Laid-back dining

“Olympia Café first opened in 1919 as a tearoom and had been a café in various guises since then,” says Kenneth McClarty, the owner of Olympia. “When we opened in 1997, it was a sad café and bait shop. We turned it into the space it is today, and had lots of perplexed fishermen coming in in the early months looking for hooks and bait!”

With an ever-changing menu of fresh fish and seafood (although the consistently excellent mussels are an absolute mainstay), the restaurant is relaxed and informal, which pairs very well with Kalk Bay’s beach culture and is really something that everyone across all walks of life can enjoy.

“I love the unique character of the Kalk Bay village,” says Kenneth, when asked what he enjoys about being based in the suburb. “It has proximity to the sea and mountain, and a strong sense of community and neighbourhood support. Lots of artists, writers and creatives live here, and there’s a great mix of residents – in fact, Kalk Bay was one of very few places that escaped the Group Areas Act.”

Next door to the restaurant, you’ll find the fabulous bakery – a wonderful spot to pick up grab-and-go pastries, breads (the ciabatta is excellent!) and coffee before heading out to explore the suburb.

Adjoining the eclectic Railway House, an antique shop owned by Geoff Ross, is its in-house restaurant, Ohana Café. Geoff first moved to Kalk Bay in 1981 to enjoy the world class waves that the Kalk Bay Reef boasts and started the shop in 1997, sourcing unusual vintage items from South Africa and Argentina.

Ohana’s first incarnation was as a crêperie that was started after customers frequently commented how nice it would be to enjoy a coffee whilst browsing the carefully-curated treasures inside. The restaurant was run by a French yachtsman, and after he decided to return to the high seas, Violet the Coffee Queen and Candice took up the reins and Ohana was formed. When Candice left in 2021 to relocate to New Zealand, Geoff headhunted Janis Merand, who put her culinary experience to good use by introducing new menu items and a Sunday Harvest Table that’s filled with colourful, fresh and wholesome dishes.

With panoramic views of the ocean, buckets of sunlight and a remarkably wind-free setting, Ohana Café is an unpretentious, unfussy spot that loves to celebrate vegetables – so much so that they’re often mistaken for a vegan restaurant. Everyone’s welcome – from early-morning swimmers, still in their cossies, to well-heeled antique browsers, tourists and families.

Some of the menu favourites you must try are the famous Ohana Buns (croissant dough with butterscotch sauce and pecans), eggs benedict (served on freshly baked sourdough or rosti), and the Middle Eastern-style chicken koftas on sumac yoghurt with muhamarra (roast red pepper and walnut sauce).