Hemelhuijs

Hemelhuijs was founded by chef Jacques Erasmus in November 2009, and it has become one of the city centre's best-loved daytime restaurants. It sits on Waterkant Street, on the edge of the city centre near De Waterkant, and its name, roughly meaning house of heaven in Dutch and Afrikaans, suits the elegant dining room the restaurant describes.

The kitchen serves breakfast and lunch, and the menu is published as a PDF on the website, so it is worth checking before you go to see what is currently being served. It works as well for a mid-morning coffee as for a full meal, and the daytime-only format gives it a calm, unhurried feel.

The restaurant opens Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00 and on Saturday from 09:00 to 15:00. As a daytime venue it is busiest at lunchtime on weekdays, when office workers from the city centre fill the tables, so a late breakfast or early lunch is usually calmer. Booking is a good idea for lunch, especially for groups, and can be arranged by phone or email.

Hemelhuijs suits couples, friends meeting for a long lunch and solo travellers looking for a calm room. The atmosphere is refined but relaxed, and the setting works well for a celebration or a treat at the start or end of a trip. Allow an hour for breakfast and longer for lunch.

Waterkant Street is a short walk from Greenmarket Square, Bree Street and the restaurants of De Waterkant, and the V&A Waterfront is a short taxi ride away. The surrounding streets have galleries, design shops and other cafés, so Hemelhuijs fits easily into a day exploring the western side of the city centre or the Bo-Kaap on foot.

Because Hemelhuijs closes in the afternoon, plan it as a breakfast or lunch stop rather than an evening option. It pairs well with a morning of sightseeing in the city centre, such as a walk through Greenmarket Square, the Company's Garden and the Bo-Kaap, followed by a long lunch here before an afternoon at the V&A Waterfront. On Saturdays it closes an hour earlier, at 15:00, so arrive in good time. Its central location also makes it a convenient meeting point for friends staying in different parts of the city.