Bo-Kaap Kombuis

Bo-Kaap Kombuis sits near the top of the Bo-Kaap on August Street, in the Schotsche Kloof area, and its name means Bo-Kaap kitchen in Afrikaans. It is run by owners Yusuf and Nazli, who were born and raised in the neighbourhood, and it has become one of the best-known places in the city to try Cape Malay home cooking in the community where it developed.

Cape Malay food grew out of the culinary traditions of enslaved and exiled people brought to the Cape from South and Southeast Asia, blended with local ingredients and Dutch influences. The menu here reflects that heritage. Look out for bobotie, the spiced baked mince dish with an egg custard topping, tamatie bredie, a slow-cooked tomato and lamb stew, butter bean curry, denningvleis, a sweet and sour lamb dish, and butter chicken served with roti and sambals.

If you are new to the cuisine, the tasting platters and savoury platter are the easiest way to try several dishes at once. Portions are generous and the cooking is homely rather than refined, which is exactly the point. The dining room looks straight across the city to Table Mountain, and the view is especially good in the late afternoon.

The restaurant opens for lunch from 12:00 to 16:00 and dinner from 18:00 to 21:30 from Tuesday to Saturday, and for lunch from 12:00 to 15:00 on Sunday. It is closed on Monday. Book by phone, particularly for weekend lunches and dinners, and ask for a table with a view.

Bo-Kaap Kombuis suits families, couples and groups, and it works well at the end of a walk through the Bo-Kaap, although the last streets up the hill are steep, so many people prefer to take a taxi. Combine a meal here with a visit to the Bo-Kaap Museum on Wale Street and a stroll among the coloured houses lower down, and be respectful of residents, as this is a living neighbourhood.

Cape Malay cooking tends to be fragrant rather than fiercely hot, built on warm spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and turmeric, so it suits most palates. Ask the staff for recommendations if you are unsure what to order.