Our spring picks: the places we love taking our guests

Our picks for the season: a seafood lunch above False Bay, a vineyard picnic, the sunset we never tire of and two of the Cape’s great drives.

By Andre & Dominique · 10 October 2026

Golden light on the granite boulders at Camps Bay, with the Twelve Apostles behind

By Andre & Dominique, Private Driver Service Cape Town · 10 October 2026

Every season, somewhere between the airport and the hotel, a guest asks us the same question: “If it were your day off, where would you go?” This series is our answer. These are the places we keep coming back to with our guests, the ones they still talk about at the end of the trip, and the people behind them who look after them so well.

Spring has arrived in the Cape: longer evenings, wildflowers on the slopes and whales still in the bays. Here are our picks for the season.

Our top choice for lunchBlack Marlin, Miller’s Point

Waves breaking on the granite rocks of the False Bay coast near Simon’s Town — The False Bay coast near Simon’s Town.

If we could only recommend one restaurant, it would be Black Marlin. It is our top choice for the food, for the view, and because guests always have good things to say about it afterwards. It sits just outside Simon’s Town at Miller’s Point, on the road to Cape Point, with the whole of False Bay in front of your table. Seafood is the star.

Best time: a long lunch on a Cape Point day. It is a daytime restaurant, so we plan the morning around it.

Our tip: keep an eye on the water. False Bay is one of the best whale-watching coasts in South Africa, and whales are often seen along the Cape coast from June to November.

Visit Black Marlin’s website →

If it were your day off, where would you go?

For a slow afternoonCape Point Vineyards, Noordhoek

A glass of white wine held up against the Cape coastline at dusk

When guests want to slow right down, we take them to Cape Point Vineyards for an afternoon picnic or a light lunch. The lawns look out over Noordhoek’s vineyards, the mountains and the Atlantic, and the picnic baskets come from the estate’s own kitchen. It is the kind of place where nobody wants to look at their watch.

Best time: summer is picnic season. Picnics are served daily from 12:00 to 16:00 and booking is essential, so tell us your date early and we will help with the booking.

Our tip: the estate sits at the Noordhoek end of Chapman’s Peak Drive, so it is a natural pause on the way back from Cape Point.

See picnics at Cape Point Vineyards →

All year roundSunset at Maiden’s Cove, Camps Bay

Sunset over Camps Bay with the Twelve Apostles mountains — Camps Bay and the Twelve Apostles at sunset.

This one is not seasonal: we do it all year round. Maiden’s Cove is our go-to spot to refresh at the end of a full day. Granite boulders, two tidal pools, Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles behind you, and the sun going down into the Atlantic. There is a quiet corner of the beach we love for a slow walk while the light changes.

Best time: the last hour before sunset. In spring and summer that falls in the early evening, so it rounds off a day beautifully.

Our tip: bring a light jacket, because the breeze picks up once the sun has gone. Between June and November, look out to sea for whales and dolphins.

About Maiden’s Cove (City of Cape Town) →

The drives we never tire ofChapman’s Peak Drive and Hout Bay

Guests at a viewpoint above a long Cape Peninsula beach — Our guests at a lookout on the Peninsula.

Some roads are just a way of getting somewhere. Chapman’s Peak Drive is the destination.

Some roads are just a way of getting somewhere. Chapman’s Peak Drive is the destination. It winds along the cliffs between Hout Bay and Noordhoek with the Atlantic straight below, and guests usually go quiet on the first bends, then ask to stop at every lookout. We are always happy to.

At the northern end, Hout Bay is where we like to slow down: the harbour, the beach and the view back across the bay. Our Hout Bay drives are some of our favourite hours of any day.

Guests at a viewpoint frame above Hout Bay — Above Hout Bay.

Best time: late afternoon, when the light turns gold on the cliffs, or as part of a Cape Point loop.

Our tip: Chapman’s Peak is a toll road and it closes from time to time for maintenance or bad weather. We check the road status on the morning and plan another scenic route if it is closed.

Road status on Chapman’s Peak Drive’s website →

Planning Cape Point? Read how we plan the day →

To the teams at Black Marlin and Cape Point Vineyards: thank you for looking after our guests so well. More of the places we love are in With thanks: places we love. And if you run a place our guests should know about, we would love to hear from you on WhatsApp.

Want to see these places for yourself? Send us your dates and we will plan a private day around your favourites, with a driver-guide from our family-owned team.

Website: privatedrivercapetown.sites.tab.bot · WhatsApp: +27 69 998 1525