Kalky's

Kalky's is a takeaway counter at Kalk Bay Harbour in Kalk Bay, on the False Bay coast of Cape Town, South Africa. It serves fried or grilled fish and chips beside the fishing boats, and it has become a traditional stop for visitors and locals wanting a quick, inexpensive meal on the Cape Peninsula's southern coast. The harbour setting means the fish is often caught by boats working from the adjacent quay.

The menu is short and focused. Hake or snoek and chips are the main orders, with calamari as an alternative, and the fish can be fried in batter or grilled. Snoek is a local fish with a firm, oily flesh that is closely associated with the Cape's fishing communities. Portions are generous and prices are low, at roughly R100 to R180 per person, with food served wrapped in paper to be eaten outdoors.

The atmosphere is casual, harbour-side and takeaway only, with no formal dining room. Visitors usually eat standing or sitting on the harbour walls and benches while watching fishing boats unload and seals and gulls hover for scraps. Seagulls are persistent, so food is best eaten with care. The noise is the general bustle of the working harbour.

It is open daily from lunch to early evening, and hours should be confirmed before going. No reservations are taken, so visitors simply join the queue, which can be long on weekends and on sunny days. Kalk Bay is a short drive or train ride from central Cape Town, and the village's galleries and antique shops are within a few minutes' walk, which makes the harbour counter a natural stop on a day along the False Bay coast.