Above the acclaimed seafood restaurant Galjoen on Cape Town’s Harrington Street, Seebamboes is a new 16-seater dining concept that reimagines surf and turf through a distinctly local lens. Helmed by chef Adél Hughes and born from the creative minds behind Belly of the Beast and Galjoen, Anouchka Horn and Neil Swart, this intimate space invites guests on a playful, deeply flavourful journey through the Western Cape’s rich culinary terrain.
At a recent media preview, we were welcomed into the warm, contemporary mezzanine space—its weathered-glass design details and foraged “wall of curiosities” creating a homage to the shoreline where land and sea meet. Through the open kitchen, chefs worked creatively, thoughtfully, plating each course just metres from us.
The lunch menu unfolded like a story, beginning with a bold snack of Klipkombers chips paired with a Worcestershire-marinated oyster and pineapple chutney, the salt and tang playing beautifully together. This was followed by West Coast snoek pâté, enhanced with biltong powder, braaied grapes, spekboom, and a delicate brown bread crisp—a dish that grounded us firmly in Cape tradition but with a fine-dining twist.
From there, we dove into a Cape Point octopus and fermented tomato flatbread, elevated by smoky Nduja and seaweed chimichurri—a standout for its balance of heat, acidity, and texture. Then came the “Dive-In Bowl,” featuring aged Franky Fenner rump, Seebamboes, seaweed, and exotic mushrooms in a rich Betty’s Bay dashi—an umami bomb that felt comforting yet layered with intrigue.
The braaied Swellendam lamb, marinated in a sardine garum, served alongside tomato carpaccio and dune spinach, brought the earthiness of veld and fire to the fore. A refreshing watermelon and suurskuimples popsicle offered a nostalgic interlude before the boldest dish of the night: blesbok loin served with steamed mussels, a curry chowder sauce, and cabbage cooked in a kelp stipe.
To end, a playful and utterly delicious ice cream sandwich—vanilla ice cream between chocolate chip cookies, dipped in caramel crunch and dustings of sea lettuce—echoed seaside memories while anchoring the experience in comfort and indulgence.
Wines were poured by the glass from an offbeat list curated to challenge and complement. From textured whites to light reds, each pairing was surprising and deliberate.
Throughout the meal, what stood out most—beyond the technical skill and ingredient integrity—was the team’s storytelling. This was not surf and turf as we know it. It was seaweed with meat, veld herbs with mussels, and kelp as a cooking vessel and inspiration. It was memory, place, and invention on a plate.
Bookings are essential for this one-of-a-kind culinary adventure where South Africa’s shores are the stage—and the story is entirely homegrown.
Seebamboes
Where: 99 Harrington St, District Six, Cape Town
Phone: 066 387 0264
Bookings: Dineplan