The Best Breakfast In Cape Town

Are you looking for the best breakfast in Cape Town? I have your answer.

I’ve been a digital nomad for over 8 years and I love finding new breakfast and brunch spots in the city. There’s just something about that rich coffee aroma and the smell of freshly baked bread that gets me every time. You know what I’m talking about!

But where are the best breakfast spots in Cape Town?

Fear not, my fellow nomad! I’ve searched Cape Town’s breakfast scene for you.

Whether you’re looking for a quick bite to eat, a cafe with a view, or a new weekend hangout, I’ve got you (and your stomach!) covered in this article.

Best Breakfast Spot In Cape Town: Jarryd’s Brunch & Bistro

• Address: 90 Regent Street, Sea Point, Cape Town – the Bree Street branch is permanently closed
• Trading hours: Open daily from 07:30 -22:00
• Price range: R125 for a spinach egg benedict

Jarryd’s is a popular breakfast and brunch spot in Sea Point in the Cape’s city centre. The food is fresh, the coffee is good, it has free Wi-Fi, and it’s fully operational during load shedding.

Myself – and their 21k Instagram followers – definitely vote that Jarryd’s is the best Cape Town breakfast spot, hands down.

They have a “no booking” policy which makes it a bit tricky for digital nomads like us but the store quietens down from 2 p.m. onwards. With a menu bursting with flavours, you won’t have a problem choosing a breakfast or brunch at Jarryd’s.

Best Buttery Breakfast In Cape Town: Butter

• Address: 70 Loop Street, City Bowl, Cape Town
• Trading hours: Tuesday – Friday 08:00 – 15:00; Saturday 09:00 – 15:00; Sunday 09.30 – 14:00; Closed on Mondays
• Price range: R48 for buttery banana bread

This place is one of my favourite spots in the city. Maybe it’s got to do with the psychology behind their yellow colour scheme, or maybe it’s because they’re damn good at what they do – I vote the latter.

Situated on Loop Street, it is the butteriest place in the heart of the Mother City and is an awesome place for digital nomads to work from.

This place always has a happy tune playing in the background and has the most friendly staff on the (butter) block. The coffee is superb and they serve all-day breakfast! Yeah, I’m a real sucker for breakfast at lunchtime, especially on weekends.

The ‘Bowl Me Over‘ breakfast is under R100 and is filled with all the good stuff, like quinoa, kale, feta, tomatoes and poached eggs. It’s definitely become a weekly staple of mine. When I want to treat myself, I go for the Bacon Butter Benedict – a twist of the classic eggs benedict dish.

With its central location, delicious menu, and free Wi-Fi, Butter is a must-visit breakfast spot in Cape Town’s City Bowl area if you’re a working professional.

Best Breakfast Spot With A View: The Yard

• Address: Silo District, V&A Waterfront, South Arm Road, Cape Town
• Trading hours: Monday – Saturday 08:00 – 22:00; Sunday 08:00 – 15:00
• Price range: Omelettes starting from R60

This trendy breakfast spot is an upscale Indian-Mediterranean fusion restaurant, bar, coffee shop and lifestyle retail space. It gets its name from the surrounding dockyards and offers breathtaking views of Cape Town’s harbour.

One of the first things I asked was whether or not The Yard has Wi-Fi and I’m happy to report that they do indeed. This made my life a heck of a lot easier when I needed to upload that urgent business forecast report for my team!

Start your day with ‘The Big Bombay‘ breakfast. It’s kind of like the traditional South African breakfast, but instead of toast and boerewors, you get flat bread and lamb sausage. If you’re not a “big breakfast type of person”, try one of the smoothies or acai bowls instead -they’re light, fresh and not too filling.

The Yard uses Rosetta coffee as their house blend – one of the Cape’s award-winning coffee roasteries. And on Sundays, they serve all-day breakfast!

The Greenest Breakfast Spot In Cape Town: Our Local

• Address: 117 Kloof Street, Cape Town
• Trading hours: Open daily from 08:00 – 16:00
• Price range: R100 for a mushroom toastie

Imagine having breakfast in a botanist’s greenhouse. Sounds pretty cool, right? This is what you can expect from Our Local in Kloof Street in the city centre! Your friends will be “green with envy” when they discover your new favourite breakfast spot in Cape Town.

Breakfast is served until noon and their Shakshuka is one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Since my partner and I both work remotely, we like to stop here for our weekly breakfast dates. We absolutely love the laid-back vibe of Our Local and it has seriously become one of our “local” breakfast spots in Cape Town!

Best Spot For A Quick Breakfast: Origin Coffee

• Address: 28 Hudson Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town
• Trading hours: Monday – Friday 07:00 – 16:00; Saturday 08:00 – 15:00; Sunday 08:00 – 14:00 (kitchen closes 1 hour before closing time)
• Price range: R34 for a croissant

If you’re looking for a quick bite to eat while you hammer away at your keyboard, then Origin Coffee in the trendy De Waterkant area is the best place for you.

Origin Coffee has ample table space and plug points scattered throughout its store, making remote working a breeze. They offer free Wi-Fi but you only have a 1-hour timeframe – after that, you’ll need to hotspot from your phone to continue working.

I won’t recommend going here on a Friday because it’s one of their busiest days and trying to take work calls wasn’t ideal. I much prefer Mondays or Tuesdays if I’m being honest.

The coffee and food are always on point and the staff are super friendly. A real must-try for all working professionals.

The Most Egg-citing Breakfast In Cape Town: Egghead Diner

• Address: 34 Kloof Street, Cape Town
• Trading hours: Monday – Saturday 07:30 – 22:00; Sunday 07:30 – 16:00
• Price range: R90 for blueberry pancakes

This has to be the most egg-citing breakfast and brunch spot in the Cape – no pun intended. And the old-school 70s-styled retro interior and tasty menu are just as good as their Instagram photography, I’ll have you know!

Egghead Diner caters for hungry eaters with a menu that includes classic blueberry pancakes, potato head hashbrowns, eggs benedict, breakfast burritos and grilled cheese toasties. If you’re looking for vegan breakfasts and gluten-free options – they do that too.

Side note: They have Wi-Fi, plug points and a backup generator for when load shedding hits.

Cape Town’s Best Plant-Based Breakfast Spot: Nourish’d Cafe & Juicery

• Address: 177 Kloof Street, Cape Town (also branches in Green Point [2 Hill Road] and Observatory [186 Lower Main Road])
• Trading hours: Open daily from 07:30 – 16:00
• Price range: R78 for a 500ml smoothie

This plant-based eatery is all about sustainability and has three locations scattered around the Mother City. They’re on a mission to create awareness about the climate crisis and have a zero-waste policy at all their stores.

My partner is vegan – and I am not – so I was sceptical about going to a fully plant-based cafe for breakfast. But I’ll have to know that I was pleasantly surprised by a variety of food on the menu that I wasn’t “scared” of trying! That’s also why I included on my list of the best vegan restaurants in the Mother City.

The Smooshy Avo Toast, Citrus Quinoa Porridge and Apple Crumble Oaties were delicious – I mean, I even had to “help” my partner finish her breakfast too!

Side note: It’s a terrific spot to work from as they offer free Wi-Fi for all paying patrons.

Best Pet-Friendly Breakfast Spot: The Ladder

• Address: 136 Bree Street, Cape Town
• Trading hours: Weekdays 07:00 – 16:00; Saturday 08:00 – 14:00; closed on Sundays
• Price range: R55 for scrambled eggs on toast

The Ladder is a daytime eatery in central Cape Town and you can even take your four-legged furry friend along to your next business meeting!

Start your day with a double shot coffee – a standard at The Ladder – and park off at one of their curbside tables. They serve all day breakfast and the bacon, brie and fig baguette is hands down the tastiest thing I’ve eaten in a while!

They have vegan options available and a mean cake selection that’s sure to send anyone’s blood sugar levels through the roof!

Don’t expect waiters to take your order though, as you’ll need to place orders and pay at the counter when you arrive.

You may have to fight your way to a table if you’re looking to do some remote work as this place tends to get really busy from 11 a.m. onwards!

Best Bagel Breakfast In Cape Town: New York Bagels

• Address: 44 Harrington Street, District Six, Cape Town
• Trading hours: Weekdays 07:00 – 16:00; Weekends 07:00 – 14:00
• Price range: Bagel and coffee special for R44

If you’re not a bagel fan, then this breakfast and brunch spot is NOT the place for you. However, if you’re looking for the best bagels in Cape Town, New York Bagels is right up your alley.

After New York Bagels closed its Sea Point store in December 2013, customers were devastated about where to get their next ‘bagel fix’. But thanks to the bagel-loving Gods, they reopened in Harrington Street the following year and have been on a hole-other level ever since.

What’s a bagel without a good smearing of cream cheese, smoked salmon and juicy capers? There’s really nothing much that can top that for me. Okay, I’ll admit, their avo, tomato and black pepper bagel is pretty good too.

New York Bagels has a cream cheese bagel (or chocolate croissant) and coffee special for R44 every day between 07:00 – 10:00. Um, yes, please!

Best Breakfast Spot In Constantia: Chardonnay Deli

• Address: 87 Constantia Main Road, Constantia, Cape Town (find another branch in Kalk Bay [20 Main Rd] and a new Uitsig site opening in November 2023 [Constantia Uitsig Wine Farm, Spaanschemat River Road])
• Trading hours: Open daily from 07:00 – 18:00
• Price range: R120 for a smoothie bowl

This outdoorsy coffee shop is my go-to on most days. Why? Because it has free Wi-Fi, a cosy atmosphere, loads of outdoor space and a menu to die for!

I drink black coffee until noon as I fast for most of the day. But man, when I break my fast, eggs are what I want! Chardonnay Deli’s Green Omelette Caprese is my go-to fast-breaker but every now and then I’ll smash the Raw Energy Bowl before I hit the gym.

The staff even know my favourite outdoor workspace – underneath the oak tree. That’s how great the staff is at this breakfast spot! And they have backup generators for when load-shedding comes to town too.

Best Coffee Shop On Kloof Street: Liquorice And Lime Gourmet Cafe

• Address: 162 Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town
• Trading hours: Weekdays 07:00 – 17:00; Weekends 07:00 – 16:00
• Price range: Omelettes starting from R60

Kloof Street in Cape Town’s CBD has many breakfast and brunch spots and is home to Liquorice And Lime Gourmet Cafe. This trendy, upmarket eatery is a visually appealing store, with its black and white checker block floors, jungle-inspired wallpaper, hanging pendant lights and epic views of Table Mountain!

It has a laid-back, easy-going ambience and is one of my favourite spots in Cape Town to visit. I’ve become a bit of a local here, often working remotely (as they have free Wi-Fi) and the staff know my order by heart – three egg omelette with a black Americano.

Cape Town’s Hidden Gem: The Backyard Café

• Address: 4 Sol Cohen Road, Heathfield, Bergvliet, Cape Town
• Trading hours: Open daily from 07:30 – 16:30
• Price range: R65 for avocado toast

This oasis is tucked away in the lush suburban gardens of Bergvliet, about 5.5 km northeast of Tokai National Park. Backyard Cafe is the perfect place for digital nomads, offering free Wi-Fi for paying patrons. It’s a terrific spot to enjoy a quiet weekday breakfast or brunch, away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

The Backyard Cafe has a variety of meals to choose from and focuses strongly on supporting local farmers and suppliers, therefore the food on the menu is a reflection of the flavours of the region. The ‘Backyard Benny‘ is a popular breakfast choice; similar to an eggs benedict, but served on potato rosti instead – delicious!

FAQs

Where is a good place to go for breakfast or brunch in Cape Town during load-shedding?

Opt for Empire Cafe in Muizenberg when trying to avoid your load-shedding schedule. It offers free Wi-Fi and has a backup generator.

Are there nice breakfast spots in Tamboerskloof Cape Town?

Yes. Blue Café is a great breakfast spot to try in Tamboerskloof. It’s a laid-back, trendy neighbourhood cafe that’s open every day from 07:30 – 22:00.

Does Hudson’s Cape Town serve breakfast?

No. Hudson’s is a famous burger joint found in Claremont, Gardens, Green Point and Muizenburg in the Western Cape. They are only open from 12:00 noon.