Portia and Jason de Smidt first opened the Africa Café in their home in Observatory, and with the success of that venture expanded and moved to their current premises on Heritage Square. Inspired by a passion for African food, the restaurant aims to celebrate the diverse tastes and aromas of the continent.

A set menu, printed on a jug on the table, offers a journey from Ethiopia’s Zambossa (curried mince in fine pastry), via peri-peri dip with cassava bread from Mozambique,
Xhosa spinach patties and Egyptian noodles, with a whole range of stops in between. Be warned though that it is something of a tourist trap, and the décor is straight out of an idea of what Africa looks like rather than the real thing.