Kitima 

Food:

Kitima has maintained its status quo as one of the best Thai restaurants in Cape Town and repeated visits never fail to impress, delight and tantalise the taste buds. If you look past the immaculately set table for the ‘ghost’ of Kronendal and her lover from the 1800s, it makes for an even more exciting evening as waiters swirl around the myriad rooms carrying platters of sushi, dim sum (or ‘little treasures’ as the menu describes them) and steaming pots of Thai soups. For mains there are the usual pad Thais and noodle dishes from which to choose, but for something a little different try the phad chaa talay (mixed seafood wok-fried with Thai spices and herbs) or the pla neng ma nao, which are melt-in-the-mouth steamed fillets of kingklip or Norwegian salmon on Chinese cabbage with fresh lime and chilli.

Wine:

The extensive wine list is fairly reasonably priced; however, steer clear of the Cellar Collection if the boss isn’t paying.

Service:

Staff are beautifully attired, friendly and extremely helpful in pairing food with appropriate wines. They complete the dinner experience.

Ambience:

Within the restrictions that a heritage building brings with it, owner Kitima Sukonpongpao has transformed the various rooms in the restaurant into a little piece of the East, with tasteful wall hangings and furniture. The bar area complements this with an extra twist of simple décor and design that keeps it always humming with happy patrons.

And...:

The Raya Lounge, and its different components in the veranda, terrace and garden, is perfect for a quick bite and a cocktail with a Thai twist. (PU, October 2012)

Kirsten M
6-Mar-2013
Had a lovely 30th birthday celebration at Kitima last night and I can highly recommend this restaurant for a special celebration. Service is attentive but completely unobtrusive and the food (a set menu in our case) was of excellent quality - fresh, full of flavour and presented with elegance. The venue itself is very special and has a real charm. Though we were tucked away and could enjoy our own private celebration, we didn’t lose the sense of being connected to the rest of the restaurant or the ambience. It is a slick, efficient operation with friendly, cordial service and offers a touch of the exotic. Thank you, Kitima, for such a memorable evening.

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Les M
7-Feb-2013
Cape Town's most romantic restaurant. Gorgeous setting, amazing service and a very large Asian menu. I look forward to trying it again.

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Samantha Walsh
29-Nov-2012
What a gorgeous venue! Great cocktails, friendly, helpful staff. The big let down is, well, the food! Very average Asian cuisine. Had a few average meals at Kitima and definitely won't be back. Cape Town has some amazing Asian restaurants with authentic dishes. Kitima's seafood curries are laden with mussels... strange choice. Prawns and linefish would be amazing which unfortunately do not form the basis of this curry. The spring rolls are over fried. The pad thai is a simple dish to get right with fresh flavours. Kitima's version is bland and boring. Inconsistent food, had a great starter on one visit then the following visit the same starter was terrible. I have addressed these issues with the owner and he has excuses for all my constructive criticism. Great venue, just don't expect great food.

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Marida Bijkersma
29-Nov-2012
The setting is wonderful, a lovely atmosphere, great service and divine food, definitely worth a visit.

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