One of the great joys of Cape Town is that dining out with children here is genuinely relaxed and enjoyable. South Africans love kids, and most restaurant staff treat them as welcome guests rather than an inconvenience. That said, some places go the extra mile — with dedicated play areas, supervised activity zones, and menus that keep little ones happy while parents actually get to eat in peace.
Here are our top 10 family-friendly restaurants in and around Cape Town, each with something special to offer the whole family.
1. Dunes Beach Restaurant & Bar — Hout Bay
If there’s one restaurant in Cape Town that perfectly captures the spirit of a family day out, it’s Dunes. Perched right on the beach in Hout Bay — the only beachfront restaurant on the Atlantic Seaboard — it offers stunning views of Chapman’s Peak and the Sentinel, and a large children’s playground right next to the terrace. Parents can relax over seafood, burgers, or a sundowner cocktail while the kids play within full view. The menu is kid-friendly, the vibe is relaxed, and the setting is hard to beat. Open from 9am on weekends and from 11am on weekdays.
📍 1 Beach Road, Hout Bay | dunesrestaurant.co.za | 021 790 1876
2. Deer Park Café — Vredehoek
A firm City Bowl favourite, Deer Park Café sits right next to a fully-enclosed public play park in Vredehoek — complete with a big slide, roundabout, swings, and a jungle gym that keeps children entertained for hours. The café itself is lovely: relaxed French-inspired breakfasts, freshly baked cakes, freshly squeezed juices, and a great kids’ menu. You get beautiful views of Table Mountain from the terrace, and the staff are warm and unhurried. This is the kind of neighbourhood café that local parents return to every weekend, and it’s easy to see why.
📍 2 Deer Park Avenue, Vredehoek | deerparkcafe.co.za | Open daily 8am–8pm
3. Clay Café — Hout Bay & other locations
Clay Café is a wonderfully creative concept: a café where children (and adults!) get to choose a ceramic piece from the display and paint it themselves, with trained staff on hand to help. It’s a brilliant activity for a rainy day or a quieter outing, and the food — made from fresh, local ingredients — is genuinely good. Parents sip coffee and eat well while the kids are completely absorbed in their creations. The finished pieces are fired and ready for collection a few days later, making for a lovely keepsake from Cape Town. Multiple locations across the Cape, including Hout Bay.
📍 Multiple Cape Town locations | claycafe.co.za
4. Imhoff Farm — Kommetjie
More than just a restaurant, Imhoff Farm on the Cape Point route is a full family destination. The farm offers animal encounters, camel rides, a Higgeldy Piggeldy farmyard where children can interact with animals, and a large enclosed park right next to the café. The restaurant serves good, honest food — great pizzas, fresh salads, hearty mains — in a relaxed outdoor setting, and the farm stalls and craft shops add to a thoroughly enjoyable day out. It’s about 40 minutes from the City Bowl, so plan it as part of a Cape Point or Noordhoek day trip.
📍 Kommetjie Road, Kommetjie | imhofffarm.co.za
5. Panarottis — Claremont & other locations
A family classic and a firm favourite with children across Cape Town, Panarottis has been getting kids excited about pizza for decades. The Claremont branch has an indoor play area with child-minders, a soft play jungle gym, air hockey, and computer games to keep children happily occupied. Better yet, kids can participate in pizza and waffle-making activities at the table — which is always a hit with little ones. The menu is affordable and familiar, making it a reliable, no-fuss choice for families who want a fun, easy meal without any stress.
📍 Cavendish Square, Claremont (and other Cape Town locations) | panarottis.com
6. Snoekies — Hout Bay
For classic Cape Town fish and chips with a view, Snoekies in Hout Bay is hard to beat. This popular harbour restaurant serves up fresh, no-nonsense seafood in a lively, unpretentious setting with gorgeous harbour views. On the upper level, there’s a large indoor play area with a jungle gym, slides, and a climbing wall — so children can burn off energy while parents enjoy their food at a leisurely pace. It’s the quintessential Cape Town family lunch spot, and the fresh fish here is excellent.
📍 Hout Bay Harbour, Hout Bay | snoekies.co.za
7. The Company’s Garden Restaurant — Cape Town CBD
Tucked inside Cape Town’s oldest and most historic garden, The Company’s Garden Restaurant is a magical spot for families visiting the City Centre. Children are enchanted by the garden’s resident squirrels and birds, which can be fed by hand — a highlight that never gets old. There’s a dedicated play area on site, and the restaurant itself is lovely: well-priced, good quality food in a shaded, atmospheric setting surrounded by 350 years of history. It’s an ideal spot to combine with a morning at the South African Museum or the National Gallery next door.
📍 Queen Victoria Street, Gardens, Cape Town CBD | thecompanysgarden.com
8. Strolla Restaurant & Bar — Sea Point
Located just off Sea Point’s beachfront promenade, Strolla is one of Cape Town’s most thoughtfully designed family restaurants. There’s a fully equipped games room for children — complete with bean bags, a PS4, DSTV with child-friendly movies, colouring books, and a Lego wall — plus a dedicated pizza-making activity where kids don a chef’s hat and apron and make their own pizzas. Parents, meanwhile, can enjoy signature cocktails on the Corona Sunset Deck or tuck into the famous Portuguese steak. It’s open daily from 7am until late, making it a flexible option for any meal.
📍 313 Beach Road, Sea Point | strolla.co.za | Open daily 7am–11pm
9. Driftwood Café — Parklands / Table View
A beloved family spot on the Northern Suburbs side of Cape Town, Driftwood Café is the kind of place where children can properly let loose. There’s an expansive wooden jungle gym, sandpits, a small dam with ducks to feed, and open outdoor space for running around. The menu leans towards pub-style comfort food — hearty, well-priced, and reliably good — and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. It’s particularly popular with families on Sunday afternoons, and the combination of good food and great play space makes it an easy, stress-free outing.
📍 Parklands / Table View area, Cape Town
10. Hey Joe Brewing Company — Franschhoek
If you’re planning a Winelands day trip, Hey Joe in Franschhoek is the family-friendly anchor your outing needs. While this is firmly a craft beer destination for adults — with excellent Belgian-inspired food to match — the children’s play area is large, well-designed, and genuinely fun for kids of all ages. It’s the kind of place where parents can settle in for a long, relaxed afternoon over cold beers and great food while the children entertain themselves happily. Franschhoek is about an hour from Cape Town and well worth a dedicated day out — pair it with a stroll along the village’s main street and you have a perfect family day in the Winelands.
📍 Franschhoek, Cape Winelands | heyjoebrewery.com
A Few Tips for Dining Out with Kids in Cape Town
- Book ahead on weekends — the most popular family spots fill up fast on Saturday and Sunday mornings. A quick call or online booking saves a lot of waiting around with hungry children.
- Lunchtime is often easier than dinner — most family-friendly restaurants are at their most relaxed between midday and 3pm, before the evening rush begins.
- South Africans genuinely love children — don’t be surprised if staff offer to hold a baby or bring a small treat for the kids. It’s that kind of culture, and it’s lovely.
- Most restaurants have high chairs — but it’s always worth asking when you book if you have a toddler or infant.
Looking for more ideas for a family trip to Cape Town? Our Cape Town with Kids guide covers everything from attractions to safety tips, and our play parks and family activities guide rounds up the best outdoor and indoor play spaces across the city. And if you’d like a local guide to show your family around — from penguins at Boulders Beach to the Cape Point lighthouse — browse our tours here.
Have a family-friendly restaurant you’d like us to add to the list? Or need advice on planning a family trip to Cape Town? Drop us a message on WhatsApp at +27 720 643 994 or email discovercapetown360@gmail.com — we’d love to help.
