Food & drink · Cape Town City Bowl

Biesmiellah Restaurant, Bo-Kaap

Tucked into the cobblestoned streets of Bo-Kaap on Upper Wale Street, Biesmiellah has been feeding Cape Town the real Cape Malay canon — bobotie, denningvleis, bredie, fragrant curries — for decades. It is a family-run, no-alcohol institution where the food does all the talking.

What Cape Malay Cuisine Actually Is

Cape Malay cooking is an entirely unique fusion built on a spice vocabulary that arrived in the Cape from Southeast Asia centuries ago — cardamom, turmeric, coriander, star anise, and tamarind layered into slow-cooked stews and rice dishes that are simultaneously sweet, sour, and warmly spiced. It is unlike anything else in South Africa.

Bobotie — spiced minced meat baked under a savoury egg custard — is the dish most visitors try first, but the denningvleis (a tamarind-braised lamb) and the daily bredie (a slow-cooked vegetable and meat stew) are equally essential. Order a roti on the side and use it to mop everything up.

The Bo-Kaap Setting

Bo-Kaap itself is one of the City Bowl's most visually arresting neighbourhoods — its terraced streets of cobblestones lined with candy-coloured houses in cobalt, lime, yellow, and rose, climbing the lower slopes of Signal Hill above the CBD. The neighbourhood is the historic home of Cape Town's Cape Malay community and is walking distance from the city centre.

After lunch at Biesmiellah, wander Chiappini Street and Wale Street for the best of the colourful architecture, and stop into the Bo-Kaap Museum on Wale Street for a compact but illuminating look at the neighbourhood's history and the Cape Malay cultural heritage.

Other Neighbourhood Eats

Bo-Kaap Kombuis on Wale Street is the other cornerstone of authentic Cape Malay dining in the area, with a terrace and set menus that work well for groups. Noon Gun Tearoom on Longmarket Street is the most casual and affordable option, serving bobotie and koeksisters from around R130–180 per main.

For a more personal experience, Faeeza's Home Kitchen in Bo-Kaap feels genuinely like eating in someone's home — rich, spiced curries and freshly made samoosas served with warmth that makes the food taste even better. It is a small operation, so call ahead.

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