soft Italian leather and ask the bar staff to pick something for you, or to mix up a surprise. They shake up a fine martini here, but the wine list is equally worth exploring, with an excellent selection of local and international estates.