Eat Like a Local: A Food Tour Through Cape Town
When travelling to a new city, it’s easy to research the best spots and tick them off during your trip. In fact, that’s exactly what we at Hungry Soles help you do with our summaries and lists. However, if you want to get a true taste of the food scene of a place, there is nothing better than a good food tour to whet your appetite.
At the start of our month-long trip to Cape Town (on day two, in fact) we did the City Bowl Tour by Eat Like a Local and it was easily one of the best decisions we made. From the first bite to the last sip, we were blown away by such a great experience.
Not only did we get to enjoy delicious food, we also learned a lot about the history of Cape Town, visited important sites in the city and made some friends along the way (who we met up with for a drink a couple of days later in Camps Bay).
It’s basically a food and walking tour in one so we suggest that you do this as early on in your trip as possible. Rupesh and his team will be happy to help you with recommendations for the rest of your stay.
Here’s everything you need to know about this unmissable experience:
**Disclaimer: This tour was provided to us for free in exchange for a review and some content (photography and videography) for Eat Like a Local to use. Although this is a collaboration, our thoughts in this post are completely genuine and Eat Like a Local do not have a say in what we write in this post**
Eat Like a Local frequently changes the tour to accommodate for group size, dietary restrictions and new openings. Your tour may not be the same as ours.
About the Tour
The City Bowl Food Tour showcases the best of Cape Town’s food scene while giving you a true sense of the city’s spirit.
Duration: Approx. 4-5 hours (9:30 am to 2:30 pm), though this can vary depending on the group size and any dietary requests.
Number of stops: 6-7 (you get to taste 10+ dishes so there is plenty of food)
Price: R2070 (£88 or $110) per person (includes alcohol).
Group Size: Up to 10 people, suitable for children 12 years and older.
Walking Distance: Around 3-4 km – an easy stroll with plenty of food and refreshment stops. Wear some comfy shoes
Availability: Daily tours except Saturday and Sunday.
Contact: +27 82 469 8088 | info@eatlikealocal.co.za
The tour runs in all weather (rain or shine), so pack an umbrella if needed. In summer, bring sunscreen and stay hydrated.
The exact starting location will be sent to you before the tour, but typically, it begins at a coffee shop on Bree Street. We recommend using Uber to get there since parking is limited, and you’ll be sampling alcohol along the way.
Eat Like a Local offers a plant-based food tour, as well as private curated tours for groups of two or more. These private options are perfect for special dietary requirements. If you have specific needs, contact them in advance so they can plan accordingly.
Come Hungry – Seriously!
The tour takes you to 6-7 carefully chosen stops, featuring everything from casual canteen-style dining to more upscale establishments. Here is what we got:
Coffee and breakfast to start the day
Traditional South African dishes tied with a visit to a local spice shop
A lesson on Cape Malay history and food
Modern African flavours
Afternoon tea tasting a variety of cured meats and Fynbos teas and salts
Wine tasting
Sweet treats
And of course … a Braai!
During the tour we explored the following areas:
Bree Street: A buzzing part of the city where we sampled authentic South African cuisine in unique settings, including a cutting-edge art gallery.
Bo-Kaap: Cape Town’s most colourful and culturally rich neighbourhood. here we learned all about the history of the iconic pastel-coloured houses and enjoyed traditional Cape Malay bites.
Greenmarket Square: one of Cape Town’s oldest public spaces
Company’s Garden: A heritage site and home to South Africa’s oldest garden
Heritage Square: The location of the oldest grape-bearing vine in the Southern Hemisphere
Our Experience of the Tour
From start to finish, everything was thoughtfully curated, and every stop felt like a special discovery. We loved how the tour gave us a true sense of Cape Town’s food and culture while also being light-hearted and fun.
The variety of dishes was impressive – we tasted bold spices in the Bo-Kaap, savoured traditional biltong, and finished with a sweet artisanal dessert on Wale Street. The drinks were just as enjoyable, with gin, wine, and a refreshing local beer along the way.
We also appreciated the balance of the tour – it wasn’t rushed, but we were constantly engaged and well-fed. Let’s just say we didn’t need dinner that night!
The day started with a lovely coffee and granola bowl on Bree Street.
At our next stop, we experienced the warmth of home cooking in Bo-Kaap, enjoying dishes made by a local chef in her own courtyard. The highlight? A spiced and syrupy Koesiester, a Sunday morning tradition that reminded us of our own rituals back home – croissants and coffee.
The next stop, and Alice’s favourite was a chocolate one – a shop dedicated to handmade chocolates. Alice was in heaven, savouring not just one chocolate bite but four, as well as a chocolatey drink. This stop was so good that we went back again to stock up on treats for the rest of our trip!
From there, we strolled through the city, learning about the different areas and ended up at the Company’s Garden giving us a chance to digest and admire the city’s natural beauty. Here, we were presented with a generous platter of South African treats, teas made from the local fynbos, and our first alcoholic drink of the day. We experienced local flavours we’d never encountered before, which was a delight
Fynbos = “A small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa”
This experience is exclusive to Eat Like a Local.
Our next stop was to St George’s Mall where we were introduced to Gatsby sandwiches at a local diner. This was a serious local’s secret. There restaurant was quiet when we went (during prayer time) but there were piles and piles of gatsby sandwiched leaving the kitchen for delivery.
Chicken Roti
To digest all of the food we had just eaten, we explored more of Cape Town, wandering through Heritage Square, Green Market Square and visiting Central Methodist Mission, the church famous for it’s signature yellow banners.
With all the cultural bits out of the way, we were taken to a beautiful rooftop for our afternoon wine-tasting experience. With Table Mountain as the backdrop, blue skies and good company, this was a real treat and allowed our stomachs to rest before the final foodie stop.
Our final stop brought us into a vibrant kitchen, bustling with energy and the aromas of fresh food being prepared. It was time for a Braai!
Each dish had a story, and the guides explained the origins of the dishes, helping us connect with the food on a deeper level. Paired with a cold, refreshing local beer, it was the perfect way to round off the day.
By this point, we were thoroughly satisfied, but we couldn’t help wanting more – not because we were hungry, but because everything had been so delicious and thoughtfully prepared. It was such a fun experience, made even better by the company we shared it with over the last five hours. The main things that stood out for us were:
• The warm hospitality from Rupesh and his team.
• The mix of hidden gems and well-loved local spots.
• The chance to learn about Cape Town through its food.
We kept thinking how much some of our foodie friends back home would’ve enjoyed the tour, and we’re already planning to return with a bigger group next time.
Final Words
Cape Town is truly one of the world’s great food cities, and the City Bowl Tasting Experience by Eat Like a Local is the perfect way to explore it. Whether you’re a foodie, a history buff, or just someone looking for a fun and delicious activity, this tour won’t disappoint.
Book your spot early on in your trip, come hungry, and prepare to eat like a local!
Have you experienced the Eat Like a Local food tour in Cape Town or Hermanus? Let us know in the comments below – we’d love to hear your experiences!