Best Hangover Food Cures from Cape Town Restaurants

Our pick of Mother City meals bound to exorcise those morning-after drink demons

Last Updated: 15 February 2017

Everyone’s been there: the hammering headache, the queasy tummy, the shaky hands and the foggy but awful memory of doing something astonishingly stupid the night before. And unfortunately, there’s just not all that much you can do to banish it from your body. Unless, of course, you can muster the strength to pull yourself out from under the bed covers and head out into the far-too-bright outside world in search of something to fill that raging stomach and mop up the dreadful alcohol after-effects.

If this does seem somewhat manageable, then you may want to consult the guide below. In it, we’ve rounded up a pick of top hangover dishes from Cape Town restaurants that’ll help cure the post-booze binging blues, drive out the morning-after demons and nurse you back to feeling some semblance of humanness. Many of these antidote meals are far from healthy, but they’ll definitely make you feel a little better, even if just emotionally.  

BEST HANGOVER FOODS FROM CAPE TOWN RESTAURANTS

The Grillfather
You might be craving a wholesome burger to get your body functioning again. Burger and chips may do the trick and the Grillfather in Mitchell’s Plain has just what you need. The Big Boss beef burger and chips will surely cure you like no medicine can. If you not in the mood for burgers, try their Don Corleone steak (200g sirloin steak served with chips for R55).
Open hours: Tuesday – Thursday: 11am – 8pm; Friday – Saturday: 11am – 10pm

Shop 15a | Westridge Shopping Centre | Mitchell’s Plain | Cape Town | +27 (0)84 319 2573

Masala Steak Full House Gatsby at The Golden Dish
If there’s one sure-fire local hangover remedy, it’s Cape Town’s signature super sandwich, the foot-long Gatsby. And if there’s one place that’s ultra-famous for making these babalas-busting loaves, it’s The Golden Dish takeaway outlet in Athlone. This family-run store makes a mean Masala Steak Full House roll, stacked with steak, egg, chips and cheese and packed with enough oil, grease, salt and sauce to soak up all the symptoms of the old Irish flu. It’s also open until the wee hours of the morning, so you don’t even have to wait for the post-boozing blues to set it; you can get your Gatsby fix while you’re still spinning. The only downside of indulging in this colossal morning-after cure is that while it may alleviate your hangover, all that greasy goodness is still going to leave you feeling sick.
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday: 9am – 3am; Friday – Saturday: 9am – 5am (only open the last Sunday of the month)

Shop 1 | Gatesville Shopping Centre | Cnr. Klipfontein and Hazel roads | Athlone | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 633 7864

Auntie Letitia’s Flapjack Stack at Castella Amare
We have no doubt you’ll be forever grateful to Auntie Letitia, one of the lovely ladies that works in the kitchen at oceanfront Portuguese restaurant Castella Amare, for this indulgent hangover cure. Her delicious flapjack stack comes with banana and crispy bacon rashers and is served dripping with a warm maple syrup and butter mix. The perfect combination of sweet and salty flavours ups those sugar and electrolyte levels and is tasty enough to help even the most hungover of the lot to forget about their jitters and aches. What’s more, the fresh ocean breeze – this charming restaurant perches right on the edge of the water in Melkbosstrand – will help to wash away the nausea and clear the cobwebs from that lethargic brain of yours. If you’re not in the mood for something sweet, Castella Amare does a range of other filling, meaty meals, like lamb lollipops, peri-peri chicken, pizza and espetada.
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 10am – 8pm

47 5th Avenue | Melkbosstrand | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 553 3827

Starlings
While the only way to cure a hangover is to drink in moderation, or avoid getting one altogether, there are a few hangover cures that can ease the head-pounding, body-aching regret we feel the next day and  we might have the answer to that – Starlings. will give you breakfast so pure, so good that you’ll think your mother had made it. The locals at Starlings will serve you two eggs, straight from Hemel en Aarde valley, with toast and a strong cup of coffee to get you sober again.
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 7am – 5pm; Saturday: 8am – 4pm; Sunday: 8am – 2pm

94 Belvedere Road| Claremont| Cape Town | +27 (0)21 671 6875

Electro Juice at Orchard on Long
It may not be your classic, greasy anti-babalas cure, but this nutrient-rich juice from city centre health café Orchard on Long will actually do your body, not just your mental state, some good. The Electro concoction, which contains celery, kale, spinach, apple, ginger, lemon and cayenne pepper, shocks the system back to health by relieving nausea, alkalising the blood and replacing all those electrolytes that were lost to one too many tequilas. Essentially, it’s like liquid gold in a bottle – a fail-safe way to reverse some of that dawn damage. And that’s not an empty promise; owner Tim Spence has done extensive research into the benefits of each ingredient that goes into his juices. While you’re picking up your beverage at this fresh, tastefully adorned Long Street bar, why not also knock back a shot of organic wheatgrass – you’ll have had enough practice taking shooters from the night before, and unlike your standard down-downs, this one actually detoxifies the liver.
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm; Saturday: 9am – 3pm

211 Long Street | City Centre | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 424 3781

Eggs Benedict and a Bloody Mary Cocktail at Arnolds
Sitting slap-bang in the heart of Cape Town’s CBD, long-time Kloof Street institution Arnolds is renowned for dishing up breakfasts that quickly restore hungover people to health, and of all its early-morning items, the mega-indulgent eggs Benedict is the most successful at doing so. Made fresh on site, this delicious alcohol antidote is served with crispy bacon and creamy hollandaise sauce, so it goes down a treat if you’re craving something rich and filling (perhaps not so much if you’re horribly nauseous, though).  Match it with the restaurant’s bloody mary cocktail (if you haven’t heard yet, this tomato juice-based drink is rumoured to be the ultimate hangover elixir), and you should be feeling perkier in no time.
 Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 6:45am – late; Saturday – Sunday: 8am – late

60 Kloof Street | City Centre | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 424 4344

Farm-style Breakfast at Cascades on the Promenade
The best thing about the contemporary bistro at boutique Sea Point hotel Cascades on the Promenade is that it serves its tasty breakfast right up until 4pm, so if you only stumble out of bed after 12pm, you still have plenty of time to nurse the shakes with a good ol’ fry-up. In particular, the eatery, which is found in an old Cape Dutch-style building just a seagull’s flap from the ocean, serves up a winner of a farm-style brekkie: it comes with two fried eggs, salty bacon, Emmental cheese, homemade tomato chilli jam and the remarkable ability to make you feel like your usual self again. Otherwise, if you can’t stomach much and your hangover makes you yearn for those youthful days when mom ran around you and tequila had not yet made its sordid mark on your life, opt for the soft-boiled eggs with rustic bread soldiers and follow this up with a lengthy afternoon nap.
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 8am – late (breakfast served until 4pm)

11 Arthurs Road | Sea Point | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 434 5979

Pinotage Burger at Beyerskloof Wine Farm
They say the best way to conquer the post-binging blues is to have another drink. Thanks to the legendary Pinotage burger at Stellenbosch winery Beyerskloof’s Red Leaf restaurant, you can trick your system into thinking you’re giving it more booze without adding more toxins to your already battered body. This much-talked-about hand-ground patty comes stacked with an onion marmalade that’s been stewed in the rich flavours of the farm’s famed red wine, and it’s accompanied by a pile of hand-cut chips that are thick and tasty and sure to soak up all the extra ethanol that’s still sloshing around your stomach. The whole meal is generously sized and filling, so there’ll be no space left for nausea, jitters and headaches. What’s more, the fresh air and stunning views of rolling vineyards at this Cape Winelands gem will surely help rejuvenate that worn-out soul a little.
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Friday: 9am – 3:30pm; Saturday: 10am – 3pm

R304 | Koelenhof | Stellenbosch | +27 (0)21 865 2685

Fish and Slap Chips at Snoekies or Kalky’s
While it makes more sense to line your stomach with oil before you take a trip on the Cane Train, if you’re looking to nurse your sorry self after the fact with a bit of grease, then you can’t go wrong with some battered hake and chips from one of these two casual takeaway joints. While the original Snoekies sits right at the end of Harbour Road in Hout Bay, Kalky’s is found just metres from the water’s edge in the fishing village of Kalk Bay, and so both give hungover souls who can’t stand to be indoors the opportunity to take their meals outside amidst the refreshing ocean breeze. In each case, the fish is caught fresh from the surrounding seas, the chips are wonderfully thick and absorbent and the price is incredibly reasonable (so, if you spent your life’s savings the night before, this is a fail-safe option). What’s more, all that saltiness is bound to make you lust for a litre of water or two, which is, of course, the ultimate tonic for a bad babalas.
Opening Hours: Snoekies: Monday – Sunday: 10am – 7pm; Kalky’s: Monday – Sunday: 10am – 8pm

Hout Bay Harbour | Harbour Road | Hout Bay | +27 (0)21 790 6677
Kalk Bay Harbour | Main Road | Kalk Bay | +27 (0)21 788 1726

The Uitsmijter at Dutch Haven Bistro
Translated from Dutch, the name for this hearty breakfast option means ‘bouncer’ and that’s precisely what this meal will help you do: bounce back from booze-fuelled idleness to become a somewhat functional human being again. The uitsmijter at charming Durbanville-based eatery Dutch Haven comes laden with all those flavourful things you crave when you awaken with a dry mouth, a pounding headache and no memory of how the evening before played out: white bread, fried eggs, gypsy ham and melted cheese. Plus, for late-risers, it’s served until 5pm! If this doesn’t tickle your poisoned taste buds though, the light and airy restaurant also serves up a number of other Netherlands-inspired dishes that might do the trick, like bitterballen (a round deep-fried snack) and hot chips with ketchup, mayonnaise and chopped onion. Because this laidback gem is located in the Northern Suburbs, it’s a winning option if you happen to live or party on that side of the boerewors curtain.
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 8am – 5pm; Saturday: 9am – 3pm

High Street Shopping Village | Rosenpark | Bella Rosa Street | Durbanville | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 914 6120

The Babalas Breakfast Pita at Mucky Mary’s (The Dog’s Bollocks)
Inspired by the sort of food you’d find at British hangover cafés, this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink breakfast pita at irreverent Cape Town restaurant The Dog’s Bollocks (it’s known as Mucky Mary’s and The Bitch’s Tits during the day) is designed to be the ultimate babalas buster. Boasting, in owner Nigel Wood’s words, “as much grease as possible”, this 30-cm pocket of goodness can be filled with any of up to 20 different ingredients, like eggs, beans, chilli, mushrooms, tomatoes and much more, and it’s dished up until 4pm. It might not be good for your cholesterol levels, but it will be good for your soul. Not to mention, the hipster restaurant, which is essentially a garage transformed into a diner, is also the site of a Deluxe Coffeeworks outlet, so if you’re looking for some quality, artisan java to clear the mind fog and get the brain ticking again, here’s where you can pick it up.
Opening Hours: Mucky Mary’s and The Bitch’s Tits: Monday – Saturday: 7am – 4pm; The Dog’s Bollocks: Monday – Saturday: 5pm – 10pm

6 Roodehek Street | Gardens | Cape Town | +27 (0)83 440 7843

Woodhead Pulled Pork Sandwich at The Taproom
While a beer house might be the last place you feel like venturing after ale stole your dignity and a good portion of your liver the night before, The Taproom eatery at Devil’s Peak Brewing Company in Salt River actually serves up some great fare for countering the after-effects of a colossal blowout. While most famous for its delicious cheese burger, the spacious, polished restaurant also makes a mighty pulled pork sandwich that’s so tasty, it’ll make you forget all about your aches and pains. The dish features a generous portion of slow-cooked tender meat complemented by pickled red onions and coriander cream, and while it’s still hearty and good at mopping up alcohol, it’s not as unhealthy as some of your greasier fast food-style options. What’s more, if you do suddenly get the urge to try beat out those demons with another beer, well, there’s plenty of homemade artisan ale on offer. Do note: The Taproom only opens at midday, so this is the sort of place you roll into in the afternoon after having done some serious sleeping.
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 12pm – 11pm

95 Durham Avenue | Salt River | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 200 5818

Bratwurst and Sauerkraut at Raith Gourmet
The Germans sure know how to drink, so naturally they also craft the kind of food that helps to heal the damages done by a wild night out boozing. Raith Gourmet deli and butchery in Constantia specialises in such fare, and top on the list of babalas-curing options here is the sit-down and takeaway restaurant’s bratwurst, sauerkraut and pretzel roll combination. It’s the perfect balance of meaty, sour and salty, so it’ll satisfy almost every type of craving, and you can rest assured that all the ingredients are quality and carefully sourced, so you’re not putting rubbish into your already abused body. If you’re up to it, you can take a seat at the eatery and enjoy your dish here, or if you’d rather slowly feed yourself from a horizontal position in bed, you can grab a takeaway and go.
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 8am – 6pm

High Constantia Centre | Constantia Main Road | Constantia | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 794 1706
Note: There is also a Raith Gourmet branch at the Gardens Shopping Centre in the city centre.

Penny Lane
You’ll receive an inviting and homely welcome when you pop in at Penny Lane in Wynberg. Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you will be able to have an all day breakfast cure. Their omelette and toast is served with greens that will do the trick in restoring your normality.
Opening Hours: Monday- Thursday: 8am – 4pm; Friday: 8am – 3pm; Saturday: 8am – 12.30pm

4 Penny Lane | Wynberg | Cape Town |  +27 (0)21 762 4315

Disco Fries at Hello Sailor Bistro
If there’s one menu item that the staff at Observatory-based bistro Hello Sailor recommend for a hangover – and this sea-themed eatery gets a lot of hungover individuals coming in – it’s their plate of indulgent Disco Fries. A hefty portion of chips laden in mushroom sauce and baked with two different types of cheeses, this meal just makes everything better. You can add a bit of bacon if you’re a must-eat-meat-after-heavy-night sort of person, or alternatively you can opt for the Ribs that Saved your Marriage. The latter is prepared in a secret sauce and is, apparently, as apt at saving weary partiers from themselves as it is at saving relationships. This trendy spot nestles on Lower Main Road in Obs, so if you live in the Southern Suburbs (students, that’s you) or happen to have thrown name the night before at Stones or Trenchtown, this is the venue to stagger into the next day.
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 8am – 11pm (kitchen closes at 10pm)

86 Lower Main Road | Observatory | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 447 0707

Cowboy Nachos at The Fat Cactus
If you’re keen to tackle the damage done by alcohol head on, these healing nachos at The Fat Cactus restaurant in Mowbray should do the trick. At this vibey but very laidback haunt, the grilled corn tortilla chips come with a number of different topping options: bacon and blue cheese, chilli mince and beans, jalapeño and chorizo sausage or BBQ chicken and chipotle, or alternatively, you can just go for the classic tried-and-tested normal nachos with salsa and guacamole. For those who can’t imagine fitting much in their sensitive stomachs but are still convinced these Tex-Mex treats will do them wonders, there’s also a smaller starter option. When you’re finally feeling right as rain again after gulping down these chips, just remember to practise restraint and stay away from the tequilas and margaritas – these devils are what got you into this mess in the first place.
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 10am – 10:30pm

47 Durban Road | Mowbray | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 685 1920
Note: There are also Fat Cactus branches on Park Road in Gardens and on Albert Road in Woodstock.

A FEW OTHER CLASSIC FAIL-SAFE HANGOVER FOOD OPTIONS:

• R25 breakfast from Spur
• King Steer burger from Steers
• Sparletta Creme Soda from any supermarket
• Rooibos tea with plenty sugar
• Bland white toast with Bovril
• A glass of cold orange juice
• A glass of cold Ginger Beer

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Craving something oil-free and nutritious? Have a look through our overview of healthy restaurants in Cape Town.

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