"Bree Street's brioche-cheeseburger institution since 2011, low-lit and natural-wine-stocked — book a booth for an easy, talkative first date."
About Clarke's Bar & Dining Room
Lyndall Maunder opened Clarke's at 133 Bree Street in 2011, named for her mother's maiden name, and it helped set the template for what Bree Street became. Maunder had cooked with David Higgs and George Jardine and run the kitchen at Superette, and she brought that pedigree to a deliberately unfussy all-day room: Scandi-leaning decor, ingredients sourced with care, and almost everything made in-house. The reputation rests on a brioche cheeseburger that locals will argue is the best in Cape Town, an all-day breakfast worth repeating, and a small, well-chosen natural wine list.
The Kitchen
Clarke's is a chef-owner's bistro rather than a fine-dining kitchen, and the cooking reflects that: tight, in-house, comfort-led. The signature is the beef burger on a buttery brioche bun, the dish most regulars order and the one the room is best known for. Close behind is the big breakfast, with a dozen takes on eggs including fire eggs baked in a tomato-and-chickpea stew, plus a Reuben and a soup-and-grilled-cheese that has long been one of the better affordable lunches in the city centre.
Prices stay accessible: breakfast plates start around R25, and the burger and lunch mains keep Clarke's firmly in everyday-spend territory rather than special-occasion. Maunder's kitchen makes its own breads, pickles and sauces, which is why the simple things, the bun, the dressing, the bread for the Reuben, land better than the menu's modesty suggests. Clarke's has been a Bree Street fixture since 2011 and is a regular on Cape Town dining lists, including Eat Out's venue guide, which is the dated marker of how durably it has held its place on the strip.
The Room
The room is warm, low-lit and busy, with a long bar, banquette seating and a buzz that builds through the day. The sound level climbs at peak service, so this is a place for easy talk rather than a hushed dinner. Lighting is flattering and dim in the evenings, the decor is pared-back Scandinavian, and the dress code is no-rules Cape Town casual. Clarke's leans hardest to breakfast and lunch, so the energy is brightest by day; take a booth or a bar seat, and book ahead at peak times because the room is compact and fills fast.
Best for a Relaxed First Date
Book a booth at Clarke's for a low-stakes first date, because the room does the work: low light that flatters, a buzz that fills any awkward pause, and a menu, burgers, breakfast, natural wine, that nobody has to overthink. It is affordable enough that picking up the bill is no drama, and central enough to move on afterwards along Bree Street. For more, see our guide to the best Cape Town restaurants for a first date, the wider best restaurants for a first date, and our best restaurants for a business lunch for the daytime version.
Not for
Not for a quiet, formal dinner. It is a busy all-day spot that leans to breakfast and lunch, gets loud at peak, and the menu is bistro comfort food rather than fine dining.
Frequently Asked
Is Clarke's worth it?
Yes, for what it is. Clarke's is not fine dining; it is a well-run, affordable all-day bistro that helped define Bree Street, and the brioche cheeseburger and big breakfast are genuinely good. Owner Lyndall Maunder makes most things in-house, which is why simple plates punch above their price. Go for breakfast or lunch, order the burger, and treat it as a reliable, good-value Cape Town staple rather than a special-occasion blowout.
How hard is it to book Clarke's?
Not hard, but worth booking at peak times. Clarke's is a compact room at 133 Bree Street that fills fast for weekend breakfast and lunch, so reserve ahead through Dineplan or call if you want a booth at busy hours. Quieter weekday mornings often take walk-ins. It leans to daytime trade, so the breakfast and lunch sittings are the ones that book out first.
What should I order at Clarke's?
Order the beef burger on the brioche bun, which is the dish Clarke's is famous for and a regular contender for the best cheeseburger in Cape Town. For breakfast, the big breakfast and the fire eggs baked in tomato-and-chickpea stew are the picks, and the Reuben and the soup-and-grilled-cheese are reliable lunches. Pair it with something from the small natural wine list.
What is the dress code at Clarke's?
There is no dress code at Clarke's. It is a relaxed, all-day Bree Street bistro where Cape Town casual is the norm, from breakfast in shorts to smart-casual for an evening drink. Dress for comfort. The room is warm and unpretentious, so the only real expectation is that you are happy in a busy, buzzy space rather than a formal dining room.
Is Clarke's good for a first date?
Yes. The low lighting, easy menu and lively buzz make Clarke's a low-pressure first-date spot where conversation flows and the bill stays friendly. It is central on Bree Street, so it is easy to carry on elsewhere afterwards. For more relaxed, talkative rooms in the city, see our best restaurants for a first date.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Clarke's
Via Dineplan · best for breakfast and lunch
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Practical Information
Address133 Bree Street, Cape Town 8001
NeighbourhoodBree Street, City Centre
CuisineAll-day American-style bistro
PriceBreakfast from R25 · mains mid-range
Dress CodeNo-rules casual
ReservationDineplan / direct
Known forBrioche cheeseburger, big breakfast
