Best Brunch With a View in Port Elizabeth: Great Food and Better Scenery
Words by
Liam van der Merwe
Best Brunch With a View in Port Elizabeth: Great Food and Better Scenery
I have spent the better part of a decade eating my way through Port Elizabeth, and if there is one thing this city does better than almost anywhere else on the Eastern Cape coast, it is combining a proper plate of food with a view that makes you forget about your phone entirely. The search for the best brunch with a view in Port Elizabeth has taken me from the old harbour walls to the hilltop suburbs overlooking Algoa Bay, and what I have found is a city that takes its morning meals as seriously as its ocean breezes. Whether you are after a waterfront brunch in Port Elizabeth with the smell of salt air on your table or a rooftop brunch in Port Elizabeth where the city sprawls out beneath you, this guide covers every spot worth your time and your appetite.
Port Elizabeth, now officially Gqeberha, sits on the western edge of Algoa Bay, and its geography gives it a natural advantage when it comes to scenic dining. The city rises from the flat coastal plain up into the Baakens Valley and the Settler Park hills, meaning that almost any elevated position offers a panorama of water, sky, and the long curve of the beachfront. The brunch culture here grew out of the café scene that exploded along the beachfront in the early 2000s, and it has matured into something genuinely impressive. You will find everything from classic eggs Benedict to modern South African twists, all served with views that rival anything on the Garden Route.
What makes the scenic brunch Port Elizabeth scene special is not just the food or the view in isolation. It is the way the two come together in a city that has always been defined by its relationship with the sea. Port Elizabeth was founded as a British settlement in 1820, and its identity has been shaped by the harbour, the beaches, and the trade winds that sweep across the bay every afternoon. When you sit down for brunch here, you are participating in a tradition of looking out at the water while you eat, something that sailors, dockworkers, and beachgoers have been doing for two centuries.
The Beachfront Strip: Where the Ocean Meets Your Plate
1. The Beach Hotel Restaurant, Marine Drive, Summerstrand
The Beach Hotel sits right on Marine Drive in Summerstrand, and its restaurant floor-to-ceiling windows face directly onto the Indian Ocean. I have eaten here more times than I can count, and the view never gets old, especially on a clear winter morning when the water turns that deep cobalt blue that photographers chase. The brunch menu leans heavily on seafood, which makes sense given that you can watch fishing boats heading out while you eat. Their smoked salmon eggs Benedict is the standout dish, served with a hollandaise that has just enough lemon to cut through the richness.
What to Order: Smoked salmon eggs Benedict with a side of their house-made rooibos iced tea, which is brewed fresh each morning and served in a tall glass with mint.
Best Time: Saturday mornings between 9:00 and 10:30, before the weekend crowd fills the terrace. The light at this hour is golden and the ocean is usually calmest.
The Vibe: Relaxed and family-friendly, with a steady hum of conversation and the occasional crash of waves audible even indoors. The only real drawback is that the outdoor terrace seats fill up fast on public holidays, and the wait for a window table can stretch to 30 minutes if you arrive after 11:00.
Local Tip: Ask for table 14 or 15 if you can. These are the corner tables that give you a dual view of both the ocean and the Humewood suburb behind you, and the staff will usually accommodate if they are not reserved. Most tourists do not know that the hotel also has a back entrance from the beach parking lot, which saves you the walk around the block from Marine Drive.
The Beach Hotel has been a Summerstrand landmark since the 1970s, and it carries that era's architectural confidence, all clean lines and ocean-facing glass. It connects to Port Elizabeth's long history as a seaside resort town, a place where families from Johannesburg and Pretoria have been coming for generations to escape the inland heat.
2. Something Good, Beach Road, Summerstrand
Something Good is the kind of place that locals guard jealously, and I almost hesitated to include it here because I do not want it to become overrun. It sits on Beach Road, just a few blocks from the ocean, and while the view is not directly waterfront, the elevated position gives you a clear sightline to the bay from the upper deck. The food is exceptional, think acai bowls, fluffy buttermilk pancakes with macerated berries, and a shakshuka that rivals anything I have had in Cape Town. The coffee is roasted locally, and they rotate their single-origin beans every few weeks.
What to Order: The buttermilk pancake stack with seasonal fruit compote, paired with a flat white made from their current Ethiopian single-origin roast.
Best Time: Weekday mornings, ideally Tuesday or Wednesday, when the weekend rush has cleared but the kitchen is still firing on all cylinders. Arrive by 8:30 to snag a deck seat.
The Vibe: Bright, airy, and unpretentious, with mismatched furniture and a playlist that leans toward indie folk. The minor frustration is that the Wi-Fi signal drops out near the back tables, so if you need to work while you eat, stick to the front section near the counter.
Local Tip: They do not take reservations, but if you message them on Instagram the evening before, they will sometimes hold a table for you. This is a well-kept secret among the Summerstrand regulars, and it works more often than you would expect.
Something Good represents the newer wave of Port Elizabeth dining, the post-2010 generation of cafés that care about sourcing, presentation, and atmosphere in equal measure. It sits in the same neighbourhood where the old Beach Road tearooms used to serve tea and scones to pensioners, and there is something satisfying about that continuity.
The Waterfront and Harbour: Brunch With Maritime History
3. The Harbour Master's Café, Port Elizabeth Harbour, Deal Street
Tucked inside the working harbour on Deal Street, the Harbour Master's Café is not the kind of place you stumble upon by accident. You have to know it is there, past the security gate and down a short gravel path that leads to a converted shipping office. The view from the small outdoor patio is extraordinary: you look out over the actual harbour, with container ships, fishing trawlers, and the occasional yacht all sharing the same waterway. The brunch menu is simple but well-executed, with a focus on hearty, no-nonsense food. Their full English breakfast is the thing to get, served with proper pork sausages and thick-cut bacon.
What to Order: The full English breakfast with a pot of strong rooibos tea. Skip the toast and ask for their homemade bread instead, which is baked on-site each morning.
Best Time: Sunday mornings, when the harbour is quietest and you can hear the gulls and the creak of mooring lines. The café opens at 8:00 on Sundays, and the first hour is the most peaceful.
The Vibe: Rustic and industrial, with exposed brick and old nautical charts on the walls. It is not fancy, and that is the point. The one complaint I have is that the bathroom facilities are basic, a single toilet in a converted storage room, so plan accordingly.
Local Tip: If you are driving, park on the street outside the harbour gate and walk in. The security guards know the café exists and will wave you through if you tell them you are heading there. Most visitors do not realise the harbour has any public-facing food options at all, so you will often have the patio to yourself.
The harbour is the beating heart of Port Elizabeth's economy, and it has been since the 1830s when the first British settlers realised the bay's potential as a deep-water port. Eating breakfast here, watching the working vessels come and go, connects you to that history in a way that no museum exhibit can replicate.
4. Pier 14 Restaurant and Bar, Hobie Beach, Marine Drive
Pier 14 sits at the edge of Hobie Beach, one of Port Elizabeth's most popular swimming spots, and its deck extends out toward the water in a way that makes you feel like you are dining on a pier. The brunch menu is extensive, covering everything from French toast to grilled line fish, and the portions are generous. I have had their eggs Florentine here more than a dozen times, and the spinach is always fresh, never the sad wilted pile you get at lesser spots. The view takes in Hobie Beach to the south and the curve of the coastline stretching toward Schoenmakerskop.
What to Order: Eggs Florentine with a side of crispy potato rosti, and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice that they press to order.
Best Time: Late morning on a weekday, around 10:30, when the early swimmers have left but the lunch crowd has not yet arrived. The light at this time makes the water look almost turquoise.
The Vibe: Casual and breezy, with a soundtrack of waves and distant beach chatter. The downside is that the deck can get uncomfortably warm in peak summer, January and February especially, because the shade sails do not cover the full seating area. If you are heat-sensitive, ask for a table under the permanent roof structure.
Local Tip: On the first Sunday of every month, they run a "bottomless mimosa" special from 10:00 to 13:00, and it draws a lively crowd. If you prefer quiet, avoid that window. Also, the parking lot at Hobie Beach fills up fast on weekends, so park on the side streets of Summerstrand and walk the five minutes down to the beach.
Pier 14 is part of the broader Hobie Beach precinct, which has been a recreational hub since the 1960s. The beach itself is named after the Hobie Cat sailboats that used to launch from the shore, and the area still has that laid-back, sun-bleached energy that defines Port Elizabeth's beach culture.
The Hilltop Spots: Rooftop Brunch Port Elizabeth at Its Finest
5. The Summit Restaurant, Baakens Valley, Belmont Terrace
The Summit Restaurant sits on Belmont Terrace, perched above the Baakens Valley with a view that sweeps from the city centre all the way to the harbour mouth. This is the closest thing Port Elizabeth has to a true rooftop brunch in Port Elizabeth, with an open-air terrace that catches the morning sun perfectly. The menu is more upscale than most brunch spots in the city, featuring items like duck confit hash and a smoked trout bagel that I think about more often than is healthy. The wine list is curated from Eastern Cape estates, and their MCC (South African sparkling wine) is a worthy substitute for champagne.
What to Order: The smoked trout bagel with caper cream cheese and pickled red onion, paired with a glass of Graham Beck Brut.
Best Time: Friday mornings, when the week's stress is lifting and the terrace is less crowded than on weekends. Arrive at 9:00 for the best light and the quietest atmosphere.
The Vibe: Sophisticated but not stuffy, with white tablecloths and a view that demands you take a photo. The one issue is that parking on Belmont Terrace is extremely limited, and the nearest public lot is a five-minute walk uphill, which is less than ideal in the summer heat.
Local Tip: If you are coming from the beachfront, take the Baakens Valley road rather than the main highway. It is a longer route but far more scenic, and you will pass through some of the oldest residential streets in Port Elizabeth, with Victorian-era houses that most visitors never see.
The Baakens Valley is where Port Elizabeth began. The original settlement grew along the Baakens River, and Belmont Terrace was one of the first roads built to connect the valley floor to the hilltop. Eating here, looking down at the city you just drove through, gives you a sense of the city's vertical geography that you cannot get from the flat beachfront.
6. The Deck at The Walmer, 6th Avenue, Walmer
The Walmer suburb is one of Port Elizabeth's most affluent and leafy neighbourhoods, and The Deck at The Walmer sits on 6th Avenue with a view that looks out over the treetops toward the distant ocean. It is not a rooftop in the strictest sense, but the elevated wooden deck gives you that same sense of being above the city, surrounded by indigenous trees and birdlife. The brunch menu is creative, with items like sweetcorn fritters with avocado salsa and a pulled pork Benedict that sounds unusual but works beautifully. Their juice bar is excellent, and the green detox juice is a genuine palate cleanser after a heavy night.
What to Order: Sweetcorn fritters with avocado salsa and a poached egg on top, plus the green detox juice (kale, apple, ginger, lemon).
Best Time: Sunday brunch, 10:00 to 12:00, when the Walmer crowd is out in force and the atmosphere is social without being overwhelming. The garden is at its most beautiful in spring, September to October, when the wildflowers are in bloom.
The Vibe: Garden-party elegant, with potted plants and string lights that make it feel like a private event. The drawback is that the deck is uncovered, so a sudden winter shower, and Port Elizabeth gets plenty of those in June and July, can cut your meal short. They do have indoor seating, but it lacks the same magic.
Local Tip: Walmer is home to the Port Elizabeth Golf Club, one of the oldest in South Africa, and if you are playing a morning round, The Deck is the perfect post-game brunch spot. Just let them know you are coming from the course, and they will seat you quickly even when there is a wait.
Walmer was originally a separate town from Port Elizabeth, established in the 1890s as a residential retreat for wealthy merchants who wanted to escape the industrial harbour area. That sense of genteel separation still defines the suburb, and The Deck captures that atmosphere perfectly.
The Hidden Gems: Scenic Brunch Port Elizabeth Off the Beaten Path
7. The St George's Park Clubhouse, Park Drive, Central
St George's Park is Port Elizabeth's oldest and largest public park, established in 1859, and the clubhouse restaurant sits at its heart with views of the cricket oval, the swimming pool, and the mature Norfolk pine trees that line Park Drive. This is not a place most tourists think of for brunch, which is exactly why I love it. The menu is straightforward, think omelettes, flapjacks, and a solid eggs on toast, but the setting is unmatched. On a Saturday morning during cricket season, you can watch a match while you eat, and the atmosphere is quintessentially Port Elizabeth.
What to Order: The flapjack stack with maple syrup and whipped cream, and a strong cup of coffee. This is not the place for culinary experimentation; it is the place for comfort food in a beautiful setting.
Best Time: Saturday mornings during the cricket season, October to March, when there is a match on the oval. The energy is infectious, and the smell of cut grass mixes with the coffee in a way that feels like summer.
The Vibe: Old-school and unhurried, with wooden chairs and a veranda that has not changed much since the 1970s. The service can be slow during peak times, especially when there is a big match and the clubhouse is full of spectators grabbing a quick bite between overs.
Local Tip: Walk through the park before you eat. The Rose Garden, the Pearson Conservatory, and the Port Elizabeth Lawn Tennis Club are all within a five-minute walk, and the whole area feels like a time capsule of Victorian-era public recreation. Most visitors drive straight past on their way to the beachfront without ever stopping.
St George's Park is the green lung of Port Elizabeth, and it has been since the city's earliest days. The cricket oval has hosted matches since the 1880s, and the park itself was designed as a public space for all residents, a democratic ideal that still holds true today.
8. Café Zest, Stanley Street, Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill is Port Elizabeth's oldest suburb, a maze of narrow streets and Victorian houses that climbs the hill above the city centre. Café Zest sits on Stanley Street, and while the view is not ocean-facing, it looks out over the rooftops of Richmond Hill toward the bay, a layered, textured panorama that is more interesting than a simple seascape. The café is small, maybe ten tables, and the brunch menu changes weekly based on what is available at the nearby Market Square. Their sourdough toast is legendary, baked in-house with a starter they have been feeding for over three years, and the eggs are free-range from a farm outside Uitenhage.
What to Order: Whatever the weekly special is, but always add a side of their sourdough toast with homemade apricot jam. The jam is made from fruit grown in the Eastern Cape, and it tastes like sunshine.
Best Time: Weekday mornings, ideally Thursday, when the weekly menu has just been refreshed and the café is at its quietest. The morning light through the front windows is soft and warm, perfect for reading the paper.
The Vibe: Intimate and personal, with the owner often working the counter and remembering regulars by name. The limitation is space; with only ten tables, you may have to wait for a seat during busy periods, and there is no reservation system.
Local Tip: After brunch, walk down Stanley Street toward the city centre. You will pass some of the best-preserved Victorian architecture in the Eastern Cape, including the old Richmond Hill Primary School and several houses that date back to the 1860s. The whole suburb is a living museum, and most people have no idea it exists.
Richmond Hill was the first residential suburb of Port Elizabeth, built in the 1840s for the merchants and professionals who worked in the town below. Walking its streets is like walking through the city's biography, and Café Zest is the perfect starting point for that exploration.
When to Go and What to Know
Port Elizabeth's brunch season runs year-round, but the best months for combining good weather with scenic views are September through November and March through May. These shoulder seasons give you clear skies, comfortable temperatures, and smaller crowds. The summer months, December through February, bring heat and humidity that can make outdoor dining uncomfortable, especially at uncovered venues. Winter, June through August, is mild by South African standards, but the wind picks up and some outdoor terraces become unusable.
Most brunch spots in Port Elizabeth open between 7:30 and 9:00 and serve until around 14:00. Prices range from roughly R80 to R150 for a main brunch dish, with coffee between R25 and R40. Tipping is customary at 10 to 15 percent, and most places accept card payments, though a few of the smaller spots are cash-only.
If you are driving, be aware that parking along the beachfront and in the hilltop suburbs can be challenging on weekends. Arrive early, and do not be prepared to walk a few blocks. Public transport is limited, so a car or ride-hailing service is your best bet for getting between venues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Port Elizabeth?
Most brunch venues in Port Elizabeth are casual, and smart casual attire is perfectly acceptable everywhere. The only exception is The Summit Restaurant, where neat casual is expected, no flip-flops or beach shorts. Tipping between 10 and 15 percent is standard practice, and it is polite to greet staff in English, which is the primary language of service in the city's dining establishments.
Is Port Elizabeth expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.
A mid-tier traveler can expect to spend between R1,200 and R1,800 per day, including accommodation (R600 to R900 for a decent guesthouse or B&B), meals (R300 to R500 for three meals including one brunch out), transport (R150 to R300 for fuel or ride-hailing), and activities (R150 to R200 for entry fees or excursions). Brunch at a scenic venue typically costs between R100 and R200 per person including a drink.
What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Port Elizabeth is famous for?
The "bunny chow," a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with curry, is the iconic street food of the broader Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal region, and several Port Elizabeth cafés serve their own versions during brunch hours. For something uniquely local, try a "spoeklekkewijne" pairing, which is a tasting of Eastern Cape wines, many of which come from vineyards within 100 kilometres of the city, served alongside a cheese board featuring regional dairy products.
How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Port Elizabeth?
Vegetarian options are available at nearly every brunch venue in Port Elizabeth, and fully vegan menus can be found at at least four dedicated plant-based cafés in the city, particularly along the beachfront and in the Richmond Hill area. Most mainstream brunch spots offer at least two or three vegan-friendly dishes, such as acai bowls, avocado toast, or vegetable shakshuka, and staff are generally knowledgeable about ingredients and cross-contamination.
Is the tap water in Port Elizabeth to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?
The tap water in Port Elizabeth is treated and considered safe to drink by municipal standards, and many locals drink it without issue. However, the city has experienced periodic water quality concerns, particularly during drought periods, and some travelers prefer to use bottled or filtered water as a precaution. Most restaurants and cafés serve filtered or bottled water by default, and it is always available for purchase at a nominal cost.
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