Seafood and sundowners at a beachside bolthole

On the outskirts of Cape Town, this buzzy restaurant is one to bookmark

Just a few minutes outside Cape Town, in the beachside area of Clifton, sits The Bungalow, a buzzy, chic Ibiza-meets-Beverly Hills restaurant accessed via a long drive with spectacular views of the vast expanse of blue sea. It comprises a casual outdoor patio that is all canvas, comfy pillows and reclaimed wood, and a more “formal” indoor room that glimmers with gilt, chandeliers and polished beige marble.

Our group opted for the breezy deck area. Restaurateur and hotelier Paul Kovensky (of Paranga and Zenzero fame) has thought of everything – from menus full of fresh, seasonal fare ideal for sharing, to cozy blankets for chilly evenings and a tiny plunge pool for decoration and late-night fun – and the overall ambience is relaxed and elegant.

No matter how lovely the view, however, in the end it’s all about the food – but how could it possibly match the magical setting? I was nervous, but unnecessarily so. Seafood takes centre stage – for starters there is tuna sushi and saba sashimi, colourful prawn fashion rolls (about £3.50-£5) and Namibian crab claw tempura with a sweet chilli sauce (about £7), or, as a main, native kingklip (about £9) and enormous langoustines. Towering platters of shellfish are perfect to kick off the meal in sculptural, scene-stealing style. Elsewhere on the menu, Bungalow signature salads of farm-fresh lettuces and house-made croutons (about £5.60) followed by simple yet satisfying burgers and steak sandwiches (from about £5.60) make for great midday meals, while grilled lamb cutlets with thyme and rosemary lemon salt (about £10.60) and the venison of the day (about £11) are more substantial.

I was enchanted by the kind (if slightly bumbling) service staff, all of whom answered all our questions – about everything from the crazy cocktails and endless list of South African wines, to the day’s line-fish carpaccio – with smiling warmth.

On to dessert and the restaurant’s devilishly delicious sundae (about £5) had me at “hello”. This profusion of luscious ice cream, caramelised almond brittle and homemade chocolate sauce was a crowd pleaser, plain and simple. Other classics we tried – Eton Mess (about £4), crème brûlée (about £3.50), and a seasonal fruit platter (about £6.50) – paled in comparison. But that was no surprise. What a finale...

The Bungalow, 3 Victoria Road, Clifton, Cape Town +2721-438 5600 ; www.thebungalow.co.za.