East Head Café

East Head Café is on the Eastern Head at the mouth of the Knysna lagoon, right at the water where the sea pushes in through the Heads. You look across the channel at the cliffs of the Western Head. It only does breakfast and lunch, and it has been a fixture with locals for years. If you only eat one meal by the water in Knysna, this is the one I would steer people towards.

What’s on the menu

The food is simple and leans on local produce. Breakfast runs from oats and smoothie bowls to French toast and eggs Benedict. At lunch there’s seafood (mussels, prawns, calamari) along with steaks and burgers, and the cafe has its own short South African wine list for anyone who reckons lunch needs a glass. Eat Out’s write-up singles out the eggs Benedict and the coffee.

Practical details

• Phone +27 44 384 0933, info@easthead.co.za.
• The cafe’s site gives Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 3pm and Sunday 8am to 3pm. Other listings show different days, so check before a special trip.
• Closed on 25 December and 1 January, plus a few weeks each winter.
• No reservations. You queue for a table inside or on the deck under the milkwoods.
• No dogs or other animals allowed.

Good to know

Get there early in December and January, when the queue can be long. The cafe also takes a winter break (in 2026 it was shut from 4 May to 10 June), so check the website before an off-season trip. The cafe is at Knysna Heads on the east side of the lagoon, so if you are staying in Brenton-on-Sea you drive back through Knysna town to reach it.

Last updated 7 October 2026. Sources: East Head Café, East Head Café location and hours, East Head Café contact, Eat Out Neighbourhood Gems.