Finding a good breakfast in Cape Town is easy. Choosing one is the hard part.
We spent our mornings eating across Sea Point and Green Point, and these are the five we’d go back to. Below you’ll find what we ate, what other people keep ordering, when each place opens and what to expect at the door. All prices are in South African rand.
Short on time? Start here
Pancakes and banana bread: Butter
A bit of everything: The Strangers Club
A big menu and good coffee: JARRYDS
Relaxed, all day, dogs welcome: Maggy Lou’s
Coffee and a pastry: Pauline’s
Four of the five are open on a Sunday. The Strangers Club is closed, so plan around it.
Spot | Mon to Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|
JARRYDS | 7am to 4pm | 7am to 4pm | 7am to 4pm |
Butter | 8am to 3pm | 9am to 3pm | 9am to 3pm |
The Strangers Club | 9am to 4pm | 9am to 2pm | Closed |
Maggy Lou’s | 8am to 10pm | 8am to 10pm | 8am to 10pm |
Pauline’s (Sea Point) | 7am to 4pm | 8am to 3pm | 8am to 2pm |
Hours come from each venue’s own site or listing and can change. Butter’s Sunday start and Maggy Lou’s closing time differ between listings, so check before a late visit.
1. JARRYDS, Sea Point
Best for: A big breakfast menu and good coffee.
The dining room at JARRYDS, under striped awnings.
JARRYDS has built a loyal following in Sea Point, and the menu shows why. The all-day list runs from eggs Benedict and breakfast bruschetta to salmon rosti, shakshuka and Turkish eggs, plus salads, sandwiches and heavier lunch plates. It’s hard to settle on one thing.
We tried the pizza on our visit and really enjoyed it. Reviewers also mention generous portions, good coffee and friendly service.
Shakshuka, flatbread and a toasted sandwich at JARRYDS.
What to know before you go
Location: 90 Regent Road, Sea Point. See hotels nearby.
Price: Mid-range. Budget around R150 to R300 per person.
Opening hours: Daily, 7am to 4pm.
Good to know: Seating is first come, first served from 7:30am. Expect a wait on busy weekend mornings, so arrive early.
2. Butter, Sea Point
Best for: Pancakes, banana bread and a relaxed breakfast.
Butter’s blueberry pancakes.
If you order one thing at Butter, make it the blueberry pancakes: buttermilk flapjacks with homemade blueberry coulis and crème fraîche.
Get a slice of the banana bread too. It’s homemade, served thick and generously buttered. Both are worth making room for.
Other popular orders include the ricotta scramble, the Butter Benedict and the homemade hash browns. There’s also a courtyard at the back for good weather.
Our table at Butter: pancakes with eggs and bacon, a wrap and a brioche sandwich.
Butter has a second branch on Loop Street in the city centre. The details below are for the Sea Point one.
What to know before you go
Location: 146 Main Road, Sea Point. See hotels nearby.
Price: Around R100 to R200 per person. At the time of writing, the banana bread is R64 and the signature flapjacks are R95.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm. Weekends, 9am to 3pm.
Good to know: It fills up towards late morning, so go earlier for a quieter breakfast. There’s outdoor seating.
3. The Strangers Club, Green Point
Best for: A proper breakfast spread and a little shopping afterwards.
The veranda at The Strangers Club.
The Strangers Club is a café and concept store in a historic Green Point building. The breakfast menu comes with a shop of local design, art and lifestyle pieces to browse afterwards.
We ordered one of everything from the breakfast menu, and it was all good. If you can’t decide, visitors keep mentioning the French toast, scrambled eggs, breakfast sandwiches and exotic mushroom toast.
The menu leans on seasonal ingredients from Western Cape suppliers, so some dishes change with what’s available.
Poached eggs, bacon, roasted tomato, chard, avocado and sourdough.
What to know before you go
Location: 1 Braemar Road, Green Point. See hotels nearby.
Price: Allow around R150 to R250 per person.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. Saturday, 9am to 2pm. Closed on Sundays.
Good to know: Weekday breakfast is served until 11:45am, and Saturday breakfast runs all day. You can book a table on Dineplan. Visitors report waits of 25 to 30 minutes for food at busy times, and no changes to dishes, so don’t come in a rush and read the menu before you order.
4. Maggy Lou’s, Sea Point
Best for: All-day brunch, comfort food and a dog-friendly café.
Lunch at Maggy Lou’s.
Maggy Lou’s is an all-day café on Sea Point’s Main Road, so you don’t have to worry about arriving too late for breakfast. It’s relaxed, retro in its interiors and dogs are welcome.
We had the burger on our visit, and it really delivered.
Dishes that come up often in recommendations include the Turkish eggs, the prego steak roll and the fried chicken sandwich.
Order at the bar, then pick a table.
What to know before you go
Location: 206 Main Road, Sea Point. See hotels nearby.
Price: Around R100 to R200 per person.
Opening hours: Daily, 8am to 10pm.
Good to know: You order at the counter and the food comes to your table. It’s walk-ins only, with no bookings. Weekends are busy, but tables turn over fairly quickly.
5. Pauline’s, Sea Point
Best for: Fresh pastries and really good coffee.
Pauline’s from the street.
Pauline’s is a neighbourhood coffee shop and bakery with a short menu. We’d make a special trip for one thing: the cardamom bun.
Seriously, try it. It’s one of the most recommended items in reviews, alongside the cinnamon bun. People also order the smashed avocado toast and scrambled eggs on toasted sourdough.
The coffee is the other reason to stop. Flat white or something cold, it’s a good place to pick up a coffee and a pastry before you head out to explore Sea Point.
Scrambled eggs, avocado, bacon, a pastry and two hot chocolates at Pauline’s.
What to know before you go
Location: 277 Main Road, Sea Point. See hotels nearby. There are also branches in Green Point and on Park Road.
Price: Around R100 to R200 per person.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm. Saturday, 8am to 3pm. Sunday, 8am to 2pm.
Good to know: Seating is limited, so tables are hard to find at busy times. Go early if the cardamom bun is the plan. It’s close to the Sea Point Promenade, which makes it a good stop before a walk.
Where to stay for these breakfasts
Four of the five are in Sea Point, so stay there and you can walk to most of them. Here are three options at different budgets.
The Winchester Hotel (still widely listed as Winchester Mansions): On the Sea Point Promenade, with 76 rooms. This is the top of the range. Its listing showed rooms from R3,350 a night for two when we checked in November 2026.
Protea Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Sea Point on Arthur’s Road: A block or two from the Promenade, with a pool and a restaurant. A conventional hotel stay.
Atlantic Point Backpackers at 2 Cavalcade Road, Green Point: The budget pick. Cape Town Magazine lists dorm beds from about R245 a night and double rooms from about R960, with breakfast and Wi-Fi included. The Promenade is a short walk away.
Want more choice? Browse stays in Sea Point on Booking.com.
What to do after breakfast
Walk the Sea Point Promenade. It’s free, about 7 km long and open around the clock, though daylight is the sensible time to go.
Go up Table Mountain. Browse Table Mountain tickets and tours on GetYourGuide. Wind can close the cable car, so keep the morning flexible.
Take a day out to the Cape Peninsula. Compare Cape Point and penguin tours.
Spend an afternoon in the Bo-Kaap. See Bo-Kaap walking tours.
Final thoughts
Pancakes and banana bread: Butter. A bit of everything: The Strangers Club. A relaxed all-day meal: Maggy Lou’s. Coffee and a pastry: Pauline’s. A big menu: JARRYDS.
One tip for all five: don’t leave the popular spots until mid-morning on a weekend. Go early, especially if you want a table without a wait.
Planning more of the trip? Our South Africa guide covers the visa, the best time to go and getting around. If this is your first big trip, start with our guide for first-time travellers.
