Experience hosted by Gilbert, Parinita & other locals
Private Tour
Carbon Neutral
Ready to taste the best food in Cape Town? Satisfy your cravings for local food and culture with highlights along the way, together with a foodie host. Enjoy 10 delicious and typical tastings that range from sweet to savory as well as drinks on a tasty food tour in Cape Town.
Destination
Cape Town, Republic of South Africa
Category
Food Tours
Duration
3 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
Hindi, English
Included
Private Guide
10 Local Food & Drink Tastings
Vegetarian Options Available
All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
Entrance to attractions
6 reasons to book this tour
Can be 100% customized to your food wishes
Taste the best of the South African
cuisine
Try classic koeksister & biltong at real local hotspots
10 local tastings
Stop to see highlights of the city along the way
It’s not just food; it’s local culture
What you can expect
Fall in love with the flavorful South African
cuisine on this delicious food tour in Cape Town! Enjoy a selection of 10 food and drink tastings hand-picked by your foodie local host, just for you and spread over at least 3 different local spots. From yummy must-tries like koeksister to unique dishes typical of the city such as biltong; you’re in for a treat, so bring your appetite.
This culinary tour in Cape Town is a cultural journey that takes you further than the food you’ll eat. As you enjoy authentic local bites ranging from savory, sweet as well as drinks, you’ll also discover the city and its highlights. Stop to admire the The Company Gardens, Greenmarket Square, and Cape Town City Hall and hear about their local relevance from your host as you hop from one food hot spot to the other - what can be better than that?
Want to know what this food tour has in store for you? Your local foodie has you covered! And because sharing is caring, you and your group will get to try bites of famous dishes. Each of the hosts has carefully selected the tastings you’ll enjoy during this food tour. All of them passionate about food and their city, know the best spots to get the most authentic and typical bites. Pick your host according to your interests and you’ll be a part of a unique and flavorful experience catered to your taste buds.
Looking for a vegetarian alternative? It’s possible! The tour has been created with alternative tastings to fit your preferences. Just let your host know! The foodie locals are ready to take you on the best food tour in Cape Town. All you have to do is check out their profiles and pick your favorite local for a delicious culinary experience. This Cape Town food tour can be 100% personalized to match your diet and allergies.
Choose your local
Get to know these 5 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.
Gilbert
The Neighbourhood Host
4.9201 reviews
English
Parinita
The Social Host
4.731 reviews
Hindi・English
Bulelani
The Outdoorsy Historian
4.319 reviews
English
Christopher
The Cultural Buff
4.948 reviews
English
Daryl
The Outdoor Photographer
4.815 reviews
English
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.
Meeting point
Meet at At the stairs of the main entrance of the City Hall - Cape Town to start your journey
Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
10 Tastings
This tour includes 10 food and drink tastings. Your local host has hand-picked each one of the tastings based on their love for food, and knowledge of the city. Enjoy only the most authentic bites the city has to offer!
The Classics
A food tour in Cape Town would not be complete without the most typical and beloved dishes in town. Enjoy a bite of the ultimate classics koeksister and biltong and taste them in their true local flavor!
Locals’ Favorites
Discover more of the local cuisine by trying some of the ultimate locals’ favorites food treats. Try unique food, typical of Cape Town picked by your local host and hear why they love it so much!
Typical Drinks
With drinks included as part of the tastings this real experience comes with a real local spirit! Your local host will quench your thirst with a selection of drinks like coffee, unique beverages, and alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) cocktails, wine and beer
City Highlights
This tour is more than just food, it’s a cultural experience! In between food stops, discover city highlights for a well-rounded experience that will satisfy your appetite for Cape Town. From food, drinks, must-sees and local hot spots; this tour has everything on the menu!
Vegetarian Alternative
Looking for a vegetarian alternative? It’s possible! The tour has been created with alternative tastings to fit your preferences. Just let your host know!
Special Diet or Allergies?
If you follow a special diet or have an allergy to a specific food, let your host know! They’ll make sure to take that into consideration so you can have an enjoyable and safe experience
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
Flexible cancellation policy
Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
Joy
(About local )
5 June 2025
This tour ended up going above and beyond all of our expectations. It was our first tour and a great intro to Cape Town/South Africa and was truly one of our most favorite excursions from our trip. Not only was the food absolutely delicious but Gilbert did a fantastic job providing the history of the area and South Africa as well. We really appreciated him sharing his personal experience which brought a lot of additional insight, as well as taking us to truly local spots for food. He was very informative, attentive and overall a friendly, great guy. We had such a great time with Gilbert and can’t recommend him enough!Amazing food and wonderful guide!
Omran🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
(About local )
2 June 2025
I had an amazing experience on the food tour in Cape Town with our guide, Gilbert. From start to finish, everything was perfect. Gilbert is not only knowledgeable and passionate, but also warm, friendly, and genuinely dedicated to creating a memorable experience.
He went above and beyond—extending the tour, adding extra stops, and putting in incredible effort to make sure every detail was just right. The food was absolutely delicious, and we got to explore a wonderful variety of local flavors and hidden gems we never would have found on our own.
This tour was a highlight of my trip, and Gilbert played a huge role in that. Highly recommend!
Above and beyond
Pam🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 May 2025
We thoroughly enjoyed our walking food tour with Gilbert. He gave us lots of background information about the city as well as the food. The quantity of food was enough for five full meals. Gilbert gave many containers of leftovers to homeless folks on the streets. The variety of dishes was wonderful. Go with an empty stomach!Great tour, too much food
Marc🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
14 May 2025
We had two great tours with Gilbert in Cape Town: the food tour and the Off the Beaten path tour. Both tours showed a different side of Cape Town: the food tour was in the city center and involved 6 stops at local eateries. The 2nd tour was in two of the local neighborhoods that tourists don’t commonly visit. Gilbert is a great storyteller - his family grew up in these neighborhoods and he is old enough to share his experiences of how South Africa has (and hasn’t) changed over the past generations.
This a totally different level of experience and understanding from the more typical tourist stuff (Robbin island, Cape Point, beaches). Gilbert is lively, friendly, lots of fun, and very generous with his time. Highly recommended!Get to know Cape Town for the locals
Diarmuid🇮🇪 Ireland
(About local )
17 April 2025
Gilbert was incredibly knowledgeable and took us to hidden gems in the city that we would never have discovered on our own. The variety of local dishes we sampled were amazing, and the insights into the culture and history of each location made the experience even more enriching. If you're looking for a unique way to explore Cape Town, I highly recommend this tour!A must in Cape Town!
m4d4k2dhmn Frances🇮🇪 Ireland
(About local )
28 March 2025
Just home exhausted (and full) from a very enjoyable tour with Gilbert. We were a group of 8 (with 2 local white South Africans) 6 of us had grown up in Ireland.
Gilbert’s own family history and story were very informative and helpful to guide us to understand the complexities of the social infrastructure in SA. The culinary treats from across the communities in capetown were in places off the usual tourist trail ( our SA friends would have never gone to them outside of this tour !) Every place we went to gave us delicious food and as a result we cancelled our evening dinner plans as we couldn’t resist the food we were given and we left very little behind ! The highlight was Gilbert’s Malva cake ( made by Gilbert himself! ) according to our SA expert it was the best he’d ever tasted! High praise indeed🤩. Can’t recommend this tour highly enough - our entertaining and engaging host certainly deserves the 5 star reviews I read prior to booking the tour… Culinary and cultural extravaganza!
L.🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
26 March 2025
I cannot recommend Gilbert highly enough. He brought a great wealth of lived experience and knowledge to my afternoon food tour of Cape Town. We stopped by numerous spots for food - none of them ones I could have found on my own - and all the food was delicious and accompanied by great background/historical information. Definitely a great experience!!!Exceptional experience.
karen
(About local )
25 March 2025
Bulelani arrived 20 minutes late with an excuse that his Uber had a flat tyre. He did not contact us to let us know and we were about to leave when he arrived. I didn't feel he present himself as a professional guide, attending the tour in very casual attire. Bulelani was polite and pleasant with a calm nature and he made us feel safe walking around the city.
The tour consisted of maybe 5 stops at different fast food joints. In the first workers caf we had Umngqusho beans and Chakalaka. We went on to share a sub sandwich from a bus station vendor and some fish from a fish & chip shop. The last stop was around 2-3km away so we got (and paid for) a bus ride there and an uber back for some Braai. We could have had this at so many other places right in the city and there was no explanation as to why we travelled so far. Bulelani didn't seem to have a relationship with the staff at the places he took us to which surprised me as all of my other food walking tours anticipated our arrival and often spent time to talk with us about their food offering and why it was important to the city.
We leant some of the history of South Africa and Nelson Mandela on the tour but were told really nothing of the city's history, the building styles, where to visit, museums etc. which was one of the main reasons for booking the tour at the beginning of our 4 day stop in Cape Town.
All-in-all I was very disappointed with the tour. 4/10 for Bulelani's pleasant manner and the time he spent with us.
The cost of the tour was around £50 each (I think). It certainly was not value for money.
Fast Food - Take Away Tour
luizacarolinademorais
(About local )
21 March 2025
Gilbert was really thoughtful, taking us to local joints where people actually eat every day, all while giving historical, social and political background. Highlight to his homemade malva pudding - that was simply amazing!REALLY eat like a local!
Elo🇧🇪 Belgium
(About local )
20 March 2025
Our tour with Gilbert was fantastic. He is very interesting and incredibly nice. We loved all about the tour and recommend it thoroughly!
I'd say, because it was quite warm and we're not used to the heat, we needed an extra stop for an ice cold drink ;)Fantastic experience
Rita
(About local )
12 March 2025
We had a very nice and educational afternoon with our guide Gilbert. As Belgian tourists we came to places we would never have visited ourselves. Each time we could taste local dishes that we liked. Gilbert explained everything both culinary and historical. Thank you Gilbert. Rita and Guido.A culinary journey of discovery
Rupert
(About local )
4 March 2025
We had a wonderful few hours with Bulelani who was a brilliant guide getting us to chomp our way under the skin of cape town. An excellent mix of history and modern culture while also being great company. Highly recommended. Fantastic experience
Sharon🇸🇬 Singapore
(About local )
3 March 2025
If you are a foodie, this is a must do tour whilst you are in Cape Town. Gilbert is an excellent guide and truly it felt like we were just hanging out with a group of friends, learning about the local South African food as well as culture and history.
We met up at city hall and was already introduced to the Nelson Mandela statue. We walked around the city eating at places we would never have gone if we were not with Gilbert. We went to 5-6 different eateries and ate/drank about 15 different food items. All of it was just so tasty. One of the highlights was the malva pudding that Gilbert made himself.
Because he brought us walking through the whole city, we really got to see and experience the place like locals do. The people were so friendly. We spent time walking off what we ate which was needed. The gardens was lovely and we also got to spot the white squirrels.
We were very lucky to have gotten Gilbert as our tour guide. He was so passionate and knowledgeable. Also with a good sense of humour. What was better was for the food we couldn’t finish, Gilbert did not hesitate to pack it up and to give it to the homeless people who came up to us.
Highly recommend this tour! Best Food Tour in Cape Town
Nick🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
28 February 2025
Our tour with Christopher was interesting and informative. Christopher was the perfect guide and we learnt lots of interesting facts about Capetown. We enjoyed the food particularly the bunny chow. Highly recommend Chris as a guide, he has a great sense of humour and you felt that you were travelling with a friend. Thank you.Food and culture tour Capetown
Paul🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
25 February 2025
What a wonderful start to our time in Cape Town. We would recommend doing this tour at the start of your visit. A great way to get your bearings and to learn about the culture and food of Cape Town. Gilbert is a great guide who is extremely knowledgeable about the history of the City. Gilbert is very responsive and also gives great tips and advice. It really was the perfect start to our holiday. Culture and food
Amanda🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
20 February 2025
Gilbert was fantastic. We asked to start our tour late in the day as our plane landed at midday. He accommodated us and made sure we still had the full experience. We had amazing local delights, some of which had even been made by Gilbert himself. Some places we went stayed open late to feed us, all arranged in advance. On top of the food we learned everything we could about the city, the culture and history of Cape Town. We certainly didn’t go hungry and were even able to support the locals in need with our leftovers. A highly recommended tour.Perfect combi - Food and sights
rpc6b2mgsk
(About local )
12 February 2025
Gilbert was a fantastic host and guide. We learned so much as he was able to share not just the food culture of SA but also his personal experience and understanding of the recent history and politics of the city and country with lots of personal insights and anecdotes. A truly interactive and fascinating day. Wonderful host and great experience
Clint🇳🇿 New Zealand
(About local )
26 January 2025
We arrived late in Cape town, and Gilbert accommodated us, even meeting us on the side of the road to find parking as we drop in from the airport. It was an amazing day, learning all the history and the food was really tasty. Thanks for sharing your wonderful history with us. God bless, Clint and Louise. An amazing day
Catherine
(About local )
15 January 2025
Gilbert was sensational and taught us about the cultural history and found it very interesting to learn about the food and cultural heritage. He was engaging with my 2 teenage boys and we were able to orientate around the city. Thanks Gilbert!!
Darren🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
8 January 2025
A wonderful and informative day with Gilbert
We were met right on time in the Town Hall and then continued for most of the day on a walking tour of the city.
Loads of information about the city and south Africas history.
Then the food a whole menu of Cape produce
One highlight was the Bunny Chow a Cape Malay curry served in a scooped out loaf of bread - vart tasty
The whole trip was brilliant - eating at places and choosing things we may have not tried otherwise.
Tastes of Cape Town
Tom🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
7 December 2024
We did definitely enjoy and went into some venues where we never would have been on our own. All in all it just looked like it was everything on Coincidence, and not really planned. We are doing lots of Foodtours all over the World, so we have some expectations. Bulelani is a very nice Guy and knows a lot about SA History.Great local food
Valerie
(About local )
6 December 2024
Gilbert was a fantastic tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. He showed us all the local spots and introduced us to different foods we would not have found on our own. He went above and beyond to make sure we had a great first time in Cape Town. 10/10, would highly recommend him and this tour to anyone visiting looking to have a great time, experience delicious food and learn lots of history! Amazing Tour!
Hanne🇧🇪 Belgium
(About local )
29 November 2024
The tour was a great way to experience Cape Town in a new light. Buleani not only introduced us to great local food, but also provided us with a fascinating look into the history of his country. He also took our food preferences into account and we got a lot of food during the tour, some of which we took in a doggy bag for later. Overall great experience.Great way to experience Cape Town
cathy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 November 2024
This was booked as a food tour, but with Bulelani, it was so much more. A wide variety food but also lots of history, culture and personal experiences as well.
A great day in Cape Town. Great day with Bulelani!
Mathilde
(About local )
17 November 2024
We had an awesome time with Gilbert. He took us to try a lot of local food (all delicious!) and give us lots of explanation on the town history and daily live. We could feel his passion of this city and it was great to meet all of his shop friends. Everyone was very welcoming and very nice. We also greatly appreciated that no food was wasted (leftovers were given to homeless). In addition Gilbert also gave us lot of recommendation on where/what to eat for our trip- that was greatly appreciated! We highly recommend this tour with Gilbert if you are a food/history loverAwesome tour
Hal
(About local )
7 November 2024
Lots of food to sample, lots of information to digest about waves of peoples brought to South Africa through slavery or otherwise...information about apartheid and how it affected people socially, economically,culturally... way more than just a food tour. The only complaint was a 3 hour tour turned into a 5 hour tour leaving no time to walk around Bo Kaap.
Food and then some!
JENNIFER🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
5 November 2024
The food and city tour was one of the Best tours I’ve ever been on. Gilbert spent so much time with us telling us about his country and city. We enjoyed all the food and got to experience all the different types of dishes in Cape Town. Highly Recommend! Thank you WithLocals and Gilbert for such a great experience!Excellent Tour
Michael🇮🇪 Ireland
(About local )
4 November 2024
Great day exploring Cape Town with Gilbert! He gave us an interesting history of the city! Brought us to area’s off the beaten track and sampled some lovely local food! Would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Cape TownCape Town with Gilbert
Robert🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
31 October 2024
The food tour with Gilbert was exactly what we were looking for. The combination of history and food was perfect. We really enjoyed the combination of South African and Indian food and we learned a lot about different types of South African food. His discussions of South African history were very informative. We would recommend Gilbert to everyone.Great tour with Gilbert!
Stacey
(About local )
24 October 2024
We had the best time with Gilbert on the food tour. The food was so much we couldn’t eat it all. I love the fact that he packed up all our leftovers to give to the homeless. He was very informative and very knowledge. What a great way to see the city learn some history and of course eat! Great food and great guide
Tony
(About local )
13 October 2024
Gilbert is a lovely chap, and had some great insights. Sadly we found his focus on the woes of apartheid a little much, bearing in mind this is a food tour! Our rating is an average across our 4, two of whom were less enamoured of the food options (being interesting but very basic and cheap - maybe our fault for having expectations above the level of street food we were given).Less about the food, more about apartheid
Sara🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
10 October 2024
Had a great trip with Gilbert as well as interesting delicious food we had lots of informative chats as we walked aroundCape Town Wonders
Ronald
(About local )
3 October 2024
Great on the food, history and overall engagement. Excellent Tour!
Abigail🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
24 September 2024
We did the 10 tastings food tour on our first full day in Cape Town. This was certainly more than just a food tour. Gilbert was a wonderful guide that included the history of the city as well. We were able to experience where the locals eat and learn about the culture and history of the foods we were trying. We learned SO much and appreciated the extra time Gilbert gave us as we made our way to the waterfront. I would 100% recommend Gilbert has a tour guide and this tour!!More than just a food tour!
Joshua
(About local )
9 September 2024
Gilbert was great, even in some rain we had a very informative and fun time learning about Cape Town!Great Tour!
Mark🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
2 September 2024
We did the 10 tastings food tour on our first day in Cape Town. It was the perfect introduction to the city. We could not have had a better guide than Gilbert, who not only explained the different types of food and it's history, but also gave interesting insights into the history & culture of the city without making it 'boring' for my daughter!
I would 100% recommend Gilbert has a tour guide and this tour for those interested in trying proper local food that you won't get in the usual restaurants.Great Guide & Great Tour
Kyle🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 August 2024
I had so much fun walking around Cape Town with Gilbert! Not only was there so much great food but I learned so much about the city and its history! Fantastic Cape Town Food Tour
Brenda🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
31 July 2024
Gilbert was amazing and so very personable! He took us to some wonderful places that we would have never found on our own. He shared special things about Cape Town that we had no idea happened or exsisted. And, he had so many personal, family stories to share that made the experience special. Oh - and there was sooo much yummy food! We are hoping to go on another tour with Gilbert!Fabulous!
Sylvia
(About local )
30 July 2024
We had a great foodtour with Gilbert, we loved every bit of it! All the food was delicious, we loved the vibe in all the different places and we learned a lot about the history and culture. We went to places we would never have found on our own and they were all really worthwhile. Gilbert is an excellent guide and we couldn't have wished for a better way to start our trip. Great value for money, so don't doubt and book this tour!Gilbert is the best!
Katie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 July 2024
I recently had the pleasure of touring with Gilbert, and it was an outstanding experience. Gilbert was incredibly informative, providing in-depth knowledge and fascinating insights about every location we visited. Their professionalism was evident throughout, from their punctuality to their respectful and engaging manner.
What truly set Gilbert apart was their willingness to go above and beyond. They tailored the tour to our interests, answered all our questions with enthusiasm, and even offered additional recommendations to enhance our visit.
Gilbert made our trip memorable and enriching. I highly recommend their services to anyone seeking a top-notch local guide.Exceptional Guide: Above & Beyond
Kevin🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 June 2024
Our tour with Bulelani was great! Friendly and shared his knowledge and experiences Fun times
Matthew
(About local )
15 June 2024
My family and I had a wonderful afternoon with Gilbert. He is extremely knowledgeable about Cape Town history and culture and truly enjoyed showing us around. We were able to try many different dishes at places we never would have found on our own. If you're looking to experience the side of Cape Town away from the tourists, then I highly recommend Gilbert!Amazing Introduction to Cape Town
Janice🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
12 June 2024
We had a wonderful food tour with Gilbert learning all about the local cuisine and history of Capetown and the larger area. Gilbert did a great job ensuring his stories and tastings entertained not only us parents but also our two children. It was a wonderful and surprising tour through the downtown and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this tour. Afternoon Delight
Francis🇮🇪 Ireland
(About local )
6 June 2024
Gilbert gave us a facinating insight into the region, the history and challenges facing mutliple generations while also taking us to a number of local food outlets reflecting the diversity of the people of the region. A real insight from an articulate local
Susan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
24 May 2024
We had a wonderful time with Gilbert for the food tour in Cape Town. He was very informative and the variety of little food stops was fabulous! I completely recommend Gilbert when visiting Cape Town.Gilbert was an awesome guide!
Michael🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
22 May 2024
We had taken a city tour before but our experience with Gilbert was unique, informational, and entertaining. While we signed up for a food tour, learning Gilbert’s perspective on Cape Town and its history was as compelling as sampling the local food. The tour with Gilbert was well worth the time and money, and I highly recommend itWonderful day with Gilbert
Frank🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 May 2024
Gilbert is everything you want in a local showing you his town. Knowledgable on history and all of the local places to get a real feel for the city.
Fun way to see Cape Town
Jason🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
16 May 2024
We loved our customised and private afternoon tastings tour with the wonderful Gilbert.
Along with tasting some great food we got to see parts of the city that we would not have gone to without this tour. Gilbert's storytelling took us on a journey through Cape Town and African history, illustrated with city sights and food. Gilbert was fun to be with, made sure that we were looked after and that all of our food needs were met. This is a must do when in Cape Town. Hint - have a light breakfast and don't have lunch!
Thank you Gilbert for a great and memorable experience. Cheers Jason and Stephen.Great Stories and Food
Rice
(About local )
5 May 2024
Parinita showed us some really cool local places, which you would simply overlook as a tourist. But be aware: the portions are huge! Hidden places
Andreas
(About local )
24 April 2024
It was a truly amazing tour through the city with many types of food. Gilbert gave us so many deep insights into historical or political topics that it was a real pleasure having him with us. He even spent more time with us than expected so that we definitely can recommend doing this tour. Great experience and a wonderful guide
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