Cape Town Essentials Food Tour: Explore Traditions, History, and Food Cultures
5.0
264 Ratings
Cape Town
Embark on a captivating food tour in Cape Town, exploring the rich traditions, history, and diverse food cultures. Discover the influence of the Indian Ocean Slave Trade and Apartheid on local cuisine and South African culture. Indulge in delicious food and drink pairings at Bo Kaap Deli, Marcos African Cafe, Cafe Charles, and Fireman’s Arms.
Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • De Waterkant - Beautiful and vibrant colourful houses.
  • Bo-Kaap - Bo Kaap
What's Included
  • Professional local guide expertise.
  • Non-alcoholic options available.
  • Assorted snacks included.
  • Food and drink tastings.
  • Tea and coffee served.
  • Educational history tour.
  • Alcoholic beverages provided.
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Transportation to/from tour.
Additional Information

This excursion provides an in-depth look at the diverse traditions and gastronomy of Cape Town, exploring areas like Bo-Kaap and De Waterkant. Each destination offers a peek into the historical and cultural context of the foods sampled, closely tied to the rich heritage of Cape Town. We explore how the Indian Ocean Slave Trade and Apartheid have been instrumental in shaping local culinary practices and the collective identity of South African culture.

Our signature tour, dubbed ‘The Essentials’ - our inaugural offering :) - is the crowd favorite. It unfolds in the vibrant neighborhood of De Waterkant, rich with history, culture, and everyday local delights. Stops include Bo Kaap Deli, Marcos African Cafe, Cafe Charles & Fireman’s Arms, with four food and beverage pairings.

  • Allergies or dietary requirements bookings please note: This tour is base on our local food and dishes from Cape Town, if you cancel out meat, carbs or alcohol is does change the story and experience.
  • Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Dress code is comfortable, including comfortable walking shoes.
  • A maximum of 10 people per booking.
  • A moderate amount of walking is involved, approximately 2 Km.
  • Dress for comfort.
  • Not wheelchair or stroller accessible.
  • We CAN accommodate no seafood, shellfish and pork allergies/food restrictions.
  • We CAN accommodate gluten free, wheat free, nut, dairy, halal or kosher allergies/food restrictions.
  • Tickets are non-refundable, they are however exchangeable/transferable with a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to tour commencing.
  • Tour runs in slight rain but depending on how extreme, please not the guide will contact you.
  • Cape Town has paid street parking available. We do recommend making use of Uber or Hotel provided services. We do not finish the tour were we start from. 
  • Please make a note on you booking if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, our guides book the food in advance to avoid missing out on any of dishes.
  • Bookings must be made for children of 3 years and older.
Location
Bokaap Deli
Church Street
Our tour meets at Bo Kaap Deli. It is situated in an old blue building on the corner of Rose and Church Street. Our group will be ready to go promptly at 12:00pm, so please do let us know if you happen to be running a couple of minutes late.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(264 Ratings)
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Sabrynnam
May 14, 2024
Cape Town Food Tour - Great experience. The tour was well organized and professional. It allowed us to visit the essential districts of Cape Town including Bo-Kaap. Allows us to fully understand the culinary influences of the West, the East and the African continent. The portions are generous and there are no hidden fees. It allows you to take a complete tour of the kitchen in a few hours and also to discover the oldest pub in Cape Town. Our guide was attentive and even suggested activities according to our interests for the evening. In short, a must to do to discover Cape Town, its culture and its history!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jonathan_m
May 6, 2024
Wonderful Tour! - Interesting history and wonderful sampling of food and drink. It was a great way to spend our first day in Cape Town. The guide was excellent and very helpful with ideas for other activities in Cape Town.
Review provided by Viator
Adrian_k
May 1, 2024
The best tour ever! - We had the most magical day – all the stops were wonderful and Marianne was an amazing guide. Marianne was so friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
Review provided by Viator
Thehowieee
Apr 22, 2024
Food + Walking + History + Meeting Locals - I've previously been to Cape Town twice and was looking to get a different perspective. We made an excellent decision to include a tour with Cape Town Culinary Tours. Our guide, Justin, engaged with everyone on the tour, and there was never a lull during the four stops we made. Each stop was unique, all of the tastings were excellent, and we left the tour wanting nothing more than a small snack for dinner and a glass of wine. While this was a "food tour" it was also very much a history tour -- Justin didn't shy away from any questions fellow guests had. I enthusiastically recommend a tour with Cape Town Culinary Tours for friends/family/clients.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louislh2120yh
Apr 15, 2024
Amazing! Book Now! - We have done countless food tours in our travels and this was one of the absolute best! This was the most interactive and informative tour I ever could have imagined. Justin foraged some plants and fruits for us along our tour giving us an authentic taste of the land. The food stops were all superb with a great variety. Justin’s knowledge was also incredible, there wasn’t a question he couldn’t answer. He had great insight and wonderful stories. I also loved that at a few stops he ate with us, it felt like we were all friends. He also knew EVERYONE at every establishment and his love for his community is palpable. Thank you Justin for the best tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carol_d
Apr 13, 2024
Wonderful Food Tour in Bo Kaap - The venues were well chosen and the food terrific. It also included a walking tour of the area and our guide also gave us a ton of information about the local history. We were given plenty of time to sit and enjoy our food and drinks. One of the best food tours we have been on.
Review provided by Viator
Meganfmantey
Mar 28, 2024
Great food tour! - Great food tour with local flavors and history. Justin was great and went above and beyond. Amazing food and experiences. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deborahservice
Mar 21, 2024
A Fantastic Tour - This was a fantastic tour. Not only was the food great, but Justin, who led the tour was the best. He was not only knowledgeable about the food and restaurants, but equally as important he was so knowledgeable about Cape Town and able to speak from his own experience. He really made this tour one of our best experiences. We also returned to one of the restaurants for a whole meal because it was so good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
668kirstyg
Mar 20, 2024
Tasty culinary adventure in cape Town - Our food tour with Cape Town Culinary Tours was fantastic. We loved tasting the delicious Cape Malay and Dutch foods and learning about the area's history. The street foraging was a fun surprise. Our guide, Justin, was incredibly knowledgeable and made the tour even more enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour to explore Cape Town's culture and cuisine!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elise_h
Apr 30, 2024
Great for first day tour in Cape Town - This was our first day in Cape Town, and we decided to take this tour so we could get to know this area and have some tips of good resturants and places to go. Justin took us to some good places, and we ended up visiting some of these places several times.
Review provided by Viator
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