We visited Africa Cafe by chance on a google search when visitors from overseas wanted a local dining experience and I must say it was an absolute treat! Being local we don't really think about eating African food often but this experience has definitely changed that. The food was absolutely incredible! The atmosphere and decor are perfect for the type of restaurant and the service was great.
Overall I would say this restaurant is a must for locals and visitors to experience.
Absolutely loved the experience and the food!
Decided to make a reservation after seeing all the positive reviews and hearing good things from a friend. I also heard they were fairly accommodating (my friend had been having some difficulty finding vegan-friendly dinner places). We called in the day before and although it was a bit hard to hear over the phone we were assured there would be vegan-friendly options.
Basically the restaurant operates as an all-you-can-eat for approximately R290 a head. They present you with a tasting menu of 16 dishes from across Africa, after which you can order more of your favourites. (Although honestly we were too full to even finish!) They also have several dancers and singers who sang several songs for us near the end of the meal.
Our server, Christopher, was very attentive and explained each dish as he brought it out (he was also careful to specify which dishes my friend could eat). He was also very knowledgeable of the local dessert wines and spirits, bringing out a basketful and explaining each to us after the meal. (Feel like an after-dinner aperitif? R60)
The food was all delicious. We agreed that our favorites were the vetkoeks (a deep fried bread) and the broccoli salad with honey and mayo (light and refreshing). My personal favourites also included the casava bread with cheese and a sweet potato ball rolled in sesame seeds. The chefs were extremely accommodating and made a vegan friendly version of the broccoli salad for my friend and even came to our table to check in on her and and ensure she had enough to eat (not a problem) and was enjoying herself.
We also helped ourselves to some refreshing tropical mocktails for R40 (R60 if you like your booze). The Mala Mala was light and tart (thanks for the recommendation, Christopher).
The only reason this isn't a 5 is because it does give off a bit of a touristy vibe and with three floors, I imagine the service drops a bit during peak season (although our service was 11/10 so I wouldn't be too concerned in that aspect). Regardless I loved the experience and would definitely recommend it to anyone planning a visit to Capetown.
Whew that was long... In short: a bit touristy, but the staff are super accommodating and friendly and the food is delicious and plentiful.
I love this place. Family style meal with interesting flavours. You don't get to pick what you're having but you don't need to. There is so much food you're bound to like something. 😉 The chicken was a bit bland for me (and was oddly chinese) but the curry was delicious. Having papaya as a savoury dish was a treat for me. Live music provided for an authentic feel.
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