Cape Town has it’s very own Vegan Food Tour operated by one of the nicest humans you will ever meet, Rupesh Kassen. Rupesh is the owner and founder of Eat Like a Local, a company that provides curated walking tours through the Mother City. The aim is to immerse yourself fully in the various cuisines that make up our unique heritage, and vegans are not left out of the equation! I was fortunate enough to be part of the very first vegan tour – and was blown away!
I was fortunate enough to be joined by my fellow foodie friends, Jessica Lazar, the Green Dietitian (someone you should all be following!) and her husband, Hilton as well as entrepreneur Sarah Lee Beckett, the founder of the Vegan Goods Market. A more perfect team of vegans you could not find as all four of us are passionate as all hell about great vegan food.
What interested me the most from the start was how much I thought I may appreciate a food tour, considering that all I do is eat and write about food. There were a few places I hadn’t been to (*shock* *horror*), so this made it all the more exciting.
We met at Mustacchio Caffee in Gardens/Kloof St (which by the way has great vegan menu options) and walked to our first stop, Plant.
The owner, Pierre Lambret, was there to greet us at this familiar establishment and one of his lovely waitrons presented us with a brilliant tasting platter which was a great way to start the proceedings.
As random as the collection of tapas looked, the flavours all complemented each other beautifully and as a starting point set the tone for what was to come!
Our next stop (within walking distance of course) was Nitro House, a Bree Street coffeehouse that sells cold brew coffee on tap (that has been injected with nitrogen!).
Not only are you introduced to this unique option of nitrogen-infused coffee, but you also get to sample their in-house Kombucha which (in my opinion) is hands down the best kombucha I have ever tasted as it is infused with natural fruit flavours. The options are Original, Strawberry & Blackcurrant, Cranberry & Pomegranate and the soon-to-be-released Buchu. One of the highlights is the explanation of the various processes that go into making the coffees and kombuchas which General Manager, Philip does with so much passion that you would swear he has had a nitrogen injection or two himself! Needless to say, I will battle to enjoy another kombucha after trying these!
A trip to the Bo-Kaap took us past the colourful houses (all privately owned) as well as the Bo-Kaap Museum (which could use a serious lick of paint!) and onto Harvest Cafe (a firm favourite of mine).
Our group (pictured below) was fortunate enough to be able to sample their new range of vegan desserts on the rooftop terrace. This has to be one of the most sought after spots in Cape Town as it boasts gorgeous views, depending on the weather.
The trio of vegan desserts did not disappoint and were wolfed down in seconds along with more (!) coffee.
Back to Bree Street and onto a (really well hidden) joint called Hail Pizza. I sound like a stuck record, but Rupesh had gone out of his way to find THE BEST of THE BEST vegan offerings and this Pomono Pizza (w/basil pesto w/Swiss chard, nutritional yeast & almonds, zucchini & baby rosas) did not disappoint. This was probably one of the food highlights of the tour.
We then had a chance to wander around the Young Blood Gallery whilst the gentleman from TV’s Hot Skillet prepared us some authentically South African cuisines, including Homemade Vetkoek w/Strawberry Jam, Roosterkoek w/Spinach Puree and Mango Achar on Crispy Maize w/Chakalaka garnishes w/Coriander with a little bubbly on the side.
These are just SOME of the highlights we experienced – I don’t want to give too much away to let you experience some of it as a surprise!
The tours that Eat Like a Local can offer vegan customers will vary depending on the size of a group, weather, opening times of eateries and the season. What Rupesh has guaranteed is that you will leave feeling satisfied and full to the brim like we were!
In terms of unique vegan experiences in Cape Town, this has to be my all-time favourite! I thought I knew every eatery that offered vegan options, and in a single day had my mind and taste buds opened up to new experiences.
For details on pricing and availability, check out the following:
Eat Like a Local Website
Eat Like a Local Facebook
Eat Like a Local Twitter
Eat Like a Local Instagram
The Green Dietitian (Jessica Lazar) Instagram
Vegan Goods Market (Sarah Lee Beckett) Instagram
Peace xx
Before you go, check out my Eateries by Suburb page and don’t forget to pop on over to my YouTube channel as well! If you’re feeling generous and want to help me with the upkeep of this all (because I do it all for free), then click on my Patreon link (for as little as R12 a month).
