The 12 best steakhouses in Cape Town

Cape Town’s steakhouse scene may be dominated by a handful of OG establishments boasting decades of experience, but if you prefer your decor fresh and energy high, head to Bree Street’s Iron Steak and Bar. This isn’t your everyday stuffy steakhouse: meals begin with wagyu-flavoured popcorn, and the atmosphere from the vintage-inspired bar spills over into the dining room. The menu reflects this vibrancy with a few unique options, from enormous tomahawks to an impressive range of wagyu cuts. But, really, there’s only one choice… the flagship: an eponymous flat iron steak that’s marbled to perfection, tender, and loaded with flavour.

114 Bree Street, Cape Town City Centre

Somewhat true to its name, Nelson’s Eye is easy to stumble past without noticing. It is, after all, located on the ground floor of an apartment block, on a nondescript suburban City Bowl street, beneath a small neon OPEN sign. But to turn a blind eye to this fabled steak house – with wood-panelled interiors and brash ‘steak it or leave it attitude’ – would be a mistake. It’s been around since the 1960s and, since then, has built a legacy as one of Cape Town’s best steakhouses. First-timers need to look no further than the legendary grain-fed prime cuts – offered on the bone, off the grill, or out of the pan – but the venison loin of the day, or ostrich fillet, are equally worth returning for.

9 Hof St, Gardens

Rare Grill may be small compared to other contenders, but those who bag one of the handful of tables swear there are few better steakhouses in the city. Owner Greg Bax has a long pedigree behind the grill, and puts enormous effort into sourcing great meat. That means AAA-grade South African grain-fed beef, wet-aged for 28 days, and hand-selected by Bax himself. Not sure what to order? The Rare Grill Platter offers a choice of cuts, and is ideal for sharing.

166 2nd Avenue, Kenilworth

If you’ve spent any time upcountry you’ll recognise The Butcher Shop & Grill from its iconic Johannesburg branch where, for over 30 years, it's been one of the city’s go-to grillrooms. The Cape Town branch, in the Atlantic Seaboard suburb of Mouille Point, is smaller but (still, with 250 seats) no less impressive. Meat served here has hung on the carcass for three days, and cuts are aged for up to 40 days. That attention to ageing means diners are encouraged to select their cut, and portion size, from the in-house butchery counter before it’s sent off to the grill. Owner Alan Pick has assembled a truly impressive cellar, offering both pocket-friendly bottles and exclusive vintages.

125 Beach Road, Mouille Point

Patina Steak and Fine Wine in Newlands is a neighbourhood restaurant that skirts dangerously close to the hidden gem cliché. Although there are endless rave reviews online (and a branch on D’Aria Wine Estate) its Newlands outpost is the kind of steakhouse where locals in the know fill the tables. Steaks cover all the classics – from sirloin and fillet, to rib eye and wing rib – but if you’re lucky, they’ll have cuts of their 42-day dry-aged Kalahari wild beef in stock.

33 Dean Street, Newlands Quarter

The Hussar Grill is one of the Cape’s most ubiquitous steakhouse brands, with branches across the city and Cape Winelands. But don’t let that deter you from visiting the original outlet in the leafy suburb of Rondebosch. Hussar Grill Rondebosch, now in its 60^th year, is one of the oldest grill rooms in South Africa, and it still serves up atmosphere and flavour by the forkful. Little wonder it’s fully booked almost every night. The menu is extensive, but you’ll never go wrong with a 300g rump. Corkage is free, so many locals take their own bottle of wine. You should too.

10 Main Rd, Rondebosch

In 2008, Italian chef Giorgio Nava opened an intensely stylish (he is Milanese, after all) meat-centric restaurant in Cape Town’s legal district. Unambiguously called Carne, it was to serve as an outlet for his carnivorous passions. He sources the finest cuts from the country’s best butchers and prepares them to perfection. But Nava also doesn't settle for predictable: mains like the 1.2kg La Fiorentina t-bone or the whisky-flambéed sirloin are legendary in the city. Nava now runs two Carné venues in Cape Town, and you can also sample a pared-down menu at the Time Out Market Cape Town, but the original venue on Keerom Street is still the best place to raise your steak knife for the full experience.

70 Keerom Street, City Centre

The V&A Waterfront’s Belthazar offers slick big-city steakhouse impressions, with dramatic wine cellars and slabs of meat in refrigerators on the restaurant floor set the scene from the get-go. And arguably the culinary experience starts with the wine: Belthazar serves an impressive 250 options by the glass, more than anywhere else in the city, and several hundred more by the bottle. You could almost stop there, but it has a food menu to match. Of course, you’ll find salads, vegetarian options, burgers, and seafood, but hone in on the meat. Belthazar grills some of South Africa’s best grain and grass-fed beef and game meat, prepared as you like and served with slick hospitality. 

Shop 153, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

Don Armando, by the eminent Mastrantonio group, is an Argentine steakhouse at its core but with strong South African influences. More than anything, it’s a bustling, cosy venue, busy most nights of the week, that’s driven by its owner’s love for meat. The menu covers the classics – beef fillet, prime rib, and T-bone – but truly comes alive with its South American influences like Argentinian short rib and The Don, a classic dry-aged Argentinian cut.

20 Cobern Street, De Waterkant

When it comes to franchised steakhouse brands, Cattle Baron is a true success story. There are more than a dozen branches in the Western Cape alone, but its De Waterkant branch is the one to aim for. It’s an elegant venue with a sophisticated bar and comfortable booth seating perfect for uniting around the dinner table. Beef steaks are all wet-aged for 28 days and cut in-house by the chefs. The flambéed chateaubriand is the signature, but also look out for value-driven specials. And with no corkage fee, you’re free to bring along your favourite bottle of wine. 

38 Chiappini St, De Waterkant

Sometimes, the steak craving comes without a desire for fussy settings, pricey wine lists, and pretentious menus. And when that time arrives, a flame-grilled rump and a cold beer from Pirates Steakhouse and Pub will leave you perfectly happy. Pirates has been a Southern Suburbs institution since the 1990s, and doesn’t care much for the posturing of others in this category. Instead, it pays attention to what matters, with more than a dozen cuts on offer alongside crowd favourites including fillet steak rolls. It’s unlovely from the outside, but loyal locals love it.

160 Main Road, Plumstead

If you judge your steakhouses by their devoted local followings, then Brad’s Grill may just be top of the list. The restaurant is approaching its 50^th year, and although it started on the other side of the city it’s since found a new home on the Atlantic Seaboard. Fans followed them there, and new ones joined, giving this a true neighbourhood eatery atmosphere. Many consider Brad’s pepper fillet the restaurant’s best dish, but you’d do just as well with the rib eye or giant 800g tomahawk.

57 Regent Rd, Sea Point