Breakfast, lunch or dinner - one could be forgiven for thinking the Cape of Good Hope was so named for the sure promise of great food.

The fragrance of the spice-rich Cape Malay curries, bakes and pastries is a seduction few can resist. Dishes include bobotie - a ground beef and raisin delight covered with a creamy egg crust, breyani - a spicy rice and lentil base finished with the addition of fish, poultry or meat. Try a pastry covered mince or vegetable snack - samoosa or a koeksister, a sweet plaited pastry enjoyed with coffee or tea.

Cape Town has a number of excellent African fusion restaurants. The ambience and combination and variety of local foods will please every palate. Some of the better known African fusion restaurants include the Africa Café in the City Bowl, Mama Africa on Long Street and Moyo's at the Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands.

The more ethnic offerings to be found in the Cape are best represented in traditional township fare. Local delicacies like wood-fired meats, morogo (wild spinach) and "samp 'n beans" can only be truly appreciated when shared with friends in a township "shebeen" (township restaurants/bars). Lelapa Restaurant and Eziko Restaurant, both in Langa on the Cape Flats, offer excellent traditional food buffets. Igugu le Africa in Khayelitsha has a set menu of traditional food that will not disappoint.

In the Cape, meat is popular and plentiful. Lamb and mutton from the Karoo is a treat not to miss. Ostrich meat, especially the low fat steaks are gaining in popularity. When visiting Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, try Jemima's Restaurant for well-prepared ostrich dishes. Venison, especially springbok and kudu are popular features on restaurant menus. Lobst's in Paarl in the Cape Winelands and Lapa Lanterfanteer in Gansbaai on the Cape Overberg coast offer excellent varieties of game meat. Another local delicacy is biltong, dried meat. Biltong can be made from beef, kudu, springbok and ostrich meat. If you?re on the road, grab some as "padkos", Afrikaans for food for the road.

Some of the Cape?s more exotic eateries that can be found way beyond the city limits include Mossel Bay's Khoi Restaurant where traditional, millennia-old Bushman recipes can be enjoyed under the stars. Don't forget the oysters in Knysna. Freshly harvested oysters, with good wine, while cruising on the Knysna Lagoon is decadence at its best. If you?re headed up the Cape West Coast, you'll find a variety of outdoor beach restaurants. Here diners gather on the beach for freshly caught fish and shellfish cooked in large ovens dug into the beach itself.

Good food, anywhere almost anytime and good value for money - that's Cape cuisine. Watch the local media for your good food guide.