Is Regent Road the coolest corner of Cape Town?

A new opening from Natasha Sideris and the Tashas Group, Arlecchino brings a 1970s dolce vita feel to Sea Point, with a menu that moves from breakfast through antipasti, salads, pasta, secondi and desserts. Drinks include the Arlecchino Spritz on tap and the Martini Miniatura, while dessert will tempt you with table-side tiramisu with espresso. The design is polished and ever so theatrical, with the kind of detail Sideris has always brought to her restaurant openings.

16 Regent Road, Sea Point

This five-star boutique hotel from the Kove Collection, set on the corner of Regent Road and Church, has 60 rooms and suites, a rooftop pool for guests, an Urban Spa with a sauna and cold plunge, and Boutique Marly retail on the ground floor. But two venues open to the public make it worth a stop even if you’re not staying the night. Up on the eighth floor, Figo serves Mediterranean flavours with fine sea views, while Scrip- one of the Best Bars in Cape Town – brings a menu brimming with crafted cocktails and polished service. 

1 Church Road, Sea Point

One of Regent Road’s busiest all-day destinations, the indoor market brings together more than 35 food vendors, five bars and a programme of daily live music to make it a great choice for a quick lunch or an extended night out. Kitchens here range widely, from sushi to burgers, tacos to oysters, making it a useful choice for groups with mixed tastes. There are big screens for sport, and regular live music and comedy performances.

30 Regent Road, Sea Point

Time Out Tip: The Mojo Hotel upstairs offers modern rooms at pocket-friendly prices!

Originally opened in June 1976 as Zorba Steak House in Claremont, it moved to Harfield Village in 1982, where it became an institution on Second Avenue. In 2018, it moved again to the Atlantic Seaboard, and it now trades as Brad’s Grill at Qué Linda. While the name and address have changed over the years, the menu hasn’t. Expect a focus on flame-grilled prime cuts of steak, signature sauces and old-school steakhouse vibes. 

39 Regent Road, Sea Point

Whether you’re upping your home décor or looking for gifts, Blink is a worthwhile stop. With a focus on locally made South African goods, you’ll find shelves of ceramics, jewellery, basketry, textiles and homeware. It’s a compact store, but it’s filled with handmade items worth adding to any home. Look out for Wonki Ware, handwoven baskets and locally crafted decorative pieces.

71 Regent Road, Sea Point

Run by siblings Viron and Corina Protoulis, whose family is also behind The Greek Fisherman on the same premises, Kanéla Café is designed for breakfast, coffee, light meals and laptop sessions for the digital nomads that love this corner of the city.  The menu leans towards café classics and wholesome dishes, with plenty of nourishing plant-based options on offer. The the Cosmic Cacao smoothie bowl is a signature everyone loves. It’s also pet-friendly.

78 Regent Road, Sea Point

One of the most popular kitchens at the Time Out Market Cape Town, it’s here on Regent that you’ll find the original outpost of Una Más, a mezcalería and Mexican-inspired neighbourhood eatery that has helped put premium agave spirits on Cape Town’s drinks map. Behind the bar, you’ll find more than 200 tequilas, mezcals and other agave-based bottles. Opened by brothers Gavin and Sean Binder, the kitchen is led by Head Chef Dian Botes, who’s created a menu built for sharing: guacamole with totopos, “street corn” ribs, empanadas, ceviche and masa corn tacos, including Jalisco-style beef birria. Drinks range from mezcal served in clay copitas to sharp, well-made margaritas. There are a few pavement tables outside, but the main action is inside, especially from Thursday into Saturday night.

Shop 2, 77 Regent Road, Sea Point

Smashburgers are having a moment, and if local experts – hello, Will Linley – are anything to go by, some of the best in the city are flying off the flat-top at Brash Burgers. Created by friends Benjamin Fisher and Gabriel Wulfsohn, Brash is a small space brimming with a playful retro diner vibe. We love menus that don’t mess around, and at Brash you’ve got two burger choices: Classic or Mack Daddy. They’re much the same, with two patties, trimmings and a brioche bun, but the Mack Daddy drops the lettuce and adds a secret sauce. Order them solo or with fries. There are just a handful of options for wine, beer and soft drinks. 

90 Regent Road, Sea Point

Not in the mood for Mexican? What about Asian? Three Wise Monkeys has been part of the Regent Road food scene since 2016 and is justifiably famous for its ramen bowls. Fresh noodles are prepared daily, and the menu features five ramen options, each with a choice of protein: chicken, beef brisket, beef fillet, tofu or duck. Beyond the bowls, the restaurant also serves sushi, poke bowls and yakimono in a casual Asian-fusion setting. The buttermilk fried chicken bao with Firecracker mayo is a winner. 

77 Regent Road, Sea Point

Love noodles? Try the best ramen bowls in Cape Town

Another Regent Road classic, this café has built its reputation on specialty coffee. The space is compact and minimalist, best suited to solo coffee stops rather than laptop sessions. Its food offering has expanded over time from pastries and breakfast items to more generous café plates such as wraps, pasta and proper sandwiches, including a few vegan-friendly options. 

85A Regent Road, Sea Point

OK, we know this is officially just outside of our Regent Road boundary, but it’s so good and so close that we just had to include it here too. This cosy corner café is all retro comfort with a side of street bustle. The menu leans firmly into crowd-pleasing territory: the beef-and-mushroom prego rolls are superb, the Big Glizzy hotdog is a must, and nothing sets you right for the morning-after-the-night-before like the Hot Fried Korean Chicken sambo. Pastries and breakfast plates fly out with takeaway coffees from the street hatch; it’s walk-ins only, pet-friendly, and open from early till late.

206 Main Road, Sea Point

Chef Scott Walker’s menu is all about contemporary Greek flavours, with a focus on sharing plates. Start with pita and meze such as fava, tzatziki and tirokafteri, then move on to dolmades, fried halloumi, Greek potatoes, keftedes and spanakopita. Larger plates include lamb kleftiko, Alaskan crab linguine and chargrilled fish, while desserts keep things Greek with loukoumades, portokalopita and grilled nectarines with yoghurt and honey. Note that Kiki’s does not allow children under 12 at dinner.

Piccadilly Court, 85 Regent Road, Sea Point

This ‘modern Italian’ restaurant, from the same restaurateurs behind Jarryd’s, is perhaps best known for its Neapolitan-style pizza, bringing a dollop of New York glamour to the streets of Sea Point. It’s a chic pizza spot, and the aesthetic sets the tone: plush banquettes, an Art Deco bar, and proper stemware for the adventurous wine list. There’s plenty of attention to detail on the menu too, from 00 flour and authentic fior di latte to the signature sweetness of San Marzano tomatoes. Beyond the pizza, you’ll find delicious antipasti plates, generous pasta dishes, and no shortage of cocktails to ease you into the evening.  

90 Regent Road, Sea Point

While their brand-new Constantia outpost has been generating plenty of buzz, the legend that is Kleinsky’s started here on Regent Road more than a decade ago.

After outgrowing its first hole-in-the-wall space, Kleinsky’s moved across the road and expanded into the bakery-deli it is today. The bagels are still made the old way: rolled, slow-fermented, boiled in malted water and then baked. The pastrami is brined, rubbed with a house spice blend and braised for hours. Alongside the bagels, the menu includes breakfasts, noshes, latkes, blintzes, deli sandwiches, baked goods and takeaway counter staples. No reservations: queues are part of the ritual.

92 Regent Road, Sea Point

In a road overflowing with restaurants and bars, you’ll love Son of a Butcher when it’s time to stock up for a picnic or order some proper meat for the braai. This upmarket butchery and deli focuses on free-range and high-end meats, whether you’re in the market for dry-aged beef or Wagyu, Karoo lamb or pasture-raised poultry. Weekend specials often feature larger cuts, such as dry-aged prime rib or Wagyu tomahawk. The deli side covers pantry items, salts and relishes to level up your braai game. 

103 Regent Road, Sea Point

Throw in a small gallery stop on your wander down Regent Road. This boutique gallery focuses on mixed media, contemporary and pop art, featuring works by both emerging and established local artists. It is also home to works by Juanne-Pierre de Abreu, aka JooJ, the Guinness World Record-holding artist famous for his collections of origami butterflies. While Cape Town has no shortage of high-end galleries, the emphasis here is on more accessible contemporary pieces.

3B Clarens Road, Sea Point (around the corner from Regent Road)

For more than a decade, Jarryd’s has been a benchmark for a Sea Point brunch. Now part of the NoName Hospitality Group, it has evolved into a Parisian-inspired bistro and vinyl lounge, but mornings are still the main event. The menu ranges from all-day breakfasts and coffee to pastries, pies and lunch plates. Signatures include eggs Benedict, breakfast bruschetta, shakshuka, huevos rancheros and the bacon-and-egg bun. Get there early to avoid the inevitable weekend queues, and finish off with a walk down the Prom. 

90 Regent Road, Sea Point