Biesmiellah is one of the oldest restaurants in Cape Town and one of the best places to eat genuine Cape Malay food. The kitchen at Upper Wale Street has been producing bobotie, denningvleis, bredie and pickled fish since 1965, and the recipes have not been adjusted for tourist tastes. Portions are generous and prices are modest. The room is simple; the cooking is the point.
Go for lunch — the restaurant fills up quickly on weekday middays and the stews sell out early. Biesmiellah does not serve alcohol, consistent with the halaal kitchen, so plan accordingly. It is a five-minute walk uphill from the city centre into the Bo-Kaap and makes a natural pairing with a wander through the colourful streets of the neighbourhood.