Sustainable in Cape Town: My favorite vegan food spots
The desire for sea air, breathtaking sunsets at the "end of the world" and the scenic diversity draw many to Cape Town. So am I, Tabea - lifestyle editor, vegan brunch fan and trained yoga teacher with the aspiration to go through life as consciously as possible. And to always reflect on my behaviour where I can make a lasting difference with pleasure and enjoyment.
When it became too grey for me in my home city of Hamburg, I decided in January to bring my summer holiday forward. The question of where I can escape the cold season is quickly answered: Cape Town is one of the most popular winter travel destinations. In South Africa's second largest city, it's summer when temperatures are rather low here in Germany.
I also heard that Cape Town has many vegan restaurants, local markets and - in the near vicinity - sustainable wineries. In other words, it offers the IMPACKT all-round package that I am only too keen to explore.
So I book my return flight, choose the vegan on-board menu online and decide to offset 769kg of CO2 through my airline.
Vegan in Cape Town: My tips with IMPACKT
I have been eating exclusively vegan since October 2018. Since then, I have travelled through a few countries and visited a wide variety of restaurants. I usually find these via the app "Happy Cow" or I get inspired on Instagram. Under the hashtag #capetownvegan you can currently find over 28,000 posts. Even as I sit in my Hamburg flat, scrolling through the countless photos and saving my favourites, my mouth is watering.
Arriving in Cape Town, I can't wait to explore the best cafés and the like. For me, it's not only about my food being free of animal products - statistically reducing my carbon footprint by 47% when it comes to food - but also about the best case scenario of the place being based on a sustainable concept.
Here are my two top tips:
Tip 1: Go to Wildsprout for brunch.
For me, nothing beats a late breakfast with a strong oat latte and a stack of fragrant pancakes. In Cape Town, I'm all the more pleased that it's mainly all-day brunch cafés that have a completely vegan menu. From fruity smoothie bowls with granola crunch to hearty avocado toasts and sweet waffles, it's hard to choose just one dish at places like Scheckter's Raw, The Conscious Kitchen and Nourish'd. I'm especially happy at Wilds.
I find this especially true at Wildsprout. Lucky for me, I'm here with friends. Together we order the croissant with scrambled tofu and the "Fig-a-licious" smoothie bowl. Both are very convincing.
Why am I singling out Wildsprout in particular? The entire concept aims to leave a positive IMPACT: Wildsprout sources its food from small, local producers and from its own farm in Wellington - just an hour away from Cape Town. Here they grow vegetables in a 100% natural way. The philosophy is: "We celebrate Mother Nature and stand for healthy, sustainable food." This basic idea also runs through the Wildsprout mini-markets, which are part of the two cafés. On the shelves you can find regional natural cosmetics, homemade granola, fresh unpacked fruit from the farm and much more.
Tip 2: Eat ice cream sustainably at Ditto.
With temperatures at 24 degrees, which feel like a lot more in the midday sun, my craving for ice cream grows immeasurably. While researching vegan options, I find a few ice cream parlours that offer two or three oat or soy milk-based flavours alongside their "cow's milk" range.
And then - on Instagram - I discover "Vegan Ice Cream Food Heaven": Ditto, a small ice cream parlour that makes its fancy flavours with oat milk from "Oh Oat".
"Oh Oat" is an eco-friendly start-up from Cape Town, founded by two young nature lovers Renato and Trent. Their vision is to make our planet a better place in a sustainable way. For Mother Earth herself, for all animals and for us.
Their oat milk is produced locally, sold in reusable glass bottles and brought into a resource-saving cycle via their own return system. What's more, oat milk requires 80% less land for cultivation, produces just one third of CO2 emissions and is content with a low 4% of the water used to produce one litre of cow's milk.
In the minimalist ice cream parlour, a selection of seven different types of ice cream awaits me. From fruity ("Lemony Lemon") to extremely chocolaty ("Dark Choccy") to fancy ("Royal Rooibos"), everything is there. You can either order the ice cream scoops in a cup, in a waffle cone or on a fresh Belgian waffle.
After testing the different flavours, I order three scoops. My favourite: "Cookie Dough". Of course the ice cream tastes sweet. It can and should - if I have my way. But in a natural way. Neither artificial nor too strong. My friend Jana (her favourite, by the way, is "Brittle Gone Nuts") and I leave the store absolutely happy and, during a short walk along Kloofs Street, conclude: "The ice cream was mighty tasty without being mighty on the stomach." 10 out of 10 points.
Sustainable in Cape Town - more vegan tips with IMPACKT:
1 the vegan zero-waste sushi from Plushi (you can order it and then sit with it on Saunders' Rocks for sunset).
2 Participate in the beach clean up at Tiger's Milk and then enjoy the Plant Power Pizza for refreshment.
3 Join the "Yoga on the Lawn" in the quiet garden of Nourish'd, create more awareness for a sustainable interaction with Mother Nature and afterwards definitely eat the "Magic Mangito Smoothie Bowl".
Vegan in Cape Town: My conclusion
The vegan food made me extremely happy - with a few exceptions. All the food is fresh and full of flavour. A fresh papaya from Oranjezicht Market alone is an absolute experience.
I find Cape Town to be a vegan-friendly city. Even if I don't find anything vegan on the menu in a restaurant, the waitress immediately helps me out. Vegan is a household word here - even though meat plays a big role in South African cuisine. I've had completely different experiences in other countries. ("Ah, vegan. That's without nuts, right?").
Even more IMPACKT in Cape Town
As already told: During my trip, I not only visited vegan restaurants and cafés, but also went in search of zero-waste markets and sustainable wineries. In a second part, I'll tell you all about my top tip, the Oranjezicht Market. Have fun reading!
Love,
Tabea
