Visite gastronomique de Little Mogadiscio à Bellville, au Cap

Thanks Dennis and Lonwabo for sharing your detailed knowledge of food, culture, and this unexplored part of our city. Cape Town is such a foodie place, but I had no idea how cosmopolitan Bellville is today and what it has to offer. The (abundant) food was excellent as were our guides and the community you introduced us to. A great way to explore the cuisines of countries I may not get to visit.

This is my second tour with Dennis and team. Always so deeply connected with the rhythms and people. As a South African, I loved learning about this area right on my doorstep but quite intimidating to explore - especially on my own as a female. Dennis’s tour is deeply rooted in the daily lives of people. So much story to explore! And of course, delicious food. Highly recommend for tourists and locals alike to experience fringe African cultures and how they’ve helped shape societies (for the better). Thank you for your needed work Dennis xx

Around 20 minutes from Cape Town, Bellville boasts a unique cultural experience. Not only did we taste a variety of Middle Eastern & African cuisines, we had the opportunity to engage with cooks and small business owners. We were welcomed inside the mosque and learned about their interfaith and education programmes. Lonwabo took us inside a shop and enlightened us on many Xhosa cultural traditions. This tour is for both locals and international visitors and thanks to Dennis for curating this unique, inclusive and cultural experience.

Amazing experience - beautiful curated journey through food, people, played systems of movement, space and culture. Highly recommend if you want something meaningful (and delicious!) beyond the usual Cape Town tours. The food was incredible from start to finish. From the starting point, landing into a space I have never passed through in over 20 years in CPT, to every stop felt intentional. You get real insights into the invisible story of a very alive Bellville. Didn't feel performative, and intrusive, you can clearly feel the care in how it is put together, without feeling staged or contrived. The pacing is also great, a nice balance of walking and sitting, I felt safe and well guided the whole time. Good slow vaaibe, to sit, eat, drink fresh juice and the spicy Ethiopian coffee and to take things in, which is often the opposite how one moves through Bellville (well me at least).

I highly recommend this tour for locals and internationals. I’ve lived in Cape Town for 20 years and had never been to this part of the city before today. It was great to eat Syrian, Burundian, Malawian, Ethiopian and Somalian food, plus visit two different traditional healers and a shop selling shwe shwe fabrics and everything that Xhosa men need for initiation. Definitely an unexplored Cape Town adventure for me! Wonderful food and storytelling

A great food adventure that took us to eateries you wouldn’t normally find in Bellville. It wasn’t just about the food — it was also about the stories behind the restaurants and the street food we got to taste. What really made the experience special was the intimate group and the people we met along the way. I loved how thoughtfully the stops were curated. My favourite part was sharing a meal with the group at the Ethiopian restaurant. You always find something unique on these tours.

I have been staying in Cape Town for more than 20 years now but I will tell you, this is the most genuine and authentic African food tour you can ever experience here in Cape Town. I normally experience such diversity of African food only when I visit Johannesburg, specifically Yeoville.

I did the Little Mogadishu tour with Unexplored Cape Town and it was an extraordinary experience. Not only because the food was very good, but because it gave me the opportunity to discover a completely different side of Cape Town. Belleville is far from the city center, and it is absolutely worth the visit. Simply walking through the streets is already a powerful experience of immersion. I’m truly grateful for the sensitivity with which they guide the tour and share history and culture, for the genuine care they show for the local community, and for how thoughtfully they choose the places — not just for the food, but for the importance these businesses have within the community. On top of everything, the sensory experience with the food was absolutely incredible.

I had an amazing experience on this food tour! Everything was well organised, relaxed, and full of flavour from start to finish. The selection of food was excellent and gave a real taste of the local culture and hidden gems you wouldn’t easily find on your own. The guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience fun and engaging. I left feeling full, happy, and with a much deeper appreciation for the food scene. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting it’s an absolute must-do!

The Little Mogadishu tour was filled with amazing food, great energy! Our guide, Dennis, was incredibly knowledgeable about Bellville (and Cape Town in general). We began at a Syrian owned restaurant and ate a mix of shawarma, two types of rice, falling-off-the-bone lamp, and a delicious avocado smoothie popular in Somalia. This was just the beginning! We also tried some of the best Ethiopian food I've had in Cape Town. We noticed bananas on almost every table and learned that Somalis are particularly fond of eating bananas with their food, so we gave it a try (and it was tasty). As we walked around the neighbourhood, we had tender Shisa Nyama, freshly squeezed watermelon and mango juice, a store selling traditional items needed for the Xhosa bush initiation, and tried Somali coffee! As a diasporan who has spent time in other Somali communities, it was a truly unique and incredible experience to learn about Little Mogadishu in Cape Town and the positive impact many people believe the Somali population have had on the City of Cape Town. If you want to learn and eat your way through "Little Mogadishu" Bellville, Unexplored is the way to go. You will not be disappointed!