I had a fun challenge for my fiancé’s birthday a few weeks ago: find a restaurant in a town whose food scene I don’t know, and pick a place he’s guaranteed to love.
He’s usually happy to try new things, but if left to his own devices he will pick one of his favorites: pizza, burgers, or nachos. For his birthday I decided to indulge him.
We’ve had limited luck with pizza in Cape Town — it tends to be either disappointing or on the lighter side, not the greasy, saucy, filling pies we crave. I’m sorry, Cape Town: you have many great qualities, but pizza making hasn’t yet won me over. There are still a few places left to try, so I may be proven wrong, but pizza was out for this occasion.
Most Mexican spots here lean toward the higher end and serve creative dishes like butternut quesadillas and octopus ceviche, which I’m excited to try someday, but not the giant, cheesy nacho platters he loves. So Mexican was off the list too.
That left burgers, which was perfect. Cape Town has some excellent sandwich and burger options. After researching several contenders I settled on Royale Eatery. Their tagline reads:
“Royale is a restaurant. We serve burgers. Not just any burgers – burgers that make your soul tingle and your dreams come true.”
Yes — this was definitely where we’d eat.
I made reservations for a Friday night. Royale has a separate upstairs area for bookings with a distinct vibe and decor, and a curious note: you can’t order pizza if you’re seated upstairs (a detail I wish their website highlighted). Fortunately we weren’t there for pizza. The space upstairs is gorgeous and comfortable.
For drinks, I had a Mango and Coconut Batida while my fiancé chose the house red.
Royale does inventive things with burgers, offering a variety of meats: beef, wagyu, lamb, chicken, fish, ostrich, and chorizo among them. Their menu encourages experimentation and bold flavors.
My fiancé ordered the Cheddar Royale with added chorizo, and I chose the Merino burger — a lamb patty topped with roasted red pepper pesto, coriander, and caramelized onions. Both were cooked and seasoned beautifully.
We couldn’t skip dessert: Royale is known for its milkshakes. Since it was his birthday, my fiancé chose a chocolate peppermint shake — a rich chocolate base dotted with crisp, minty peppermint balls. It was a playful, satisfying finish to the meal.
Royale Eatery lived up to the hype: it served some of the best burgers I’ve had in Cape Town. Bold flavors, thoughtful combinations, and excellent shakes made it a memorable birthday dinner.