Foxcroft Restaurant — Restaurant in Western Cape

In typical Cape Town fashion, and with contrast to my last review, it was a beautiful, sunny winter’s day. Once again, I would be making my way to the very laanie suburb, Constantia. No judgment at all, I hope to have a house there one day with an unspeakable number of cats. Yes, you read that correctly. I want to be a cat lady with enough rooms for each cat.

Swiftly moving on, my business partner and I had the pleasure of dining at Foxcroft for lunch on Thursday afternoon. We arrived and were greeted by the host. It was a stunning day, so we sat outside in the courtyard. I really liked the relaxed atmosphere, it was peaceful and gave off the feeling of being on holiday abroad. We were surrounded by greenery and had just the right amount of sunlight shining down on us.

Soon enough, our waitress came to introduce herself and explain the menu. They’re running a winter lunch special: three courses for R595 per person. Naturally, we went with that. We ordered some sparkling water (obviously, fun water) and settled into our seats. What a lovely way to spend the day, I thought to myself, out loud.

The food! The unexpected bread course arrived, and if you’ve been reading my reviews, you know I absolutely love bread, and this bread is out of this world. Let me paint you a picture: a cloud-like rectangular shape I last saw in geometry class. I couldn’t remember the name… Actually, give me a sec, I’m going to Google it. There we go! A rectangular prism, topped with a thick herb dusting. I broke off a piece and smothered it in the garlic labneh. Fun fact about me, I’m not a lover of butter. The labneh almost dissolved into the warm, fluffy focaccia. First bite, catapulted to heaven. Creamy roasted garlic, salty herb crust, freshly baked bread. Need I say more?

Then came a trio of amuse bouches. Apologies, I can’t remember exactly what everything was. I think one was an aubergine taco thing? It was okay. The fried cheese ball was decent, can’t really go wrong with fried cheese, but not too memorable. The duck croquette, however, was small but mighty. It sat on a dollop of pesto-style sauce that added a lovely freshness.

For my starter, I ordered the cauliflower parfait. The plating reminded me of a painting I saw on First Thursdays. What I’m trying to say is, it was very pretty. It came with a semicircle of flatbread. Personally, I feel it should’ve been a full circle, there was more parfait than bread. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Rich and luscious, it mimicked the flavour of tahini. The sweetness from the sultanas added a mince pie nostalgia that I loved. Then: the beef cheek cavatelli. Fresh pasta (made that morning), coated in a rich, meaty bone marrow sauce, topped with generous parmesan shavings. It screamed comfort. It was hearty, and, as my ex once called me, full bodied. Somehow the pasta was al dente and melt in your mouth at the same time. The portion was perfect: rich enough to satisfy, small enough to leave you wanting one more bite.

Now for my absolute favourite. I don’t say this lightly, it’s in my top three eats of 2025. The Thai BBQ duck. I loved every element. Juicy duck with a crispy fat layer (which I usually avoid, but not this time). It came with sticky rice, which at first confused me, until I realised it was a scoop for the red curry sauce. That sauce, sweet, spicy, velvety, glued to the rice like a dream. It took me straight back to a hidden spot in Bali. Not the touristy kind. This dish was something special.

Just when we thought it was over, the kitchen surprised us with a koesister filled with chai custard. Scrumptious and generously filled. The spices, the sweetness, it was the perfect way to end a divine afternoon of eating.

Overall, I had a wonderful time. I highly recommend the winter special. And definitely order the duck, it’s phenomenal. Whether it's rainy or sunny, they’ve got you covered. The courtyard is gorgeous, but the interior is just as beautiful and inviting. Thank you Foxcroft for a fantastic...

Dining at Foxcroft Restaurant in Cape Town was an experience filled with moments of brilliance, playful surprises, and a few missteps. Set in a beautiful atmosphere with warm, attentive service, my business partner and I were excited to try their three-course menu (R495 per person). While some dishes shone brightly, it was the unexpected elements outside the main menu that truly stole the show.

The meal began with a bread course featuring light, fluffy focaccia paired with crispy greens and creamy labneh. Simple yet perfectly executed, the tangy labneh elevated the bread, setting a high standard for the meal.

A pre-starter trio arrived next, showcasing the chef’s creativity. The black garlic mousse tart was an absolute delight. It was rich, umami-packed, and so moreish I could have eaten several. The snoek pâté pastry was conceptually great, but the filling was too sparse to stand out. Lastly, the honey-glazed deep-fried quail leg, while tasty, felt a touch too oily, with the breading overpowering the delicate meat. Despite minor critiques, the playful presentation and bold flavors made this course memorable.

For the starter, I chose the Tuna Crudo with Szechuan pepper, ginger, coriander, and a sesame crisp. While visually stunning, the dish felt slightly off-balance. The sesame crisp was surprisingly sweet. It was more like a dessert element, and the coriander clashed with the sushi-inspired flavors of kewpie mayo and tuna. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it left me a bit puzzled.

The main course, honey-glazed duck with gem squash, turnips, chard, confit leg, and quince, had several standout elements. The sweet, glossy jus tied everything together beautifully, and the confit leg was tender and flavorful. The Parmesan and cream parsnip bake was indulgent and delicious, but the duck skin lacked the crispness that would have elevated the dish. While the plate had enjoyable components, it didn’t quite achieve the wow factor I’d hoped for.

Dessert, Bangkok Market Sweets, was unfortunately the meal’s weakest point. Thai tea ice cream, mango sticky rice, and a gelatinous dessert with salty coconut cream made up the trio. The ice cream lacked sweetness and felt more experimental than indulgent. The mango purée was the highlight of the plate, but the gelatinous element and overly salty cream were difficult to enjoy. It was a creative concept but didn’t land for me.

Thankfully, the meal ended on a high note with a surprise dessert, a koeksister filled with chai custard. It was absolutely divine. The spiced custard perfectly complemented the sticky, syrupy koeksister, creating a dessert I won’t soon forget.

The setting at Foxcroft is elegant and welcoming, and the service was exceptional. Our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. It’s clear the team is passionate and creative, even if some dishes lacked cohesion. For me, the highlights were the bread, pre-starter trio, and surprise dessert, which showed the kitchen’s potential at its best. While the main menu didn’t fully deliver, I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience Foxcroft’s imaginative...

During a recent holiday in Cape Town (Feb 2019), I booked a table for two at Foxcroft to celebrate a special occasion. The restaurant had been on my list for a while, so the excitement and expectation for the evening was high.

Upon arrival, we were huddled into a back corner where we were allocated two seats at a table of 10 strangers...sitting shoulder to shoulder able to hear all of their conversations. This was clearly uncomfortable for us, as well as the British couple seated next to us. Not special or romantic at all. To further add to the frustration, our British neighbors finished their meal and left while we were on our main course. This did not stop the waiting staff from vigorously cleaning the section of table right next to us, spraying table sanitizer and wiping crumbs and debris in all direction...including my plat with food. The chemical smell and the blatant disregard for my experience at this restaurant spoiled it for us completely.

Service was EXTREMELY slow and the don't-care attitude of the waiters is clearly underscored by the 12% service charge added to your bill, regardless of whether you actually received good service or not. Waiters leaned over our table, passing dishes from on to the other over our heads, plonking it down roughly in the vicinity of where I was seated and then ran off. On our second course, I received a dirty spoon...moist food from the previous diner still stuck on it. I asked for a replacement and waited nearly 5 minutes, food standing on the table getting cold.

Toilet facilities were appalling! It feels like the loading bay toilets at shopping mall back door. Dark dingy stairs covered in scraps of food and debris, dirty and smelly with a fire door where (presumably staff) took cigarette breaks with the door propped open with a bin. Disgusting.

Lastly, the food. Extremely well presented and balanced dishes. Amazing flavours throughout and indeed surprise in each mouthful. Portion sizes are VERY small and in my opinion, our evening there was more geared towards a pre-dinner snacking stop, than actually dinner itself.

If the seating arrangement, service, waiters' attention to detail, and cleanliness of the facilities was on par with the quality of food coming out of the kitchen, I would have given...