It’s that time of the year when YOU get to vote in our annual Readers Choice Top 5 Halaal Restaurants in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban!

In 2025 the South African halaal restaurant scene continues to grow and diversify: more mainstream chains and independent operators are opening fully-halaal outlets, new neighbourhood cafés, bakeries and casual-format Italian/fast-casual restaurants launched across Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, and there’s a visible shift toward higher-end halaal options.

New players like Kawali House took luxe dining and themed fusion concepts to create something truly unique in Johannesburg. 24 hour outlets like Relish is making late night dining stylish and Cape Town is leading the charge to be crowned the home of the best smash burger.

Dessert cafés are trending with outlets like Peony Waffle, Milas and Ala Turkish Beyond taking centre stage. And of course there’s “Matcha”, the other buzzword on everyones’ lips. Cova is bringing matcha into more than just their drinks with infused cookies and cakes.

Durban continues to be a halaal stronghold. 2025 saw Spur Group acquire the Doppio Zero brand which opened a fully-halaal branch on Durban’s foodie precint of Florida Road. Shortly after we saw another branch open in Benoni in Gauteng. A positive response to the call for more upmarket halaal outlets from the Muslim community.

Let’s end the year on a celebratory note and recognise the standout halaal eateries for 2025! We want you to vote for your favourite restaurant in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban and you could be our big winner. These are criteria you should bear in mind when casting your vote:

• Quality of food
• Presentation of food
• Service
• Atmosphere
• Consistency

Vote for your favourite restaurant or eatery of the year in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban and you could WIN Cookware from Chef Diversitas worth R10,000!

Chef Diversitas Cookware
Includes: 28cm Pot, Wok, 32cm Pan, 28cm Braise Pan
•⁠ ⁠Superior non-stick coating for effortless cooking & cleanup
•⁠ ⁠⁠Heavy-duty aluminium ensures even heat for perfect results every time
•⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Scratch-resistant, durable build made to last
•⁠ ⁠⁠Removable handle makes it oven-safe and dishwasher-friendly
Visit the Chef Diversitas Website

How to enter:

Only one vote per person per region. All you have to do is:

1. Comment below with your choice, specify Cape Town, Johannesburg or Durban, or enter on social media via Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok.

Rules:

1. Enter on any Hungry for Halaal platform the competition is running on. You can vote for all 3 regions but only one vote per person per region.
2. Only fully halaal restaurants will be considered.
3. The prize will be delivered to an address in South Africa only.
4. Competition closes 15 December 2025.
5. Restaurants that offer prizes for votes will be disqualified.