Summer is in full swing, and in the heat it’s definitely the lighter meals that appeal – especially when paired with chilled sauv blanc or a sex on the beach cocktail. Seafood is the obvious option – it’s healthy, tasty and fresh. Whether you’d like to splash out at a big name or sneak a little shellfish at one of the small fry, we’ve come up with a list of the best seafood platters around. Fresh line fish with lemon, mussels in garlic sauce, grilled peri peri prawns and lightly battered calamari… Here’s where you can get it all on one plate.

Nationwide

Cape Town Fish Market
Hout Bar Platter for two: grilled crayfish, eight grilled prawns, mussels, fillets of fish, fish cakes, calamari strips and baby squid, for R398. Fish Hoek Platter for one: four prawns, mussels, fish cakes and deep fried calamari rings for R115. Kalk Bay Platter for one: eight prawns, mussels, chef’s choice fillet of fish and deep fried calamari strips for R154.

Ocean Basket
Da Beeg One: four king prawns, calamari, line fish and calamari heads for R119.50. Da Family Platter: 12 prince prawns, calamari, four pieces of fish and calamari heads for R204.50. Da Full Deck: 30 princess prawns, mussels, calamari, calamari steak strips, calamari heads and line fish for R379.50. Da Ship Mate’s Platter: kingklip, grilled calamari, fried calamari, Cajun calamari, calamari heads and a village salad for R164.50. Platter for One: three mussels, six prince prawns, line fish, calamari and calamari heads at R99.50.

Johannesburg

Adega
The monk’s choice of prawns, kingklip, mussels and calamari is served with chips or rice for R159.

Bellagio
The seafood platter consists of five queen prawns, line fish, calamari tubes and mussels, served with chips, rice or veggies for R375.

The Codfather
?The seafood platter for two includes six prawns, mussels, calamari, line fish, rice and chips at R180. Diners can also make up their own seafood platters and pay per item.

Ciao Baby Cucina
The Ligurian-style grilled fish platter (with tomatoes, white wine, olives, capers, pine nuts etc.) includes mussels, line fish, prawns and calamari, served with chips or rice, for R165.

Fishmonger
Try the seafood platter with prawns, mussels, line fish and calamari at R310.

Lord Prawn
The seafood platter for two includes langoustines, queen prawns, mussels, calamari and line fish for R350.

Montego Bay Seafood Restaurant
Try the Madiba platter, which serves two people, with two baby lobsters, langoustines, prawns, line fish, calamari and mussels for R495.

Parker’s Grill
Patrons can order their own selection and pay accordingly.

Pigalle
Try the seafood platter for two, which consists of two baby lobsters, two langoustines, four prawns, mussels and calamari, and is served with chips or rice for R475.

Signature
?The platter for two consists of baby lobster, queen prawns, langoustines, calamari, mussels and line fish. The price depends on the sizes of specific items. (Seasonal quotation.)

Tasco do Sol
The standard seafood platter consists of calamari tubes, LM prawns, hake, squid heads, rice and chips at R205.50. You can also order a platter with chicken livers, calamari tubes, squid heads, clams, hake, mussels, butterfish and 24 Lm prawns for R552; or the smaller platter with 12 Lm prawns, chicken livers, calamari and hake for R259.50.

Tsunami Seafood Emporium
Try the seafood platter for two, which includes six medium prawns, six queen prawns, kingklip, calamari and mussels, and is served with veggies and a choice of starch for R286.

Pretoria

Café 41
Enjoy a platter of line fish, prawns, grilled mussels, and grilled calamari strips, served with an assortment of sauces, a herb salad and potato croquettes. R1500 for 10 people.

Ciao Baby Cucina (Parkview)
The Ligurian-style seafood platter includes mussels, grilled line fish, prawns and calamari, served with chips or rice, for R165.

Heat Grill Room
Share or tackle the seafood platter by yourself. It consists of eight queen prawns, line fish, mussels and calamari for R199.

LM in the East
Try the seafood platter with line fish, calamari, six medium prawns and three mussels for R155.

KwaZulu-Natal

Al Firenze
The seafood platter consists of three langoustines, six prawns, mussels, line fish of the day and calamari heads and tubes, and is served on rice with a choice of chips or veg. R400 for two.

Cargo Hold
The Admiral’s platter for two consists of crayfish, prawns, mussels, calamari, line fish and langoustines. Price is subject to seasonal quotation.

Havana Grill
The seafood platter includes crayfish, calamari, prawns, langoustines, line fish and mussels for R285 for one person or R540 for two people.

Hemingway’s Bistro?
Select from the many seafood options on the menu to make up your own platter.

New Café Fish
The seafood platter for two includes line fish, six prawns, four langoustines, calamari and mussels for R450.

Oyster Bar
The seafood platter for one consists of six prawns, calamari and mussels at R79.

The Sugar Club
The seafood platter consists of crayfish, langoustines, prawns, mussels, line fish, oysters and a trio of sauces at R600.

Cape Town

Azure
A grilled seafood platter for two includes crayfish, tiger prawns, langoustines, the catch of the day, baby calamari tubes and mussels in lemon garlic sauce, and is served with basmati rice, green salad and sauces. The price is subject to seasonal quotation.

Baia Seafood Restaurant
Try the grilled line fish with squid and prawn tails at R169.

Bertha’s
Try the pan of grilled seafood for one, which includes the catch of the day, prawns, mussels and deep-fried calamari rings for R109.

Black Marlin
Try the combination of one medium grilled crayfish, prawns, baby calamari, catch of the day and mussels for R495.

The Bungalow Restaurant
The seafood platter consists of crayfish tail, prawns, langoustines, calamari, line fish and three sauces. The price is subject to seasonal quotation.

Café Orca
Try the seafood platter for two, which includes line fish, 12 prawns, calamari, and mussels in a creamy garlic sauce. The price is subject to seasonal quotation.

Catharina’s
The seafood platter consists of line fish, calamari, steamed mussels, grilled prawns with lemon butter/peri peri and a green salad for R170.

Chapman’s Peak Hotel Restaurant
The seafood platter for two includes crayfish, two giant tiger prawns, six queen tiger prawns, calamari and line fish. The price is subject to seasonal quotation.

The Greek Fisherman
The seafood platter feast consists of grilled crayfish, langoustines, prawns calamari, mussels, line fish, and scallops, served on savoury rice, for R460.

JennaVIVA?
Try the seafood platter with line fish, calamari, prawns, and mussels on a bed of rice or French fries, served with garlic butter or lemon butter sauce, at R135.

Joe Fish?
‘The threesome’ consists of hake, calamari and prawns for R99.

Lemon Butta
The seafood platter consists of eight mussels, six queen prawns, calamari, line fish and rice or chips for R199.

Live Bait
Order the seafood platter, which includes crayfish, prawns, calamari, mussels and line fish, as well as two sides (either rice, chips or salad) at R320.

Panama Jacks
Try the seafood grill misto platter, which includes crayfish, langoustine, prawns, kingklip, grilled calamari and mussels, and is served with savoury rice and a trio of sauces for R295. Or try the seafood platter with kingklip, calamari rings, mussels, spring rolls, prawns and scallops with savoury rice and a trio of sauces at R215.

Paranga
Try the seafood platter for two, which includes a selection of crayfish, prawns, langoustines, calamari and line fish. The price is subject to seasonal quotation.

Pepenero
The seafood platter for two consists of mussels, calamari, line fish, tiger mediums, queen prawns and grilled whole crayfish. The price is subject to seasonal quotation.

Quay Four
Try the seafood platter for two which includes 10 prawns, mussels, calamari & line fish, served on a bed of seasoned rice with a selection of sauces for R340.

Reubens at the One & Only
Share the Taste of the Cape seafood platter for two with mussels, West Coast crayfish (500g), four Mozambican king prawns, four langoustines, fresh market fish, chilli squid, lemon butter and peri-peri sauce served with French fries & jasmine rice for R995.

Willoughby &Co
The seafood platter consists of two crayfish, 12 mussels, six queen prawns, two baby soles, line fish, calamari, calamari tentacles, sauce and chips and rice at R540.

Plettenberg Bay

Lookout Deck
Try the seafood platter for two with tempura prawns, crayfish tails, kingklip, kabeljou, mussels, calamari rings, served with chips and veg and a sauce for R490.

The Med
Try the seafood extravaganza for two: large tiger prawns, crayfish tail, crumbed calamari, mussels, baby octopus and line fish served on rice with four sauces for R410.

Knysna

Quay Four
Try the grilled seafood pan which includes a medium crayfish, 5 prawns, mussels, calamari & catch of the day, served on a bed of seasoned rice with a selection of sauces for R370.

Hermanus

Bientang’s Cave Seafood Restaurant
Try the seafood platter with tiger prawns, mussels, fried calamari, and catch of the day, served with chips, savoury rice salad and two sauces, for R280.

Europa Coffee Shop and Restaurant
The seafood platter consists of crayfish, prawns, calamari and hake, and is served with salad and rice for R380.

Quayside Cabin
Try the platter for two (R250) or for four (R490) with grilled line fish, kingklip goujins, smoked snoek samoosas, scampi prawns, deep fried calamari, line fish cakes and crispy prawns, served with three sauces, rice, chips and salad.

Paternoster

Voorstrandt Restaurant
The seafood platter with prawns, mussels, calamari, hake and snoek samoosas goes for R155.

Pringle Bay

Hook, Line and Sinker
They have a changing seasonal menu, but they are are happy to make a platter up for four or more people.

By Kelly Pluke

Have we forgotten your favourite spot for a seafood platter? Let us know on info@eatout.co.za.

Please note that while we take care to report information accurately, some prices and events may change or be sold out without our knowledge.