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Best Cheap Eats in Cape Town for Cape Malay Food, Fish and Chips, and Gatsbys

Current Cape Town cheap-eats guide to Mariam's Kitchen, Biesmiellah, Kalky's, Fish on the Rocks, Eastern Food Bazaar, and more.

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Food

Best Cheap Eats in Cape Town for Cape Malay Food, Fish and Chips, and Gatsbys

Guide: Cape Town Value: Gatsbys, Fish, Pasta, and Cape Malay Plates

A practical value guide spanning Cape Malay cooking, harbour fish and chips, fresh pasta, Greek mezethes, early breakfasts, and family-friendly beach dining across the city.

  • Clarke's Bar & Dining RoomClarke's keeps Bree Street useful from breakfast onward, with burgers on brioche, grilled-cheese-and-tomato-soup lunches, and a bar that works equally well for a quick solo meal.
  • Maria's Greek CaféA Dunkley Square fixture since the 1950s, Maria's is strongest as a shared table of mezethes, spanakopita, grilled halloumi, and chicken souvlaki rather than a formal multicourse outing.
  • Mariam's Kitchen — St Georges MallThis family-run counter is a practical introduction to Cape Town fast food: order a masala steak Gatsby or curry-filled salomie and expect generous portions rather than ceremony.
  • BiesmiellahBiesmiellah anchors a Bo-Kaap food day with denningvleis, bobotie, bredies, and rotis, serving alcohol-free Cape Malay cooking in an unfussy dining room on Wale Street.
  • Eastern Food BazaarThe long canteen links several counters under one roof, making it easy to compare dosa, biryani, kebabs, and bunny chow while keeping a central-city meal firmly inexpensive.
  • Kalky'sInside the working Kalk Bay harbour, Kalky's delivers hake, snoek, calamari, and slap chips on paper-lined plates; queues and gulls are part of the experience.
  • Fish on the RocksAt Hout Bay's harbour edge, this halal kitchen fries hake and snoek to order and adds calamari or prawns without turning the meal into a polished waterfront production.
  • The Cousins TrattoriaThree cousins from Romagna make fresh pasta in a compact CBD room; the signature tagliolini is tossed tableside in a Grana Padano wheel, but simpler plates keep lunch approachable.
  • Arnold'sArnold's is a dependable Kloof Street breakfast stop for eggs, game sausage, French toast, and café staples, with an early start that suits hikers and jet-lagged arrivals.
  • Dunes Beach Restaurant & BarDunes earns its place for practical family dining beside Hout Bay beach: pizzas, grills, seafood, terraces, and a playground make mixed-age groups straightforward.
Dunes Beach Restaurant & Bar official or property pageTime Out Cape Town affordable restaurantsArnold's official or property pageEastern Food Bazaar official or property page

Reviewed by RGuide EditorialVenue details checked

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