Oily and delicious deep-fried, fresh fish and chips is pretty much a must do on a Cape Town visit. There are several places competing for top honors—Kalky’s in Kalk Bay, On the Rocks in Hout Bay, and dozens of big chains and lesser known shacks. Mariner’s Wharf is among my favorites. It’s consistently good and has a great location. Mariner’s Wharf is actually a big building on the pier separating the Hout Bay main beach and the Hout Bay Harbor. There are a number of separate little shops and businesses within the greater Mariner’s Wharf building. There is a sit-down restaurant upstairs called Wharfside Grill which offers more seafood variety in a more upscale setting, but the Wharfette Bistro downstairs is the best bet for good fish and chips.

It’s so popular that the line to order often snakes out the door, but the queue moves fast to place your order at the till and then wait for your drink and box of food to be served up. Then there are lots of shaded picnic tables to enjoy your catch while taking in the beach and harbor atmosphere. The menu is pretty simple and consists of just a few options, mainly, fresh hake, calamari, prawns, and fries. I sampled a special combo they had that also included some deep fried crab stick. The hake is definitely the tastiest option with calamari a close second. The prawns were also good but the shells weren’t cut, so they were pretty messy and time consuming to eat. The crab stick wasn’t my favorite—more just a space filler it seemed. Fries at the Wharfette Bistro are on the soggy side, which isn’t my favorite, but some people like it.

The atmosphere is great for a day out at the beach. The Wharfette is distinctly fast foody, so the seating area is just for a quick bite between exploring the beach and harbor, nothing fancy. After much sampling, I think Wharfette Bistro is one of the best options for fish and chips and the prices are very reasonable.