Mr & Mrs Smith

Bayside Café on Victoria Road on Camps Bay (+27 (0)21 438 2650) is located on the beachfront and is particularly popular for breakfasts and light lunches. Also on Victoria Road, Café Caprice (+27 (0)21 438 8315) is the place to be seen in summer, when it’s a fabulous place for sundowners or for evening meals with views over the beach. Baia on Victoria Wharf on the Victoria and Albert Waterfront (+27 (0)21 421 0935) is a seafood restaurant with a wonderful Portuguese influence in both the atmosphere and menu. Miller’s Thumb on Kloofnek Road in Tamboerskloof (+27 (0)21 424 3838) is a popular seafood restaurant with a casual atmosphere and an emphasis on Cajun and Creole flavours. Fish and chip lovers should also visit Codfather at 41 The Drive in Camps Bay Corner (+27 (0)21 438 0782). Chat with the waiter about what the day's specials are and they'll prepare it especially for you.

The Table Mountain nature reserve is only a stroll away, so take the cable car to the top for spectacular views, as well as a look around the blooming marvellous Floral Kingdom.

Adrenalin junkies can get their fix over and over again, with golf, mountain biking and walking, boat and kayak trips, sailing, surfing and windsurfing all on tap. Companies to consult on keeping busy include Cape Rainbow Tours (+ 27 21 551 5465; www.caperainbow.com) and Navigators 4-WD Adventures (+27 (0)21 689 1825; www.navigators4wd.co.za). Something unique to this city, and which many would argue is unmissable, is a visit to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner (www.robben-island.org.za). The tours of this former prison by inmates are not only fascinating, but also incredibly touching.

Daytripper

Drive half an hour north to the lush wine region, where hundreds of vineyards offer tastings and lunch in their postcard-perfect surrounds. At Spier, near Stellenbosch (www.spier.co.za), you can sample five wines for about £1, eat pan-African fare in Moyo, and stroke one of the furry inhabitants of their cheetah outreach. Stop in the colonial town of Franschhoek, where a romantic boozy lunch at the hillside La Petite Ferme is a must for gourmands (+27 (0)21 876 3016). Another bright star in this culinary capital is Reubens (+27 (0)21 876 3772). Lunch in its large courtyard is worth lingering over; have the sommelier match a glass of wine to each course. Haute Cabriere, the restaurant at the Cabriere Estate (+27 (0)21 876 3688) is another must for epicureans.

Best beaches

Find your own deserted sandy discoveries and sheltered lagoons among the miles of unspoilt coastline. Be warned though: those Atlantic waters can be icy, even if the sea loses its cool as you head east towards the Indian Ocean. Delightful spots in which to catch some rays are the coves in Clifton, overlooked by Table Mountain; or try quiet Llandudno, a far cry from its Welsh namesake. A 15-minute drive from the city, Hout Bay is great for people- and parasurfer-watching. Locals walk their dogs or bring their broods here at weekends.