From Sirloin To T-Bone, Here's Where To Find The Finest Steaks

A selection of Mother City steakhouses serving up sizzling sirloin, fiery fillet and medium-rare rump

Last update: 5 January 2023

VISIT THIS SUPERB EATEREY FOR RARE CUTS

Certainly one of our absolute favourites for meat. Walk into Char'd Grill and you'll know this restaurant is one of a kind: there's a floor-to-ceiling meat locker where the meat is both dry- and wet-aged. Char'd is focused on using as much of the carcass as possible, so you'll be able to taste rare and unusual cuts (brought to your table for you to choose from).

The menu gives each cut a rating for tenderness and flavour, which is just one of the things that makes Char’d Grill our no.1 tip for a carnivore's to do list.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 12pm - 9pm; Saturday to Sunday, 10.30am - 9pm

Shop 4 Village Square, Hermanus  | +27 (0)28 312 1986 | Instagram: @chardhermanus | www.chardhermanus.co.za

PERFECTLY AGED CUTS, PLUS NO CORKAGE FEE

The Hussar Grill is famous for its speciality steaks (aged for at least 28 days) and its award-winning wine list, and there are 13 unique Western Cape locations each with something special to offer. A highlight on the menu is the deliciously indulgent Hussar Carpetbagger – a fillet mignon stuffed with smoked oysters and cheddar cheese and topped off with a brandy and wholegrain mustard sauce. But what makes this grill room truly exceptional is that they don’t charge a corkage fee. Diners can bring along their own choice of wine to accompany the excellent steaks at The Hussar Grill.

Opening hours: 12pm – 11pm (hours may vary at each locations)

Various locations in the Western Cape | book online

GET YOUR NAME ON THE WALL OF FAME

The Milnerton eatery is the home of the Special Reserve 21, Dale’s Black Angus’s signature dish since 1984. It’s a beautifully tender side-seared, fillet tenderloin that has been matured for 21 days and topped with herb butter and cooked to perfection (choose between the 250g and 350g cuts). If you’re up for it, you can take part in the Black Angus Challenge: finish a 1kg rump and your name will go up on the wall of fame at Dale’s Black Angus.

Opening hours: 12pm–10pm

The Paddocks | Racecourse Road | Milnerton | +27 (0)21 551 7776 | office@blackangus.co.za

NELSON'S EYE

There’s a reason this popular steakhouse has been around since the 60s: the old-school joint serves up top-quality, succulent steaks that are wet aged for up to 21 days, and you can even choose your own cut at the grill. Not to mention, carnivores who scoff at anything smaller than a 500-g portion can tuck into 600-g sirloin, rump or T-bone and 800- or 900-g racks of tasty ribs. Expensive? Maybe a little, but this is super-grade, grain-fed beef we’re talking about. Add to that the typical buzzing steakhouse atmosphere and you have a Capetonian favourite. Remember to keep an eye out for their winter specials menu, which features some of Nelson’s Eye’s signature items at discounted prices.  

Opening Hours: The restaurant is open for lunch from Wednesday to Friday between 12:30pm and 3pm and for dinner all week round from 6:30pm until late. Do note, it is closed for lunch on weekends, public holidays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

9 Hof Street | Gardens | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 423 2601

BRAD'S GRILL

Situated on 2nd Avenue in Claremont, Brad’s Grill, which was named as one of South Africa’s top steakhouses, undoubtedly serves up one of the best steaks in the Mother City.  Its star attraction is a succulent and grilled-to-perfection pepper steak offering, which is served with generous portions of sides, such as pumpkin, fries, large onion rings and delicious Swiss chard.  It’s also been named as the Best Pepper Steak in the country for two consecutive years, so diners can look forward to indulging in the best of the best at this Southern Suburbs restaurant that boasts a cosy and welcoming atmosphere.  Not to mention, Brad Grill’s has been around for almost four decades, which, aside from the top-class beef offering, probably has something to do with the impeccable service, a rarity in Cape Town!

Opening Hours: The restaurant is open from Monday to Sunday from 6pm until 11pm.

62 2nd Avenue | Harfield Village | Claremont | +27 (0) 21 671 2527

BELTHAZAR

Situated in the bustling V&A Waterfront, this fashionable steakhouse and wine bar was one of the first restaurants in Cape Town to serve real rib-eye steak (their specialty is a unique rib-eye called Chicago Cut that is dry aged and cooked on the bone). Nowadays, the eatery has risen to prominence amongst loyal Waterfront visitors with its creative cuisine, and once you’ve experienced their melt-in-the-mouth fillets, sirloins, rumps and more, you’ll understand just why the restaurant’s received a number of accolades, official or otherwise. Another good reason to dine at Belthazar is that the swanky joint offers the largest selection of wines by the glass in the whole of Cape Town and very possibly the world.   

Opening Hours: Belthazar is open from Monday to Sunday from noon until late.

Shop 153 | Victoria Wharf | V&A Waterfront | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 421 3753 

CARNE SA

As its name suggests, this Italian carnivore’s paradise is all about the meat – T-bone, sirloin, rib-eye and rump are all cooked to perfection here. Owner Giorgio Nava is rather obsessed with detail, and most of the fine, free-range cuts of Romagnoala beef, Dorper lamb and game that the restaurant serves up come from animals that are ethically reared on his own farms in the Karoo. Carne SA is the ideal after-work meeting place and features a modish bar lounge dotted with paraphernalia reminiscent of a traditional Italian butchery, like butcher’s blocks and a retro Italian meat slicer.

Opening Hours: The restaurant is open from Monday to Saturday between 6:30pm and 10:30pm

70 Keerom Street | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 424 3460

BARRISTERS RESTAURANT

Barristers was rather accurately described by one local reviewer as a “gastronomic pub”, because, despite the rather fine décor and outstanding culinary experience, the eatery tends to channel the ambience of a vibrant pub with high spirits and good fun all round. As far as the menu goes, we highly recommend The Gavel – rump or sirloin topped with sautéed chicken livers, bacon, onion, cream and masala spice. Also, go on any day of the week between 11am and 6pm for the R65 pub lunch special, which treats visitors to steak, egg and chips amongst other items, or go on a Monday and enjoy buy-one-get-one-free mains (steaks included).

Opening Hours: The restaurant is open from Sunday to Thursday between 11am and 11pm and on Fridays and Saturdays between 9am and 11pm.

Cardiff Castle | Cnr. Kildare Road & Main Street | Newlands |Cape Town | +27 (0)21 671 7907

MZOLI'S

For the most South African of steak and meat experiences, Mzoli’s in Gugulethu is where it’s at. The popular township butchery serves up a jovial atmosphere and fantastically inexpensive fare – picture yourself with a massive pile of succulent meat dining alongside hundreds of fellow carnivores with mouths stained the colour of the joint’s heavenly secret marinade. As it has endorsements from the likes of DJ Fresh and Jamie Oliver, who claimed that Mzoli’s dishes up the best meat in Cape Town, it’s a no-brainer why this eatery should be on the list. 

Opening Hours: Be sure to visit on Sundays from 11am onwards for the ultimate ‘shisa nyama' experience.  

NY115 | Gugulethu | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 638 1355

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