Restaurants in Paternoster

If you're just here on a day trip, time your visit to stop for lunch at Voorstrandt (tel. 022/752-2038; daily 10am-10pm). This rustic shack of a restaurant is right on the beach -- when the sun sparkles off the crescent-shaped beach and ocean, the sense of contentment is almost surreal. For once there's no insipid background music, just the sound of the waves. There's a small, simple menu, but if you're here during November to April, there's only one thing to order: succulent whole crayfish (R210-R255, depending on size), served with garlic or lemon butter. Other popular dishes include the Malaysian seafood curry (R80) and the "three-fish dish," linefish caught off this coast. The Noisy Oyster (tel. 022/752-2196; lunch and dinner Wed-Sat, lunch Sun; booking essential), with its rapidly changing menu, also comes highly recommended; items such as wok-tossed baby calamari with a North African flavor and the Thai green fish curry keep Cape Town foodies coming back for more.