The Bombay Bicycle Club
Higgovale, Cape Town
Restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Casual
Why go
The Bombay Bicycle Club on Kloof Street is one of Cape Town's most accessible dinner options — no weeks-out planning required. It earns its place as a Gardens neighbourhood anchor rather than a destination restaurant, making it the right call when you want a reliable, atmospheric meal without the booking pressure of The Test Kitchen or La Colombe.
About The Bombay Bicycle Club
Should You Book The Bombay Bicycle Club?
Getting a table here is easy — this is not a venue where you need to plan weeks in advance or refresh a reservation page at midnight. For a first-timer on Kloof Street, that accessibility is part of the appeal. The question worth asking is whether The Bombay Bicycle Club delivers enough to earn its place on a Cape Town dining itinerary that could otherwise include heavier hitters like The Test Kitchen or La Colombe. The short answer: yes, but for different reasons.
What to Expect as a First-Timer
The Bombay Bicycle Club sits at 158 Kloof Street in the Gardens neighbourhood, a stretch of Cape Town that functions as the city's most walkable dining corridor. This is a street where locals actually eat — not a tourist precinct, not a hotel dining room. The venue has been part of that fabric long enough to qualify as a genuine neighbourhood anchor, the kind of place that survives Cape Town's notoriously unforgiving restaurant turnover because it gives regulars a reason to return rather than chasing the next opening.
For a first visit, arrive with moderate expectations on formality and high expectations on atmosphere. Kloof Street dining tends toward the relaxed end of the spectrum, and The Bombay Bicycle Club fits that register. You are not walking into a tasting-menu operation with a sommelier in a waistcoat. You are walking into a room that smells of a kitchen that has been cooking for a long time, the kind of accumulated scent that only comes with years of consistent service, not a recent fit-out designed to look lived-in.
Booking is direct. Same-week reservations are typically available, and the venue does not carry the wait-list pressure of destination restaurants like Fyn or Salsify at the Roundhouse. That makes it a sensible choice when you want a reliable dinner without the planning overhead, or when a booking elsewhere falls through.
If you are building a broader Cape Town trip, pair this with a visit to a Winelands property, Delheim Wine Estate in Stellenbosch or Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek cover different ground entirely. For a full picture of what the city offers, see our full Cape Town restaurants guide, plus guides to bars, hotels, wineries, and experiences across the city.
Quick reference: Easy to book, Gardens neighbourhood on Kloof Street, neighbourhood-anchor positioning, relaxed dress register.
Planning details
- Location
- 158 Kloof St, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa
- Website
- google.com/search?sca_esv=1cdd3e2116a3bced&gl=us&hl=en&si=APYL9btvhO6SAb8jF9HqTZMMa7vs_teLnZaEVrJZwRKFIIKjofePlNG7UqdOkfgUls31BTiNOw4FOtDtb0yCJB4FbkcsGoXMpDNpkyteGgiRNjlZLLlAx4uoRvq2Wb7JmreiVcWMbgpNeVCOda2ToC2R09cs0QryvQ%3D%3D&q=The+Bombay+Bicycle+Club+Reviews
- Phone
- +27 21 423 6805
The take
The Take
The Vibe
The Bombay Bicycle Club reads as a neighbourhood institution on Kloof Street: approachable, steady and unpretentious. The copy frames it as a place built around returning guests and reliable cooking rather than the one-night splurge of a destination tasting menu. There’s an urban, community-minded energy here—guests arrive from nearby suburbs and central accommodation on foot or a short rideshare, and the restaurant’s character comes from regulars and a curated wine list rather than theatrical flourishes. Overall it feels like a familiar, well-loved local spot that performs consistently for those who know it.
Best For
This is a restaurant for locals and visitors who want dependable neighbourhood dining. The Bombay Bicycle Club suits weekly dinners, casual meet-ups and relaxed group meals for people staying in or near the City Bowl and De Waterkant; its Kloof Street location makes it easy to reach on foot from central accommodation and quick by rideshare from the Atlantic Seaboard. The emphasis on a thoughtfully curated wine list also makes it a good choice for diners who enjoy matching their meal to regional Western Cape bottles, while keeping the overall experience informal and unassuming.
Ordering Tips
Lean into the restaurant’s signature mains and its wine focus. The Bombay Ribs and the chocolate chilli‑accented steak and fillet medallions are highlighted preparations that reflect the kitchen’s flavors-first approach. Given the review’s emphasis on Western Cape wines and curated lists, plan to pair richer, local reds with the meat dishes or ask the server to recommend a regional bottle from the list. The tone of the place rewards familiar, reliable favourites rather than experimental tasting-menu choices.
Venue details
Ambiance
Glittering, extravagant, and bohemian atmosphere filled with quirky decorations, lively energy, and a party vibe enhanced by funky tunes.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Casual
- Noise Level
- Lively
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Standard
- Capacity
- Medium
Signature Dishes
- Bombay Ribs
- fillet medallions with chocolate chilli sauce
- chocolate chilli steak
Know before you go
Know Before You Go
- Getting there
- 158 Kloof St, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa
Planning details
Location
158 Kloof St, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa · Directions
Also consider
Also Consider
- Fyn, Japanese Fusion, Japanese Fusion
- La Colombe, South African, South African
- Salsify at the Roundhouse, South African, South African
- The Test Kitchen, South African, South African
- Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia, South African, South African
Restaurant context
How The Bombay Bicycle Club Compares in Cape Town
If you are weighing where to spend a Cape Town dinner, the decision mostly comes down to ambition and budget. The Test Kitchen and La Colombe are the city's benchmark fine-dining options, both require advance planning, both carry significantly higher price points, and both deliver a more formally constructed experience. Fyn sits in a similar tier with a Japanese-inflected South African menu that draws heavy reservation demand. The Bombay Bicycle Club competes on none of those terms, and that is not a criticism, it is a different category of venue entirely.
Salsify at the Roundhouse is probably the closest peer in terms of approachability, though it carries more destination-restaurant energy given its Mouille Point setting. Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia offers a sharing-plates format in a wine estate setting, harder to book and further from the city centre, but worth it if views and estate atmosphere matter to your group. For a meal that stays within walking distance of the Gardens and Kloof Street hotel belt, The Bombay Bicycle Club is the most convenient option in its tier.
The practical read: book The Bombay Bicycle Club when you want a no-fuss neighbourhood dinner in a room with genuine character. Book The Test Kitchen or La Colombe when the meal is the centrepiece of the trip and you are willing to plan ahead and spend accordingly.
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full The Bombay Bicycle Club guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare The Bombay Bicycle Club
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bombay Bicycle Club | No published awards | , | Easy |
| Fyn | Japanese Fusion | Star Wine Lists 2026 · #12026 Relais Chateaux Restaurants2026 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #82We're Smart World Top Restaurants 2025We're Smart World Top 100 20252025 The Best Chef Three Knives2025 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 Relais Chateaux Award | Unknown |
| La Colombe | South African | Star Wine Lists 20262026 La Liste Top RestaurantsWe're Smart World Top Restaurants 20252025 La Liste Top Restaurants2025 The Best Chef Two Knives2024 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #492023 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #942010 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #122009 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #38 | Unknown |
| Salsify at the Roundhouse | South African | 2025 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #88We're Smart World Top Restaurants 20252025 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence2025 The Best Chef One Knife | Unknown |
| The Test Kitchen | South African | 2019 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #442018 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #502016 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #222015 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #282014 World's 50 Best Restaurants · #48 | Unknown |
| Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia | South African | 2026 La Liste Top RestaurantsWe're Smart World Top Restaurants 20252025 The Best Chef One Knife2025 La Liste Top Restaurants | Unknown |
What to weigh when choosing between The Bombay Bicycle Club and alternatives.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can The Bombay Bicycle Club accommodate groups?
Yes, and this is one of the more practical choices on Kloof Street for a group dinner. Gardens is a walkable neighbourhood, which makes pre- or post-dinner drinks easy to organise without coordinating transport. For larger parties, call ahead rather than booking online to confirm table configuration.
What should I wear to The Bombay Bicycle Club?
Kloof Street in Cape Town runs casual to relaxed-smart, and The Bombay Bicycle Club fits that register. Clean, casual clothes work fine here. This is not a venue where dress code will be enforced at the door.
Can I eat at the bar at The Bombay Bicycle Club?
Bar seating at Cape Town neighbourhood venues like this one is typically available for solo diners or walk-ins. It is worth asking when you arrive, particularly on busier evenings, as counter or bar spots often move faster than table reservations.
How far ahead should I book The Bombay Bicycle Club?
This is not a same-day scramble situation. Based on its position on Kloof Street in Gardens, a neighbourhood with consistent foot traffic, booking a day or two ahead for weekends is sensible, but you are unlikely to need the weeks-in-advance lead time that venues like The Test Kitchen or La Colombe require.
Is The Bombay Bicycle Club good for solo dining?
Yes. Kloof Street venues at this level are generally accommodating for solo diners, and Gardens is one of Cape Town's most walkable dining strips, so arriving and leaving alone is easy. If eating at the bar is an option here, that is the move for a solo visit.
