The 12 best plates at Time Out Market Cape Town

What to order at a ramen bar? Well, it always pays to start with the classic, and it’s little wonder that the Tonkotsu Ramen from Ramenhead is one of the best-sellers at the Market, come rain or shine. Ramenhead's tonkotsu is built on a long-simmered pork bone broth, boiled hard until it turns rich, milky and full of collagen. It comes topped with sliced pork belly chashu, kikurage mushrooms and beni shoga ginger, served over Tokyo-style noodles made fresh on the only Yamato noodle machine in Africa. It's the best-seller at the Market for a reason: a proper, no-shortcut tonkotsu that would hold its own in Japan.

Under chef Eugene Smith YARD turns out some of the best wood-fired pizza in the city. His humble margherita is a best-seller, but you shouldn’t miss a taste of the Capricciosa. “It’s an Italian favourite, and a classic with a hint of expression,” says Smith. “Spicy Italian salami, Kalamata olives, mushrooms and charred broccoli. It’s a well-balanced pizza that is salty and bitter with the right amount of attitude!”

Zuney Burgers is the new kid on the block at Time Out Market Cape Town, bringing its cult-favourite Wagyu smash burgers to the V&A Waterfront since March 2026. Zuney – which has another branch on Kloof Street, as well as in Johannesburg – has built its name on serving patties of premium Wagyu beef sourced from the owners’ family farms in the Eastern Cape. That farm-to-table approach gives the patties a rich and beefy edge, with the kind of crisp you only get from a proper smash burger. Keep it classic and order the signature OG: a no-fuss, flavour-first burger that lets the quality of the meat do the talking, and the house pickles have the last word! A side of fries is essential, of course: here they are fried in wagyu fat for extra flavour!

First things first: are these the best bao in Cape Town? Quite possibly, with chefs Matt van den Berg and Carla Schulze nailing that balance between fluffy-cloud-of-delicious and just enough texture to hold all those tasty fillings together. Ah, the fillings. The Crayfish Bao in curry aioli is unforgettable, but if that’s too rich for your palate or pocket the How Bao Now  Flaming Chicken is a winner: a generous slice of succulent chicken thigh, perfectly crisp batter, given a hug by the bao and with the flavour-punch of mint, basil and pickled cucumber. And yes, you can choose how hot you like it.

There’s a good reason that this has been on the menu at Barakat from day one. At Barakat chef Anwar Abdullatief is showing diners just how diverse Cape Malay food can be, but he also takes a happy segue into Indian cuisine with his butter chicken curry, served with flaky butter roti and basmati rice. It’s a big hit with Market regulars, but if you’re coming back for a second time, also don’t miss the Masala-grilled tiger prawn in Cape Malay curry sauce, lifted by fresh coriander, lime and sambals.

Sushiya's 10-piece omakase platter of rolls and nigiri changes regularly based on what local fishermen are bringing in, but a typical spread might include salmon, tiger prawn, West Coast chokka, tuna, toro (tuna belly), bream and yellowtail nigiri, alongside spicy yellowtail California rolls and tuna tartare. The rice comes from fourth-generation growers in Ishikawa, the home prefecture of Sushiya’s founding partner Shin Takagi. The rice is aged for two years before cooking! The fish is served at different temperatures: some cold, some room temperature, some blow-torched, and comes with real wasabi from Shizuoka, and hand-trimmed gari (pickled ginger). That seasonality, the quality of the rice and the authenticity of the processes all reflect Sushiya's commitment to traditional Edo-style sushi-making… and why co-founder Peter Tempelhoff calls this platter one of his favourite dishes in Cape Town.

For a dish that delivers big flavour without overcomplicating things, head to Kapoochka for the tandoori chicken tikka. The chicken is marinated in yoghurt, garlic, ginger, Kashmiri chilli, garam masala and a blend of traditional spices, giving it plenty of depth before it even hits the heat. Cooked in classic tandoori style – charred on the outside, with a gently smoky edge and juicy, tender meat within. The yoghurt marinade keeps every bite soft and succulent, while the spice is aimed at crowd-pleasing: warm, fragrant and punchy.

Founded by three restaurateurs with a shared passion for the flavours of Mexico, Una Más opened in Sea Point’s buzzy Main Road in 2022 and fast became the go-to spot for locals in search of Mexican street food and premium mezcal. At the Market you’ll want to start with a plate of totopos – house-made tortilla chips served with guacamole, lime, salsa macha and salsa verde – while you choose a main (or two).

One of the best-sellers at Una Más at Time Out Market Cape Town is the delicious Jalisco-style beef birria taco. The beef is slow-cooked until tender and rich, then tucked into a taco and fried. But the real clincher is the consommé served alongside, made for dunking and dripping and making every mouthful more indulgent.

Salt, olive oil, quality steak. That’s all Time Out Market Cape Town’s Italian maestro needs to conjure up fantastic fillet at CARNE. Giorgio Nava takes the basics seriously, and the fact his fillet steak fairly flies across the counter is a testament to the quality and flavour on offer. Order the fried baby potatoes on the side, and a chocolate fondant to finish. You won’t be sorry.

Chef Callan Austin made a name for himself with remarkable fine-dining in the Stellenbosch winelands, but at Opá! he dials back the formality and ramps up the flavour, with a compact menu that takes its cue from Greek cuisine.

“It’s all about classic Greek flavours and food that you can eat with your hands, but it must be simply delicious!” says Austin.

You might be tempted by the souvlaki or braised lamb shank (pin that one for the winter) but the failsafe order here is the Opá! Gyro. A staple of Greek street food, take your pick between chicken thigh or pulled lamb shoulder. They both come wrapped in a soft pita, drizzled with tzatziki, tahini, harissa and a pomegranate dressing. Delicious!

Wait, what? The bao again? Yup… diners at the Time Out Market Cape Town obviously can’t get enough of How Bao Now, and the kimchi pork brings the bao back for another turn on this list of top-selling dishes. If I had to choose, the richness of the kimchi pork, neatly offset by the kimchi and punchy herbs, makes this bao outing the best in town. Can’t choose? Just get both. 

A single scoop at Unframed is another of the Market’s most popular orders, but then... why just one? I mean, yes, you could just get the one scoop... it’s the best-selling dessert at the Market right now. But then you’ll be struggling to choose a flavour, won’t you? If you love chocolate, how will you decide between the vegan beetroot, chocolate and ginger, or the salted chocolate? To pick just one would be torture. Take two and thank me later.