Five Best: Cape Town B&Bs

Redbourne Hilldrop, Oranjezicht

In a quiet residential area, Jonny and Sharon Levin's home is a short, if steep, walk to the restaurants and boutiques of Kloof Street and a quick ride to the Table Mountain cable car. Guests are spoilt with vast breakfasts, free-standing baths and power showers in a house of simple good taste. The pool and its mini-waterfall are a refreshing way to end a day's sightseeing. Children are welcome and dinners are available on request.

12 Roseberry Avenue, Oranjezicht (00 27 21 461 1394; www.redbourne.co.za). Doubles start at R700 (£64).

The Bishops' Court, Bishopscourt

Paul le Roux has five enormous and airy guest rooms in his two-storey home, with views across an uninterrupted carpet of greenery to the wooded back-slopes of Table Mountain. Sandy shades give this boutique B&B a beachy feel and one room has a mosaic-tiled outdoor Jacuzzi and shower. The tiered garden has steps down to a large pool and tennis court for the energetic, and nearby attractions include the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens. When not rustling up gourmet braais (barbecues) on the lawn or overseeing breakfast, Paul runs township tours to his housekeeper Connie's home and trips to the nearby Winelands.

The Bishops' Court, 18 Hillwood Avenue, Bishopscourt (00 27 21 797 6710; www.thebishopscourt.com). Doubles from R1100 (£104).

Lézard Bleu, Oranjezicht

On the lower slopes of Table Mountain, Lézard Bleu is a shady retreat from the heat, with arcing views down over the city and bay, and to the sheer mountain face behind. Hosts Chris and Niki Neumann are young and enthusiastic, and their house sleek and modern, with solid maple-wood bed frames, white cotton sheets, sandy tones and splashes of vibrant African art. All the rooms have their own patch of outside space and look onto a pool surrounded by deckchairs. Book (very) early to secure the most popular bedroom in town, a tree-house set high among the palms with a private deck, perforated by two giant trunks.

Lézard Bleu, 30 Upper Orange Street, Oranjezicht (00 27 21 461 4601; www.lezardbleu.co.za). Doubles start at R960 (£92).

Constantia Stables, Constantia

Each of the Bartlett's converted rooms still has an olive-painted, creaking stable door opening onto an ivy-fringed courtyard. The pitched-roof "hayloft" room looks out on to the pool and a thriving native garden. At the heart of the house is a congenial drawing room of heavy armchairs and red walls where guests are encouraged to tap into a well-stocked bar. For breakfast there is home-grown guavas, quinces and peaches, meat, cheese and, of course, eggs cooked every which way.

Constantia Stables, Willow Road, Constantia (00 27 21 794 3653; www.capestay.co.za/constantiastables). Doubles start at R750 (£70).

Frogg's Leap, Hout Bay

Jôke and Stewart like to serve breakfast on Frogg's Leap's veranda. Dotted with hammocks and armchairs it's the focal point here, with views of Hout Bay's harbour and mountains. Inside, natural materials abound: seagrass mats, stone bathrooms, reed ceilings and old wooden furniture. The five sea-view bedrooms are arranged around an open-plan living area with a long dining table and wood-burning fireplace for soggy Cape Town winters. It's a 20-minute drive into town and two minutes to the harbour for cray-fishing and whale watching on the owners' catamaran.

15 Baviaanskloof Road, Hout Bay (00 27 21 790 2590; www.froggsleap.co.za). Doubles start at R600 (£56).