pageview

News

20 must-visit restaurants in Port Elizabeth

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015 by Petro Lotz

Sometimes windy and nestling against the ever-present ocean, Port Elizabeth is a proper melting pot of diverse cultural mixes, including students, surfers, high flyers, creative minds and the ever-changing visiting crowd. Add to that a British Colonial heritage and a strong modern African awareness, and you begin to grasp the immense variety of appetites catered for by the Friendly City.

For draught or craft beer

Barney’s Tavern, one of the oldest restaurants in town (with a vast sea view) has patrons regularly jostling for space on one of the decks with their draughts and Portuguese peri-peri chicken. Beer Shack in Humewood offers craft beer and live music, as well as a backyard pool – a winner with the student crowd. BeerYard does burgers and beer, but save space for the buttery apple cake. Bridge Street Brewery blends industrial with rustic eclectic and offers amazing food with a vast array of beers, ciders and brews.

The bar at the Bridge Street Brewery. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

The bar at the Bridge Street Brewery. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

For a glass of wine

For the Love of Wine in Stanley Street offers wine tastings and evenings, with a massive retail selection of bottles to take home. If you’re a devotee of the grape, Cork Wine Garden in Walmer, set amongst ancient trees, hosts hugely popular Sangria Sundays.

For weekend outings with the family

Grass Roof Farmstall, with its pitched roof covered with grass and wild flowers, offers great meals, is fully licenced and has a tractor and jungle gym to keep the kids happy.

For flavourful Italian

Italian food rules in eateries such as Mangiamo @ Wickerwoods and Angelo’s Café in Walmer. Il Tricolore will wow you with their small but exceptional menu and homemade pastas.

The interior at Mangiamo @ Wickerwoods. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

The interior at Mangiamo @ Wickerwoods. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

For coffee and cake

Brioche in Walmer lures guests in from the parking area with the aroma of fresh bread to its delightfully painted red-and-white wall facing the street. Vovo Telo in Richmond Hill with its quirky décor and brilliant food has a wraparound stoep, providing a street view over bushes of lavender and a beautiful cast iron fence. The Tea Merchant Shop in the newly built Baywest Mall is a sensory experience not to be missed: they have different tasters going all the time and you can buy your tea per weight. Bocadillos Bakery and Café is a beautiful space, open until late, with counters of irresistible temptations…

A burger at Posh, The Eatery. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

A burger at Posh, The Eatery. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

For sushi

Moving on to something fresh and savoury, look no further than Fushin in Stanley Street for mindblowingly fabulous little morsels, or their recently opened little glamorous sister, Fushin Champagne & Tapas Bar in Baywest Mall, which comes complete with crystal chandelier and a baby grand piano.

Sushi from Fushin. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Sushi from Fushin. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

For Asian

Mellas Noodle and Dim-Sum Bar in Bain Street, Richmond Hill, is a small and casual family-run Asian restaurant that’s always busy and buzzing, serving truly delicious eats. Natti’s Thai Kitchen in Mill Park is laidback to the extent that guests fetch their own glasses from a cupboard and the menu is chalked up on a wall in the passage. The food is made to order and the exotic smells drive you mad until your food arrives.

Fried rice at Natti's Thai Kitchen. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Fried rice at Natti’s Thai Kitchen. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

For that special night out

Ginger at the Beach Hotel offers incredible fusion cuisine served in exquisite crockery, while the Tabú Grill at the Radisson Blu Hotel with its ultra-stylish décor and swish cocktails will ensure you have a night to remember.

Have we missed your favourite eatery in Port Elizabeth? Let us know all the juicy details in the comments below.

*This story was amended on Friday 7 August 2015 to remove mention of two eateries that had closed since the reviewer’s last visit.

Related posts

20 Comments

  • Daniel
    August 6, 2015

    You missed Fernando’s. The best chicken in town. Located in Richmond Hill. Not far from Vovo Telo. Try it and be amazed!

    Reply
    1. manka
      August 6, 2015

      Daniel Lobo is this you? Would be awkward if not

  • Candida
    August 6, 2015

    You missed Golden Coast, Heugh Road. One of the best Chinese restaurants in P.E. Beautiful decor and amazing service. Good prices, good food and happy people.

    Reply
  • Mark
    August 6, 2015

    How on earth is Old Austria not included……and my experiences at Tabu have been shockers

    Reply
    1. Hilda Oosthuizen
      August 7, 2015

      I agree Mark . Old Austria is of of our countries top restuarants !

  • Keith Johns
    August 6, 2015

    The Coachman and Old Austria. Two of the best restaurants in the Bay of Plenty (of restaurants). Why no mention? The Coachman has probably one of the best views in PE

    Reply
  • Maxine
    August 6, 2015

    Hmmm pretty sure the Old Cash Store and Posh are no longer… The 2012 timestamp on the Posh photo says it all. You may need better investigation skills! What about Charlies in Summerstrand for Italian?

    Reply
  • Janette
    August 6, 2015

    I agree – Old Austria is a must. Hasn’t Posh closed down?

    Reply
  • Neil
    August 7, 2015

    I like the list, however you are missing some great places.
    I would add Salt in Richmond Hill as its a firm favorite with a great vibe.
    Chingadas in Walmer does fantastic Mexican, oh and what about Rasooie?

    Reply
  • Johnny
    August 7, 2015

    Ditto to all the comments, PE politics…….

    Reply
  • Schalk van der Merwe
    August 7, 2015

    This review was obviously put together by a younger person…no problem with that…! But..you can never, ever leave Old Austria and The Coachman out of any review of PE’s restaurants! Poor homework!

    Reply
  • Natasha
    August 8, 2015

    Friendly stranger… One of the e best burgers iv had the pleasure of tasting. A beautiful restaurant built around a huge tree and an under ground games room.
    Kiplings Restaurant at the Boardwalk Hotel.
    Something Good- craft beers, great view and I’d highly recommend the sticky pulled pork wrap.
    Charlie Super stars- best pizzas in town! awesome service and an array of craft beers and wine.

    You might need a “50 must – visit restaurants” especially when it comes to PE:)

    Reply
  • kaylin
    August 8, 2015

    La kousina is also a great place for a nice sundowner with fantastic cocktails, sushi and traditional Greek cuisine. It’s in the same centre as the Coachman Restaurant. Both are fantastic restaurants and I’m surprised neither of these restaurants made the list. Do yourself a favour and give them both a try!

    Reply
  • theresa
    August 11, 2015

    These are missing:
    – The Old Austria for a very diverse menu, the BEST STEAKS in town, as well as perfect atmosphere for special occasions
    – The Friendly Stranger for ambience, good coffee and great lunches
    – Fernando’s Chicken House for the best Portuguese chicken and prawns

    Reply
  • Jo
    August 15, 2015

    Some is definitely missing…
    Charlie Super Stars for best pizza
    Golden Coast for best Chinese
    Friendly Stranger for good breakfast
    Something Good for when you have R50 in your wallet and still get good food

    Reply
  • Lohla
    August 18, 2015

    Tea Merchant has great tea but does not offer coffee at all and only does cake on weekends (3 varieties). The best coffee, hot chocolate and cake can be found at Ganache Patisserie and Chocolatier, Baywest Mall. By far, the best cake in town 🙂

    Reply
  • Jan
    September 25, 2015

    Never disappointed when I visit De Kelder. Amazing food.

    Reply
  • Vernon
    October 7, 2015

    Flava in Richmond Hill. Excellent food and exceptional hands on service from John the owner/chef and his team. Agree with Coachman of old in Cape Rd but NOT the new at Brookes.
    Too noisy. Ask if you want a salad and then charge extra for the ingredients that go into a basic salad.I

    Reply
  • Brandon
    October 7, 2015

    A little secret word of advice. …..try
    Rhubarb & Lime……7 Park Lane

    Scrumptious breakfasts and lunches

    To die for

    Reply
  • Georgina
    July 9, 2016

    You need to check out Roco Mamas – Humewood for your new list! Great Vibe, Craft Beer, Gourmet Burgers and Best ever Beef Ribs.

    Reply

Leave a comment

Promoted Restaurants

Eatout

Already have an account? Login