We had originally set out to find a good meat restaurant within walking distance of our hotel for our second evening in Cape Town. However, when we spotted Bukhara with their Indian and Asian menu combination, we decided the chance of a good curry was too good to ignore.

Bukhara’s concept was to set a new standard for Indian cuisine in South Africa, their large restaurant at the V&A Waterfront oozes opulence with three large dining rooms overlooking the harbour.

The dishes are served tapas style, so it’s possible to order from both Bukhara (Indian) & Haiku (Asian) menus and share around the table. We were split into two camps, Mike was ordering from the Indian menu whilst I ordered from the Asian menu.

I selected a starter of BBQ duck spring rolls and a main course of Thai lemongrass prawns with coconut rice. The spring rolls were crispy on the outside and stuffed full with delicious shredded duck, served with a dipping sauce. I was intrigued by the coconut rice, it was the first time I had eaten this, it was sweet and ever so slightly sticky, not unlike rice pudding. It actually made a good combination with the large king prawns which were wok cooked with chilli and decorated with crispy fried basil leaves on top. The prawns were cooked to perfection and fabulous, they had a lovely firm texture and were extremely tasty.


Mike picked a starter of chicken tikka and main course of butter chicken with basmati rice and a chilli parantha. The chicken tikka was deliciously moist breast meat and with a real chilli bite. The butter chicken was creamy, spicy and with a good amount of sauce. The parantha was one of the best Mike’s ever had, it was crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and filled with lots of thin slivers of vibrant green chilli.

We ordered a bottle of Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc to accompany the meal, which was the most expensive option for Chenin Blanc and still under €10 a bottle!

We liked the concept and decor of Bukhara, the restaurant has low lighting which can make reading the menu difficult, however our waiter was more than happy to explain the dishes and make recommendations. There are two kitchens, one for each cuisine, so our main courses were served a few minutes apart, which again wasn’t an issue for us and works for their tapas style.

Our bill came to R814 or €40 including the wine and food, at €20 per head we thought this was good value, other reviews suggest the restaurant is expensive by Cape Town standards.

Website: www.bukhara.com