Without that essential ingredient that pulls in the punters, many restaurants fail. Here are our crowd-pleasers and places to people watch.

Assaggi, Johannesburg: The scrape of plates and convivial laughter is the soundtrack at this ever-popular, all-Italian, family-run eatery.

Bellagio, Johannesburg: Slap-bang in the ever-trendy Blubird centre, enjoy a healthy dose of people watching while you nosh.

Café 1999 (pictured), Durban: One of the city’s most buzzing eateries with a suitably happening fusion menu.

Caveau, Cape Town: With its huge by-the-glass wine list and a light tapas menu, this one’s a real crowd-pleaser.

Chefs in Motion, Johannesburg: A trendy 20-something crowd raises the roof with their antics at this proudly loud grill house and bar.

George’s on Fourth, Johannesburg: You can always rely on spotting a familiar face at one of Parkhurst’s most popular pavement eateries.

Olympia Café, Cape Town: This seaside café is an ever-popular all-day spot with a delightful, grungy authenticity.

Pomodoro, Johannesburg: Real-deal Italian tends to pull in the punters and that is particularly true of this bright and breezy easy-eating spot.

Pronto, Johannesburg: Crammed for dinner every night, the smart 30-something northern suburbs set eat here on a regular basis.