Restaurants with fireplaces in Cape Town

Despite gloomy winter weather, a great meal next to a cosy log fire is enough to coax anyone out of hibernation

Cape Town’s restaurants are not just all about lazy seaside lunches and summer sundowners; with the enticing offer of a roaring log fire, many cosy Mother City eateries come alive during winter too. While it’s always tempting to retreat when it rains, the notion of a hearty, warming meal and a rich glass of red beside a crackling hearth is enough to lure anyone out from under the duvet when the bitter chill rolls in.

To make sure you wring the most out of the cooler weather, we’ve compiled a list of top Cape Town restaurants with fireplaces.

RESTAURANTS IN CENTRAL CAPE TOWN

Societi Bistro 
This homely, upmarket bistro has an inviting fireplace to keep bodies warm on icy winter nights, while the outside garden is perfect for those balmy summer days. The restaurant offers fresh seasonal fare and door-to-door delivery; Societi Bistro excels in service with passion.
Opening times: Monday- Saturday: 12pm - midnight. 
50 Orange Street | Gardens | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 424 2100

Rick's Café Américain
Home to three fireplaces, this Casablanca-inspired eatery offers a selection of comfort food ranging from kudu fillets to snack platters. Expect a vibrant ambience, beer garden and very busy bar – the interior is rich and warm. Read more about our lovely lunch at Rick's Café Américain. 
Opening times: Monday - Saturday: 11am - late.
2 Park Road | Gardens | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 424 1100

Rafiki's Restaurant & Bar
This laid-back restaurant and bar has a glowing fireplace inside and ample heaters on the large open-air balcony. The food menu strikes a balance between bite-sized snacks and main meals, and the spot is most well known for its delicious wood-fired oven pizzas. Boasting six large screens and two well-stocked bars, Rafiki’s is the perfect place to catch a game with friends.  
Opening times: Monday - Sunday: 11am – 2am.
13 Kloof Nek Road | Tamboerskloof | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 426 4731

Bardelli’s (Kloof Street)
Enjoy quality Italian food in this old converted heritage house on Kloof Street while escaping the bitter winter chill. With traditional memorabilia decorating the space’s walls and a comprehensive menu of delicious dishes, this cosy restaurant offers guests an authentic taste of Italy right in the middle of the Mother City. 
Opening Times: Monday – Sunday: 12pm – 10:30pm.
18 Kloof Street | City Centre | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 423 1502 

Aubergine 
Voted one of the San Pellegrino Top 100 restaurants in the world in 2009, Aubergine cultivates an air of timeless elegance with warm yellowwood tables, wooden sash windows and Knysna Blackwood floors. Open-air lunches can be enjoyed on the terrace in summer, while in winter, there is little more pleasant than cosying up next to the eatery’s charming fireplace.
Opening times: Lunch: Wednesday – Friday: 12pm - 2pm (except public holidays); Cinq a Sept (tapas and light meals): Monday – Saturday: 5pm - 7pm; Dinner: Monday – Saturday: 7pm - 10pm.
39 Barnet Street | Gardens | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 465 4909

Beleza
This Tamboerskloof Portuguese-Italian eatery has a retro fireplace to match its vintage look and feel. Based in an enclosed outdoor area that can be surprisingly cosy during even blustery evenings, the hearth is accompanied by flannel blankets and a menu rich with hearty Mediterranean dishes ideal for warming from the inside out. Beleza is, arguably, best known for its outstanding breakfasts, but its lunch and dinner options are just as enticing, and restaurant-goers can flip through the cafe’s racks of meaningfully-sourced vintage clothing while they wait for their meal. 
Opening Times: Tuesday – Sunday: 8:30am – 11pm
Cnr Kloof Nek and Burnside Road | Tamboerskloof |Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 426 0795

Headquarters Restaurant
Or HQ, as it is known, boasts a relaxed yet sophisticated ambience and a daringly simple menu: sirloin, salad and chips (as well as a few desserts) is their only offer. This pointed focus helps to ensure excellence in every dish made. Dine in the brasserie-style restaurant or stop in at the bar and adjacent lounge for a glass of red by the fire. 
Opening times: Monday – Thursday: 12pm - 11pm; Friday: 12pm – 1.30am; Saturday: 12pm – 11.30pm.
Heritage Square | 100 Shortmarket Street | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 424 6373

La Mouette 
This handsome restaurant guarantees oodles of warmth with five fireplaces dotted throughout their three dining rooms. Promising upscale fine dining, this small oasis in Sea Point offers affordable and simply delicious French food, excellent service and a welcoming, warm environment.  
Opening times: Monday – Sunday: 6pm – 10:30pm; Sunday (lunch): 12pm – 3pm.
78 Regent Road | Sea Point | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 433 0856

The Roundhouse 
Cosy in the folds of Table Mountain, this Camps Bay gem offers four different dining experiences. The private dining room promises warmth, romance and luxury; the Somerset Room offers majestic views of the Twelve Apostles range, Clifton and Camps Bay; and the Oval Room boasts an original 18th Century fireplace, lowered roof and exquisite wall panels. During summer, guests can also enjoy a picnic-style spread of freshly-baked breads, salads, charcuterie meats, cheeses and decanters of wine on the outdoor Rumbullion lawns.
Opening times: Lunch: Wednesday – Sunday: 12pm – 2:30pm; Dinner: Tuesday – Saturday: 6pm – 9pm; The Rumbullion Lawns (summer only), Breakfast: Friday – Sunday: 9am – 11:30am; Lunch: Tuesday – Sunday: 12pm – 4pm; Sundowners: Tuesday – Sunday: 4pm – sunset.
Kloof Road | The Glen | Camps Bay | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 438 4347

Mezepoli Meze and Wine Bar
With a focus on social eating and simple Mediterranean cuisine, this Camps Bay-based international tapas bar is a refined spot to stop for full-flavoured food (think Greek delights: souvlaki, dolmades and baklava) and first-class wines. Suspended artistically from the eatery’s ceiling, a small stainless steel fireplace adds warmth to a cool, contemporary environment. Although more aesthetic than functional, this furnace offers an inviting glow and works to complement the restaurant’s weekly winter specials: from May to August 2012 Mezepoli is offering R70 Yiro (Pita) meals on Mondays, 2-for-1 cocktails on Friday evenings, a large meze menu lunch on Sundays for R120 per person, and half-price sushi all day, every day.
Opening times: Monday – Sunday: 12pm – midnight.
The Promenade | Victoria Road | Camps Bay | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 438 1915

Galbi
Nestled on lively Long Street, Galbi marries the unique social concept of a Korean barbeque with a distinctly local flavour. Most prominent on the restaurant’s menu is a range of marinated meat dishes – from game to chicken to beef – which, like in traditional Galbi houses in Korea, are cooked by customers over a blazing grill built into the centre of each table. Paired with this succulent, self-grilled fare is a variety of interesting Asian fusion side dishes, made for sharing in groups. Although not your traditional fireplace, the individual coal-based barbeques – which are all as authentic as it gets, having been shipped over from Korea – along with the steaming grub, are sure to keep customers feeling toasty and content through the cold season. 
Opening times: Monday: 6pm - 10pm; Tuesday - Saturday: 12pm - 10pm.
210 Long Street | City Centre | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 424 3030

Café Extrablatt 
Prolific in Germany, this Deutschland import has put down roots, quite conveniently, just across from the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point. While its airy, spacious brasserie-style ground level is ideal for the Mother City’s warmer weather, its loungy, vibey upstairs smoking space is perfect for fighting off the winter chill while unwinding with a Pilsner Urquell (that’s right, the famous European beer is on tap!) The second level has a sizeable fireplace and plush bucket seating, and overall, Extrablatt claims an eclectic menu that features German mainstays, South African favourites and continental options, as well.  
Opening Times: Monday - Thursday: 8am - 1am; Friday and Saturday: 8am - 2am; Sunday: 9am - 1am.
Exhibition Building | 79 Main Road | Green Point | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 286 0460

 RESTAURANTS IN THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS 

Ashton’s at Greenways
Offering fine fare in a relaxing, sophisticated environment, Ashton’s menu aims to deliver the freshest local ingredients in a range of creative dishes.  Three fireplaces warm up the space’s interior: one in the wood-panelled dining room, one in the cosy lounge and one in the cigar library where guests are encouraged to enjoy a pre-dinner drink or a before-bed nightcap.
Opening times: Monday - Sunday: 7:30am - 11am; 12pm – 3:30pm; 6pm - 10pm.
Greenways Hotel | 1 Torquay Avenue | Bishopscourt | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 761 1792 

La Colombe
Fancy cosying up at one of San Pellegrino’s World’s Best 50 Restaurants? The well-loved, multi-award winning La Colombe offers French fine dining with an Asian twist in the elegant surrounds of Constantia Uitsig. Their 2012 winter menu is available from 16 June to 31 October (dinner) or 15 November (lunch) and offers good value on multi-course meals.
Opening times: Monday - Saturday: 12:30pm - 2pm; 7pm - 8:45pm; Sunday: 12:30pm - 2pm.
Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate | Spaanschemat River Road | Constantia | Cape Town |+ 27 (0) 21 794 2390 

Catharina's Restaurant at Steenberg Estate
Based out in the forests of Constantia, Steenberg Wine Estate is a serene place to visit, and its on-site restaurant is no different. The elegant, contemporary Catharina's offers sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, a lush garden and the estate’s picturesque vineyards. A log fire warms the sophisticated space, where customers can enjoy first-class courses paired with award-winning South African wines. Look out for their three-course set menu winter specials and stop by the bar area before or after dinner for martinis and bubbly.
Opening times: Monday – Sunday: Breakfast: 7am -10am; Lunch: 12pm - 3pm; Dinner: 7:30pm-10pm.
Steenberg Wine Estate | Tokai Road | Constantia | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 713 2222

The Wild Fig Restaurant
Experience country life in a beautifully restored 18th century building. The restaurant was built as an extension to a refurbished Victorian Manor, while the comfortable but stylish bar, Annie’s Arms, is housed in a barn that has been declared a historical monument. Choose from over 50 single malt whiskies here while having a post-dinner Cuban cigar or visit the restaurant for dinner or a lazy Sunday lunch by a roaring fire. 
Opening times: Monday – Sunday: 12pm - 10:30pm
Valkenberg Estate | Mowbray | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 448 0507      

Pastis Brasserie Bar
Visit the charming, brasserie-style Pastis in Groot Constantia to sample classic French cuisine by a gas fireplace or to sip a glass of wine by the wood-fired hearth in the bar. If the food and decidedly European atmosphere – think vintage posters and gingham tablecloths – turns you into a Francophile for the evening, then try their imported French wines and champagnes. For committed locals, there is a large selection of wines from their own Cape vineyards on offer as well.  
Opening times: Monday-Sunday: 8:30am – 10pm.
High Constantia Centre | Constantia Main Road | Constantia | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 794 8334      

Café Verdi
Think laid-back Italian restaurant meets charming English pub. At Wynberg’s Café, Verdi guests can warm themselves by the fire, have a drink at the rich mahogany bar or sit down and enjoy the traditional Italian food. For those in the mood for something to pair with a beer, burgers and bobotie also appear on the menu.  
Opening times: Monday-Saturday: 9am – midnight.
Chelsea Village | Wolfe Street | Wynberg | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 762 0849 

Rhodes Memorial Restaurant
Cape Town’s rain brings out the best of this Mother City landmark; indulge in a meal by the restaurant’s crackling log fire while looking out on the city through the misty trees. The cottage-style eatery serves hearty traditional food, from Cape Malay curries to Lamb bredies, glühwein in winter, and a few innovative specialities from time to time. 
Opening times: Monday - Sunday: 9am - 5pm.
Rhodes Memorial | Rondebosch | Cape Town | +27  (0)21 687 0000

A Touch of Madness
Situated in the heart of bohemian Observatory, this Victorian ‘Quaffery’ is based in an old house that was restored to its former glory in the 1990s. With decor that pays homage to the early 1900s, the setting offers a warm, friendly and relaxed environment, and comprises two dining rooms, a lounge and a pub. Glowing hearths are present in both the lounge and one of the dining rooms.
Opening times:  Tuesday – Saturday: 12pm – midnight; Sunday – Monday: 5pm – midnight.
12 Nuttall Road | Observatory | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 448 2266

RESTAURANTS IN THE NORTHERN SUBURBS

Cassia Restaurant
Just a 20-minute drive from Cape Town city centre this contemporary country restaurant, which rests on the edge of a tranquil pond on Nitida Wine Farm, is an ideal spot for warm winter meals. Enjoy their award-winning wines, diverse, seasonal menu, friendly atmosphere and, of course, their toasty central fireplace.
Opening times: Monday – Saturday: 9am - 10pm; Sunday: 9am - 3pm.
Nitida Wine Estate | Tyger Valley Road | Durbanville | Western Cape | +27 (0)21 976 0640      

Poplars Restaurant
Set on the picturesque D’Aria Wine Estate, Poplars pairs an intimate dining experience with original food offerings in an easy-going yet upmarket setting. Previously an old farmhouse, the pretty eatery comprises three dining spaces and a bar, each with their own fireplace. For warmer days they also have a braai area where, on request, customers can enjoy hormone-free red meats roasted on a spit.
Opening times: Monday to Friday: 12pm - 10pm; Saturday: 9am – 11am; 12pm - 10pm; Sunday: 9am – 11am; 12pm – 4pm.
D’Aria Estate | Racecourse Road | Durbanville | Western Cape |+27 (0)21 975 5736 

De Oude Welgemoed Bistro
Formerly an old stables, this cosy spot has wooden ceilings as well as a wood-burning pizza oven – if the glow from this kiln isn’t warming enough, customers can relax with family or friends next to a burning fire in the bistro or alongside one of the two fireplaces in the à la carte restaurant. Bookings are essential.  
Opening times: Bistro: Monday – Saturday: 4:30pm - 10pm; Restaurant: Monday – Saturday: 7pm – 10pm.
Pandoer Street | Welgemoed | Western Cape |+27 (0)21 913 4962

RESTAURANTS IN THE CAPE PENINSULA

Polana
Watch sheets of rain crash against floor-to-ceiling glass windows while enjoying a glass of red next to the large fireplace in Polana’s cocktail lounge. Sometimes, southern right whales can even be seen placidly passing by. Situated right on the rocks in the Kalk Bay harbour, this is a snug, inviting haunt for meat lovers – free-range beef fillet, rump, sirloin and pork ribs all feature on the menu. The laidback lounge has comfortable leather couches and, on nights when there’s live entertainment on offer, the restaurant stays open until the wee hours of the morning. 
Opening times: Monday – Friday: 4pm - 10pm; Saturday – Sunday (and public holidays): 11am - 10pm.
Kalk Bay Harbour | Kalk Bay | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 788 7162      

Café Roux  
With a charming indoor area that sports a fireplace and a small bar, Café Roux is a relaxed, family-style village restaurant. The menu offers anything from Durban curries and Asian duck salad to burgers and all-day breakfasts. As a quaint Noordhoek neighbourhood eatery, Café Roux is the perfect place to unwind.
Opening times: Monday – Sunday:  8.30am - 5pm.
Noordhoek Farm Village | Cnr Main Road and Village Lane | Noordhoek | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 789 2538

Chapmans Peak Restaurant
The doyenne of outdoor seafood restaurants in Cape Town, Chapmans Peak Restaurant also offers succulent steaks and fresh salads. Bathe in the warmth of the indoor fireplaces on icy days while looking out on splendid scenery, or simply enjoy the paintings of a bygone era that adorn the space’s walls.  
Opening times: Monday – Saturday: 12pm - 10pm; Sunday: 12pm – 9pm.
Chapmans Peak Hotel | Chapmans Peak Drive | Hout Bay | Cape Town |+27 (0)21 790 1036

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Fancy dining by a fire on one of Cape Town’s many scenic wine estates? Check out our listing of restaurants with fireplaces in the Cape Winelands.

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