Where to Eat in Ballito: 11 Restaurants Locals Love
From Portuguese prawns to modern Italian, the names North Coast locals book on repeat
by
Justin Scott
· · Updated · 6 min read
The short version
- Eleven restaurants in and around Ballito, three of them in Salt Rock, picked but not ranked, with details checked in October 2026.
- Al Pescatore calls itself the oldest restaurant in Ballito: it opened on 1 May 1989 and has an ocean-facing deck with more than 200 seats.
- La Piazza on Albertina Way suits small children, with Bambini Land, a paid indoor play area for under-eights, next door.
Where you eat in Ballito depends on what kind of meal it is: a family birthday, a slow lunch with a view of the sea, or a quick supper on a weeknight. These are eleven restaurants in and around Ballito, three of them a few minutes north in Salt Rock, with what each one serves and why it is on the list. It is our pick and we have not ranked it. The details were checked against each restaurant's own pages in October 2026.
Mozambik
Belvista Centre, 12 Library Lane, Ballito
A South African chain that calls its food Afro-Porto. The Ballito branch has won in every edition of the Best of Ballito awards, which is a public vote. Food is cooked to order and can take 30 to 40 minutes, so do not come in a hurry.
- Try
- Prawns with peri-peri or lemon and herb sauce, espetadas or trinchado
- Price
- RR
- Open
- Daily 11:00 to 21:30
- Booking
- Dineplan, or 032 946 0979
La Piazza
1 Albertina Way, Ballito
On Albertina Way since 2013, and the one to choose with small children. Next to the restaurant is Bambini Land, a paid indoor play area for under-eights, and there is an arcade. Wood-fired pizza, pasta and antipasti, with gelato from its own gelato bar.
- Try
- Pasta with what the menu calls Mama's famous bolognese sauce
- Price
- RR
- Open
- Daily 08:00 to 21:00
- Booking
- Phone 032 946 1527
Al Pescatore
14 Edward Place, Ballito
It describes itself as the oldest restaurant in Ballito. It opened on 1 May 1989 in the Boulevard Centre and moved here in 2000, to a deck facing the ocean with more than 200 seats. Italian, with a wood-fired oven and a lot of seafood.
- Try
- The Mediterranean Grill Platter, its most popular dish: grilled prawns, mussels, hake, a fish kebab and prawns in phyllo
- Booking
- Phone 032 946 3574
SOI 55 (Thai Eatery)
Eat Street, Ballito Lifestyle Centre
Its owner and head chef, Goo Imthawin, was born and raised in Bangkok, and the restaurant is listed among Eat Out's Neighbourhood Gems. Small bites, satay and skewers from a hibachi grill, Thai curries including Massaman, and wok dishes such as pad Thai.
- Try
- Chu Chee, from the chef's favourites: crispy fried and topped with a red curry
- Price
- RR
- Open
- Daily 11:00 to 22:00
- Booking
- Online, or 032 032 0019
Concha Cafe and Bakery
Shop 1, 18 Compensation Beach Road, Ballito
A bakery, deli and coffee shop on the Ballito beachfront, on the corner of Compensation Beach Road and Library Lane. It bakes its own bread and pastries and serves a breakfast and cafe menu with a Portuguese accent. A daytime place.
- Try
- Pasteis de nata from its own bakery
- Price
- RR
- Open
- Daily 06:00 to 17:00
Kuta-Kola
17 Compensation Beach Road, Ballito
A sundeck with a view of the sea on Compensation Beach Road. It is a daytime venue, and it is not pet friendly.
- Good for
- Breakfast, lunch and cocktails
- Open
- 07:00 to 17:00 (listed hours)
- Booking
- Walk-ins only
Fiamma Grill
Coco De Mer Boutique Hotel, 63 Compensation Beach Road, Ballito
The restaurant at the Coco De Mer Boutique Hotel calls itself an Italian grill house, and the menu is wide: sushi, pizza and pasta, and steaks, fish and chicken from the grill, with a menu for children. One of the few places on this list open from breakfast until late.
- Try
- Fillet medallions, grilled on the open flame
- Price
- RR
- Open
- 07:00 to 23:00, kitchen 07:00 to 10:00 and 12:00 to 21:30 (May 2026 menu)
- Booking
- Phone 032 946 1029
The Fig Tree at Simbithi Country Club
Simbithi Country Club, 2 Club Lane, Simbithi
Inside Simbithi Eco-Estate, and open to the public. It has breakfast and a la carte menus. Its themed nights change, so look at the club's events calendar before you plan around one.
- Try
- The curry buffet on Wednesday nights, on the club's calendar
- Price
- RR
- Booking
- Phone 032 946 8360
Ray's Kitchen
Dunkirk Estate, Salt Rock
A neighbourhood bistro in the Dunkirk Estate clubhouse, so you pass estate security on the way in. Reviewers describe an Italian-leaning menu of pastas, risottos and pizzas with daily specials.
- Try
- The tuna lollipops, the starter reviewers single out
- Open
- Tuesday to Saturday 08:00 to 21:00, Sunday to 15:30
- Closed
- Mondays
Donna Modern Italian
Shop 1, New Salt Rock Centre, Salt Rock
The Salt Rock answer for a meal with children: it has a supervised playground. Pizza, pasta and other Italian dishes, with a breakfast menu too.
- Try
- Focaccio Prima Donna: prosciutto, rocket, gorgonzola and fresh tomato
- Price
- RR
- Booking
- Dineplan
Kung Thai
Shop 2B, New Salt Rock Centre, Salt Rock
Kung Thai began in Durban North in 2010 and opened this Salt Rock branch in early 2026. Thai tapas, soups, curries, stir fries and noodles.
- Try
- The Kung Thai: crispy chicken or duck in the house chilli, garlic and lemon sauce
- Price
- RR
- Open
- Tuesday to Sunday
- Booking
- Dineplan
Picking the night
With children, La Piazza and Donna both give them somewhere to play. With visitors, Al Pescatore has the sea view and the history. Kuta-Kola has a view too, but it closes at 17:00, so go for breakfast or lunch. Book ahead on weekends and in season. Several of these take bookings through Dineplan.
For more, town by town from Zimbali to Zinkwazi, see our pick of restaurants on the KZN North Coast.
New in 2026
Kung Thai, above, opened in 2026. These four also opened or relaunched near Ballito this year. They are not part of our eleven, and their details were checked against their own pages in October 2026. For everything else that is new, see what's new on the KZN North Coast.
Big Easy Winebar and Grill
Zimbali Lakes Clubhouse, 14 Sierra Lane, Zimbali Lakes
Ernie Els's restaurant at the new Zimbali Lakes clubhouse, open to the public since 10 May 2026. Its menu, in its own words, is inspired by South African heritage.
- Try
- One of the signature cuts from the grill, such as the 1 kg tomahawk
- Price
- RR
- Closed
- Mondays and Tuesdays
- Booking
- Dineplan, or WhatsApp 082 742 6769
Eleven Tribes
Zimbali Lodge, 1 Lodge Lane, Zimbali Coastal Estate
Zimbali Lodge's restaurant relaunched as Eleven Tribes in January 2026, with South African cooking built around the country's eleven cultural legacies. Day visitors are welcome. The estate is gated, so tell the restaurant you are coming and it will arrange your access at the gate.
- Try
- The grilled tomahawk steak, which the menu calls the chef's flagship
- Price
- RR
- Open
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Booking
- Advised, especially for dinner and at weekends. Dineplan, or 032 001 0550
Bellevue Cafe
Shop 72 and 73, Ballito Lifestyle Centre
The Kloof cafe opened its Ballito branch in 2026, in the space that used to be Toast. Coffee, pastries, pasta and wood-fired pizza.
- Try
- Wood-fired pizza on a sourdough base fermented for 72 hours
- Price
- RR
- Open
- Monday to Thursday 07:00 to 20:00, Friday 07:00 to 21:00, Saturday 07:30 to 21:00, Sunday 08:00 to 19:00
- Booking
- Dinner bookings welcome. By day, bookings only for groups of 8 or more
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Written by
Justin Scott
Editor of FabMags magazines, he loves writing about people, places and communities.
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