Review Salty Sea Dog - Simon's Town

I’d definitely recommend giving The Salty Sea Dog a try. We had the hake & chips, snoek & chips and a chicken burger. The chips were perfect, nice and soft on the inside, a little crispy on the outside. The snoek was absolutely delicious, and I’d especially recommend trying it if you haven’t before. The hakes were a bit oily but fresh and good nonetheless, and the batter to fish ratio was perfect! The chicken burger was underwhelming, the chicken patty tasted like it was one of those cheap freezer patties but then again this is a seafood restaurant. Our food arrived very quickly even though it was busy. And the servers are friendly as well. It has a pretty good atmosphere, very laid back and family friendly.

"Salty Sea Dog impresses with fresh seafood, lively atmosphere, and friendly service. A coastal gem delivering delicious flavors that keep you coming back for more!"

Overall it was a great experience and I would recommend The Salty Sea dog. We ordered the platter which was fish, onion rings, calamari, prawns, samoosa, chips and rice with a tartar sauce all for R370 which was all worth it. Value for money. We also ordered a fish cake for R45 which was so massive, a size of a saucer. The service was great and food came out fast even though it was busy. The chips were a bit overdone for me and a bit too much oil or deep fried. Hoping the prawns would be grilled and not deep fried. Spacing of tables were a bit too close that it became a bit of a maze to get out but these are all minor things. Real value for money and good food

An exquisite eatery to enjoy scrumptious fish & chips made to perfection, while enjoying the view of docked boats in the bay. Just a wonderful time spent near the ocean with family. A must visit when in Simonstown, CT!

Very good and fresh food, perfect service, nice location. Highly recommend! Give the kingclip fish a go.

The best fish and chips I have ever had in my life. Food arrives quickly, fish is fresh and tastes delicious. Service is good.

Excellent meal, value for money, really big portion, if u have children under 10yr half portion to share should be enough. Difficult to find parking during festive season holiday.

I was fortunate to have arrived here just as they recieved fresh hake and they were busy filleting the fish. Fantastic light batter, great crisp and texture. The fish itself was truly a great experience, never tasted hake like this. The chips though was a bit of a let down, it was pre blanched, frozen, still ok though. The fish alone puts this place in my top 3 all time fish and chips restaurants. The calamari also was really good. Located in simons town, right in the harbour that they receive their fish from. Well worth the trip to this little unassuming venue. If you really looking for the best fish Cape Town has, this place needs to get on your list.

Definitely the best place for fish n chips. The fish was fresh and served piping hot and it went down well with the beer. The view from the restaurant is really nice as well. It's worth driving down through Chapman's Peak Drive from Cape Town to Simon's Town and top it with a meal here.

We liked this restaurant. Good old fish and chips style on the Harbour. Plain and simple menu. Friendly fast service and value for money. You have a view of the Simon's town Harbour and all its activities.

Our go to place for fish & chips in Simonstown. The portion sizes are generous and the hake is fresh and perfectly cooked in a crispy batter. We generally share one portion of hake & chips between 2 adults. Covid protocols are followed with tables well spaced out. The covered 'outside' area has good fresh air flow on hot days. Staff are friendly. The non-alcoholic Savanah is a great substitute for a beer.

It was a windswept day in Simonstown but never regret going there for a meal, drinks or both or just to walk around. We popped into The Salty Sea Dog for lunch and were not disappointed! Although it sounded like the outside deck roofing was about to blow up, the wine was nicely chilled and the meals [Fish & chippies] were excellent, Just simply the best!!!! The fish (Hake) tasted so fresh, It was as if it had been caught an hour earlier. We will definitely be back!! WELL DONE...

Easily some of THE freshest and tastiest 🎣 & 🍟 I've ever had! Waiters a tad lethargic and uninterested which is minus 1 star.. (should've been 5!)

Amazing haki fish and chips for my daughter and calamari with rice for myself. The staff was friendly and gave good and professional recommendations. Love the local atmosphere

I took family members there for a late lunch. The food was exceptional, and fresh and the service was fast & efficient. I definitely recommend this establishment for their fish dishes

A great place for take away fish and chips or calamari. The prices are fair for portion size and the hot chips satisfy your cravings for good old chips especially with the vinegar dressing. The interior is quite small - however the outside area offers fresh sea air and much more lighting whilst you eat which makes for a great spot to grab lunch.

What a lively little take away fish and chips spot! The seating also looks cozy, although we just got takeaways and ate on the quay. The food was delicious as well, but we had to wait quite a while because they were very busy.

Visited this place for a quick pick up lunch of hake, calamari and chips on the way to the beach. The hake batter looked yellow, and let's just say I've had better. Calamari was great, so my advice would be to go with the calamari. It is what it is, I wasn't exactly expecting fine dining, but even for fish and chips quick take away, I have had better.

Came here for lunch. They were only doing a takeaway menu. The restaurant was full. We waited 30 minutes for our food. Ordered the hake and chicken burger and large chips. I thought the hake was overpriced but when it arrived it was quite a big piece. The chicken burger was alright - very average and tastes like a homemade frozen chicken burger. The only thing I didnt like was the mayonnaise on the burger as it wasn't a good mayonnaise. Overall I would recommend this place just be prepared to wait a while for your food.

First impression walking into the restaurant - waiters / servers were not interested in serving us and before even ordering (at 3:10pm) they told us "we are closing at 4pm so you can't sit down. Take away only " <br/><br/>The food was oily and not as fresh as advertised. The whole atmosphere was unwelcoming and I was actually looking forward to leaving. <br/><br/>Not the a great place for take away either. Rather buy fish in Johannesburg than here.<br/>If the attitude improved of the employees - it will drastically change my perception of the place

Although this is not the fanciest sit down restaurant, it has a Harbour charm, serving amazing hake or calamari and chips. <br/>If you want to full experience l, get a take-away and eat on the jetty/quay. <br/>Definitely worth a visit if you're looking for something casual and fun in Simons Town. <br/>Their food is very well priced.

I came here having heard about how great the fish and chips are. When my food arrived I tried to add salt to my chips, only to have the salt shaker break and empty the entire contents onto my food. The staff were apathetic and couldn't have cared less. What a disappointment.

Love this place for a calamari and chips takeaway to eat at the harbour. Avoid during the weekend lunchtime rush though. Takes ages to get your order. Otherwise one of my favorite things to do in Simonstown. The chips are awesome and the calamari is good.

Busy little restaurant and a little crowded, got a take away and went to go sit on the docks! Food was fantastic had the classic hake and chips with some calamari! Can definitely not complain!

This was just the fish and chips fix we were looking for! We had the combo platter with Hake, Snoek, Calamari and prawns. Just delicious and the service was excellent. Loved the location with harbor view and slatted ceiling to let the sunshine in. We would definitely come back if we were in the area.

Let's be honest, it just want's to be good, but never has been, yes some days you hit a 3 and other days a 3.5, but have you really ever got some good fish and chips here? With all said and done I would expect more, sorry but not worth the time nor money

First time at the salty sea dog and had a great experience, great service and positive attitude from our waiter Mandilive definitely enhanced our experience. We had the platter combo which is enough to feed 3 people in my opinion, we took plenty home. The curry prawn samoosas was really nice and I will definitely have them next time. The setting is abit crowded and tables are very close together and I can see this can be a problem when very busy but overall I had a good experience.

Absolute trash. One of the worst meals I've had. Soggy fish, soggy chips. Go to Kalk bay - lucky fish and Kalky's have great fish and chips.

I often used to go to the Salty Seadog for hake and chips so when I was younger and finally returned recently. The restaurant has hardly changed from when I used to go there as a child which I really loved, it still felt like that little authentic fish and chip shop and I was glad to see that it hadn’t become ridiculously commercialised like so many other places. The décor throughout is nautical themed and simple. The view of the harbour is stunning. This time I decided to go for their calamari. I remembered their fish was always really great so I was excited to try something else on the menu to broaden my taste buds. It was the usual Saturday lunch rush but unfortunately, the service was not great at all. When our food arrived, I asked our waiter for tartar sauce and a drink and he took ages to come back to us, in the mean time I asked another waiter for a drink to go with my meal as I was quite thirsty. With such slow service, it meant that I had to wait to enjoy my meal completely. My drink finally arrived along with my sauce, after that the other waiter brought me my drink which I then didn’t need so I sent it back, they were unfortunately quite rude about the whole situation which could’ve been avoided if the service was more efficient. The fries were scrumptious but my calamari was, unfortunately, overcooked, chewy and pretty bland. The other calamari dishes which my friends ordered were really great. The Calamari Burger and the Grilled Calamari both tasted as good as they looked. I thought it was a bit much to charge an additional R7.00 for a tiny container of tartar sauce which was not very tasty at all. The prices,in general, were really great though and the portion sizes were good too. Next time I go I will stick to the Grilled Calamari or a scrumptious portion of Hake and Chips.

Iconic little spot at the wharf in Simonstown, clearly very busy and popular with a fab view which is super pretty and colourful with all the boats. The fish is oh so fresh and delicious but a bit too deep fried for my liking but typically traditional fish and chips. The service wasn't great, clearly they were too busy and it took a long time to get serviettes and pay our bill

I found the place overcrowded with tables too close together, staff were friendly but not very efficient. We had to keep calling for assistance on ordering etc, you don't keep the same server through the meal???? Food was very average and the fish in batter was too oily. Maybe they were having a bad day?

Great food, my favorite place for a good hake and chips, sadly the last four times I've been there there has always been problems with a very simple order. (we always order the same thing as many people do) You never have the same waiter or waitress that assists you from the start and other staff are very indifferent to help and would rather be on their phones behind the bar counter. Some days you get your order in a polystyrene takeaway box (even when seated) and other days you lucky to get your food on a plate, all at the same price. It really saddens me that an enterprise that has been operating for so long has obviously given up in operating as a restaurant. Don't go there if you might be there within their last hour of their operating hours as you get no assistance as everyone is stacking chairs and sitting at the back of house. I'm deeply saddened having to write this review, this restaurant use to have a great soul and ethos.

Really great little restaurant with amazingly fresh fish. Cooked perfectly. It looks like a cheap little diner, but the food is damn good and the view is lovely, overlooking the Harbour. Highly recommended.

Great for a quick snack if you're in Simons Town, fresh fish and chips are the order of the day! Very relaxed take away vibe, friendly staff!

Really good fish. Cooked to that perfect point between raw and over cooked. Well priced. The setting is a little tacky but has the feel of a real seaside cafe and a beautiful view of the harbor. If you are lucky, some street musicians might provide some entertainment.

This place will satisfy any one craving fish and chips. The grilled calamari was excellent add well. The service was friendly and fast the food served hot on a cold afternoon.

I visited The Salty Sea Dog and had hake and chips. <br/><br/>The service was very good, the prices acceptable, and the fish very tasty.<br/><br/>I didn't like the potato chips myself, and was disappointed that we had to pay extra for tartare sauce.

This is where the locals eat. The delicious smell of vinegar hit me like a hammer, dammit I need to choose. No, I'm going to order calamari AND snoek. <br/><br/>The inside is basic, the service was quick and friendly. The food was excellent. Fresh hake, snoek and calamari. The fish nuggets my son (4) ordered was fresh (not from a I&J box) - Pride is a wonderful thing.

Best fish and chips in town. Down to earth, fast and friendly service - this spot is an institution in Simon's Town. Plastic table cloths, wooden benches - but with a great view over the harbour. The battered hake and chips is a must do!

Salty sea dog is a classic fish and chips restaurant with a take away counter. The fish was delicious we had the hake and kingklip. The batter and the chips were bit to oily for our liking. Next time we would choose grilled fish. The scenery is lovely being next to the Harbour and the staff are all friendly.

Really enjoyed the atmosphere in this quaint little shop.. I enjoy restuarants that gets its name from being basic and doing it extremely well!!! Great food, quick service at a great price

I really wanted to like this place more. The Salty Sea Dog is right at the wharf and has a laid back feel. The service was fast and the servers pleasant. It was just the fish and chips were bland—I don't know how to say it. Looked really good but lacked flavor. That was the consensus of others in the group as well. However, the onion rings were good. I had better fish and chips in the area.

Did not live up the recommendation.Standard fair.,very substandard service.Waitress never came to table of own accord..."not even an How's your meals Definitely not worth my drive from Cpt here.Leagues behind The Wharf at Hout bay.For an encore you get a beggar band outside that sings some dribble,then comes into restaurant to solicit tips.<br/>

Had a delicious lunch here, right on the harbour. The perfect no-frills fish and chips one wants on a salty, seaside day. Calamari strips were a bit overcooked and tasteless, but the tentacles were delish, and the snoek was magical! Sweet and flavoursome and juicy and please just have the snoek.

You always know what you get here, had a hake with half chips and half rice. Fresh and tasty fish. Good menu variety, willing to try the calamari next time.

If you are looking for tradional, this is the place to go. What a delicious traditional seafood meal I had. Hake and chips, I just couldn't stop eating. It was my first time here, it was a Sunday so they have a self service thing going, quite nice. Great venue, great drink selection and food selection is good too. Definite must go if you've never been!!!

The greatest place to stop off for a carbo-load, or to cure your hangover. The food is greasy and delicious. Modest prices for the view! They serve Bosun's beer on tap which is nice too. Definitely worth a visit.

A tiny traditional Fish and Chip Outlet. The hake was one of the best I've had and the view of the harbour adds to the Fishing Town feel. A great place to check out.

Well worth a visit.<br/>A Simon's Town harbour establishment well worth a visit or two or more.<br/>Visited this venue on many an occasion and have yet to find fault. Meals that always meet and exceed expectations.The food on offer is always freshly prepared,flavorsome,well portioned and above all competitively priced.<br/>The original Hake & chips (R55.00 take out menu) is always a good call, be it as a take away or a sit in meal.The menu is not to elaborate, but that which is on the menu addresses and delights all concerned.<br/><br/>Management and staff are proficient and well versed with the menu and any other additionals that may be required.<br/>Enjoy your sit down meal (really homely feel about this venue) and once completed,take a leisurely stroll down the pier.Stunning late afternoon views of the Simon's Town harbour and all that it has to offer.<br/><br/>The Salty Sea dog may not be as big or as elaborate (ie all the glitz and glamor) of their surrounding neighbours but then again we went for the food not all the bling.<br/><br/>A must visit venue when in Simon's Town<br/>Thanking You <br/>Mr.G - Marcus Gibbons

Good old fish n chips! Crispy batter and light, fresh hake... This is a real down to earth sort of spot, right next to the little harbour with the sound of gulls and the smell of sea air. Very reasonably priced, self service and for those who enjoy wine, there is a selection. Definitely worth a visit. <br/>

It's nice to have fish and chips once in a while and especially at this fine establishment, it's not really fine dining but the fish is delicious crispy on the outside soft in the inside! It's also nice to see the sea out the window! You also have to fetch your food and when you get it it's a little hot, but I had a good time there!

We visited this spot on honeymoon, many years ago, and took the kids there to recall the memory. It's exactly as I remember it, although today it was self-service. Good, classic style fish and chips, fitting decor and the sea out the back door equal a great, fun experience..

I had calamari and chips here with a friend and i wouldnt say it was the best but it was good. The staff was friendly and i loved that we could eat outside on the deck. Its neat and tidy and the walls have alot of potential conversation starters

We went at night which was a little hard work with a little one but delicious fish and nice traditional sloppy chips. Great service. Friendly owner/manager. <br/>

Great fish and Chips , most definitely the place to go if you travelling, sightseeing and you don't want to eat to much. Great potions and friendly service.

Weekends are for long drives along the coast, sunshine, love and laughter. Oh and of course happy bellies. Driving down the Cape Peninsula, all roads lead to Simonstown, the cute, quaint old colonial naval harbour town. There are whitewashed walls, statues, ice-cream cafes and navy officers in uniform all round. As a matter of fact, it is so nauseatingly beautiful with the ocean in forefront and mountains in the back, you can’t help but slowly start to die from hunger the moment you enter Simonstown, if only eating will let you stay a little longer. When in Rome, you know, you do as the environment begs for and have your fill with fruits of the ocean. Fish. But not just any fish, beer-battered, deep-fried, crispy-golden, salivatingly-delicious fish. Let’s go eat at the absurdly famous Salty Sea Dog and dive into the world of fish ‘n chips!<br/><br/>Looking out on the Simonstown harbour The Salty Sea Dog acts as the perfect restaurant to accommodate long lazy lunches on the sunny verandah as well as take-aways on the harbour wharf looking over a beached submarine and yachts. <br/><br/>Although Salty Sea Dog serves the good old fashioned hake and snoek, it is their deep-fried kingklip that takes the cake. Kingklip is by nature a soft, plump, juicy little bugger, so soaked in oil and covered with a crisp shell it becomes more like butter than anything else. Another of their specialties is the deep-fried calamari tentacles. Now this isn’t for those who like to see their calamari lying dead in perfect little circles. This looks more like giant sea monsters found in the Odyssey, covered in batter, lying on your plate next to a mountain of slap chips.<br/><br/>With the slogan of “If you don’t eat here, we’ll both starve” Salty Sea Dog offers giant portions at great prices. It’s as though they really do care whether you’ll starve or not. With an average meal going costing about R50-R60, the petrol money on the drive to Simonstown will actually cost you more. Open Monday-Sunday the Salty Sea Dog is not one to be missed for locals and tourists alike. Over weekends it tends to become raucously busy, but the staff are always happy to find one more seat. After all, you don’t want to starve now, do you?

Very good hake and chips as well as calamari strips. Washed down with cool beer. Not best view but not bad. Venue is clean and staff friendly.<br/>

Unassuming little place for proper fish and slap chips. Simple decor complimented by friendly staff. Worth a visit when in the area.

An excellent little gem in the otherwise overpriced and dreary Cape Town food scene. Genuine Fish and Chips with all the simple rustic pleasure that brings. <br/><br/>Clean and kitschy decor makes this a fun place to visit - I suggest a weekday or night as weekends tend to be competitive with the tables. <br/><br/>Always have the snoek and some tentacles - South African and really crunchy, squishy texture with a richness unique to octopus.

Had a very pleasant surprise visiting here today. Always assumed it was just another fish and chip shop, boy was i wrong. We had one of the best fish and chips meals we have ever had. It was a saturday lunch on a cracker beach day so restaurant was not so busy. The waiter was very friendly and helped us decide what to eat. My daughter and i shared the grilled squid and my wife had hake and chips with my sone having the kids portion grilled. The food was great, the chips were perfect and the brown vinegar just added that extra touch. Stay away from the mushy peas its more like a puree and looked and tasted like baby food. The deserts dont seem to be their strong side either but overall a great lunch. We will definitely be back.

My fiancé and I popped in here on Sunday 30th November after reading the good reviews about it on Trip advisor. Sadly they did not live up to their reputation.The calamari rings we ordered literally could not be chewed, and I am not exaggerating. They were incredibly tough and had not been cleaned correctly.  Not good for a seafood restaurant!The fried chips were pretty yummy with the good old fashioned brown vinegar splashed all over them. The fried Angel fish special they had running was also a disappointment. Angel fish is so delicate and very easy to over cook, I don't think serving it fried is really the best option. It was dry and tasteless. Disappointing! The battered hake was the hero of our meal. Not the best I have had but it was tasty and moist.The staff however were very friendly and helpful, such a pity their food really let them down.I guess maybe in this case you get what you paid for, but surely when you are paying lower prices it shouldn't mean that you get sub standard food?

Fab fish and chips. Brilliant service. I'll go back again.

We had a family reunion at The Salty Sea Dog in December and for such a seriously busy place the quality and service we received was impeccable. It has become one of our "Go To" places while in Simon's Town and always look forward to returning. It was by far the busiest place in town over the December period that we were there.<br/> Fresh dosnt come any fresher than at this restaurant...the portions are somewhat overly generous and the prices are an absolute steal. .

Salty's ... for FRESH fish and HOMEMADE chips, not frozen out of a bag.  We found Salty's to be in a great location in Simon's Town, with friendly service and a great atmosphere.  Did I mention the mushy peas?  Well priced and something for everyone.  If a member of your group, aren't into fish, they will gladly accommodate a delivery to your table from a fellow establishment of your choice. <br/>We are looking forward to our next visit.

We could not get enough of Salty Sea Dogs food while in Simons Town, we frequented the restaurant numerous times over our two week holiday.  The Calamari and Hake was delicious and not like we get "Fresh in PTA" it actually was fresh.  Our kids of 8 and 9 who are generally fussy eaters as any kid is, loved the fish burgers and the calamari. My better half "embarrassingly" ordered two meals one night, 1 Hake and one Calamari,  as it was really tasty and not due to small portions!.  The fish is fresh, service was friendly and the atmosphere was busy and vibrant. It is a popular restaurant and there were at times a que but it was well worth it!

We were generally disappointed. The portion sizes are unexpected, the onion ring came in portion big enough too feed a family of four, while the calamari hardly filled a plate. The presentation was bad. The menu was confusing. And sadly the food was below average.