Pam’s Favourite Cape Town Bars
Below are some of our favourite bars to head to for an evening of fun in Cape Town. Scroll down to find some of Cape Town’s best bars and lounges. I have included some special & unique bars, some old favourites, as well as some of the hippest and hottest bars in Cape Town. I hope the list inspires you to try a few new places to experience a taste of Cape Town’s nightlife!
Pam’s Favourite Cape Town Bars:
Is my a favourite spot for a fun evening with friends! Our city needed the equivalent of a comfortable gentleman’s club for Cape Town! Picture wonderfully comfortable couches and arm chairs – sport pics on the wall – marvellous decor where you feel like you have stepped back in time……..squash racquets on the wall – yes – it sounds odd – but it is indeed marvellous! This spot seamlessly combines:
- comfort, great service, good food, great decor
- an outside terrace, an eatery, a whiskey bar and a downstairs club (gasp – somewhere for those over 30 to dance on the weekend).
Note that the upstairs is supposed to be for drinks only – the ground floor level is for eating – and the basement is for drinks, parties and DJ’s. Closed on a Sunday – otherwise open from about 11am for drinks, lunch & dinner. 35 Buitengracht Street.
Dark Horse
A fun cocktail bar in Kloof Street with tapas plates to share. It has the same owners as Black Sheep -a wonderfully successful gastro pub. They have a wonderful rooftop bar area that boasts great views of Table Mountain & the city. Fab decor inside with comfortable seating, and a terrace on Kloof Street as well. We picked a perfect Cape evening – and had an amazing night sitting on the roof. The ordering system is odd – so make sure you understand it before you arrive! You can either have table service or order from the bar. However if you want to have table service – you need to hand in a bank card upfront – downstairs. The menu is NOT available upstairs – you have to check out what you want downstairs on the chalk board and then you can order it upstairs – if you can remember what you saw on the tapas menu downstairs. I took a photo! Also the cocktails are on a board downstairs – so you have to check it out there as it is NOT available upstairs on a menu upstairs. Odd – Odd & Odder – the service was odd. Verdict: LOVED IT! Loved the vibe! Just get with the programme and follow their rules! The dishes we had were all good. 145 Kloof Street. Open from 4pm Monday – Saturday.
The Art of Duplicity
– Shhhhhhhhhhhhh – There is a secret speakeasy in Cape Town’s emerging Eastside District. This is fun! You have to book online to come for a drink – they are open from 6pm till late. They now also have a fab snack and small bites menu with their fabulous cocktails.
They have a wonderful assortment of cocktails and that many of them arrive wrapped in newspaper! I loved the feeling of subterfuge – announcing ones arrival at the front – heading down a little alley – sneaking in a back door and then the secret knock to get in. I would recommend booking to sit in the lounge as the chairs were really comfortable and we got to sit right next to the jazz singer. I loved her performance. Note that they have kept it simple – drinks, nuts and a charcuterie platter – this is not a dinner spot, they have light eats– plan it before or after dinner. It would work well with a dinner at Belly of the Beast or Downtown Ramen. Note that the cocktails are pricey – but worth it! Click here to book. And please – do not tell others about it! It is our secret!
House of Machines
An absolute favourite for barrel aged cocktails. They specialize in Old Fashioned Cocktails – that have been matured for 4 to 6 weeks in barrels and live music. It is really important to try one of their old fashioned cocktails – make sure you sit at the bar and watch – as it is an entire show to create one! This spot has live bands on from Wednesday to Saturday nights – they are closed on a Monday and Tuesday is open mike night. So if you enjoy local music – track this spot down! During the day it operates as a coffee shop with light eats.
The Drinkery
This is a wonderfully intimate hidden little bar in one of Cape Town’s oldest buildings – it has a wonderful terrace to relax and enjoy your drinks! The owners Gunter and Adrian are passionate about their cocktails! They also collaborate with the guys from Local on Heritage Square. As such you are welcome to order food from the establishments in the square and bring it up and relax on their fabulous terrace. They also own the Sandwich Revolution on the square that makes insanely delicious sandwiches. My favourite is the steak with bearnaise sauce.
This is a fun spot to catch up with friends. They have a wonderful range of interesting local wines & spirits. To find them head to Heritage Square in central Cape Town. Find the entrance in Shortmarket Street – enter – you then see a staircase on the right as you come in – go up the stairs – veer to the right and you have found it! Happy hunting!!
Publik –
The guys from Publik go searching for their favourite wines and then bring them back to offer to you! As such you can have a wonderful experience tasting lesser known wines with them. They are a specialist wine bar.
They support the smaller producers – most of which do not have a tasting room. They are also huge fans of the Swartland Wines – so if you are a wine lover – this is a great little bar to head to to find some interesting local South African wine gems. They have a small food offering – mostly some bar nibbles and charcuterie and cheese platters. Note that there are lots of fun spots for eating across the road – so head there for wine & snacks! 11D Kloof Nek Rd
Ps tip – do not miss out on having a taco across the road at the El Buro Taqueria – delicious taco’s and great vibe! Ps 2 – then head for a drink to the Power & The Glory (next door to Publik) – it is a quirky and fun bar. Ps 3 – if you head upstairs to The Moveable Feast – there is a hidden bar next to the restaurant upstairs. This is a great hood for drinks and dinner. Note that if you enjoy Japanese – Kyoto Sushi is wonderful and is highly recommended…….and is pretty much next door!
SeaBreeze Fish & Shell
……..technically this is a fabulous seafood bistro – not a bar……………however there are two sides to it that work for enjoying drinks with friends! In the early evening one meets at their fabulous outside table for oyster happy hour with bubbles. Oysters are R12 a shuck at happy hour at 5pm. The outside table is my happy space in summer. It is first come first served and we have enjoyed many bottles of bubbles here over the last few years! SeaBreeze sells more oysters than any other restaurant in Cape Town – so if you are looking for the freshest oysters – head there immediately!
Note that they also specialize in Rum and have a great collection of local rums and do wonderful cocktails. They also have a bar area at the back for people to meet up for a drink in the evening……….so if you are into rum – this is worth a visit. Ps it is about two blocks from the new rum bar Rum Tum Tum – so this would be a good combo for a rum lover!
The Secret Gin Bar called THE GIN BAR!
……….is hidden behind Honest Chocolate on Wale Street – to find it put in Honest Chocolate on google maps or for Uber! It is the courtyard behind Honest Chocolate. Note there is no sign that says “GIN BAR”. This courtyard is magical – it feels like you are in a hidden European courtyard in Italy. The bar is a treat as they have a wonderful selection of local gins and some wonderful gin cocktails. The bar has now taken the space at the back of the property – and as such it is now a great venue for summer & winter! Location Wale Street – just off Bree Street. Track this one down – I love this little intimate courtyard on a beautiful night in summer.
Love thy Neighbour –
is pretty much our only inner city outdoor small beer garden. This is bliss in summer as all one wants to do is sit outdoors. It is currently closed for winter and we hope to see it open again in summer!
Tjing Tjing
– have a wonderful hidden semi outdoor bar on the roof of their building. They have completely re-invented themselves and gone Asian in a big way! I love Asian – so this is my idea of heaven. We popped in a few weeks ago to try out the casual Asian restaurant downstairs and to have a drink upstairs. I LOVE the quirky decor downstairs. This venue is called Tjing Tjing Torii – it is open from Tuesday to Saturday and does not take bookings. On the middle level they have launched Tjing Tjing Momiji. Everything is smarter on the middle level. Lovely decor. They are focusing Japanese tasting menus that can be paired with drinks. The third spot here is the rooftop bar – which is a great secret bar to know about in the city for summer. (Located in the city bowl). Closed Mondays
Black Sheep & The Dark Horse
Black Sheep has become a favourite local restaurant and bar – it was pretty much Cape Town’s first gastro pub. It is always fully booked – but usually if you phone the day before you get space (book if you wish to eat!). They are so popular that they have two seatings for dinner. They have a nice small bar area – which is also really popular – which one does not need to book – and one can still eat at their bar!
Their newest venture is Dark Horse – which is across the road and upstairs. The focus of Dark Horse is to be a pub/bar – but they also serve fab casual bar food with a gourmet gastro pub twist! The dishes are well priced! Both at the top of Kloof Street – just above the city. (If you were doing a bar crawl – combine with Cause Effect, Publik & The Power and the Glory)
Yours Truly
– I love this spot. It is on the outside of a backpackers on Kloof Street. It feels like you are sitting inside a little forest of green outside. Funky vibe. Free wifi. Good music. Great Coffee. Fab sandwiches during the day. At night it turns into a bar on the ground floor and also on the first floor terrace until 10pm. There is a great vibe at the first floor terrace in the early evening. This is younger – and the wine list reflects it. The only fault of the place is a seriously bad wine list of commercial wines. To me there is no excuse for a commercial wine list when we essentially are part of the Cape Winlelands region. For some time the food was slipping as well – they have however just relaunched their menu – March 2019 – and it is looking good. When they initially launched the food was inexpensive and amazing – a great great combo!
Bobo’s Brasserie
Greenpoint – this is the spot has great decor – fab music – lovely welcoming staff – panoramic sea views – this is the perfect spot to watch the sun set in Cape Town. We loved our drinks and dinner here. It is however absolutely fine to simply take a table at the front for drinks. They also have a gorgeous bar area at the back of the restaurant – large and lush with comfortable chairs – a perfect spot to meet a group of friends after dark! Note they are part of a group of restaurants owned by the Kove Collection. The Kove own Lily’s next door – which is also a favourite spot for sundowner drinks.
The Lawns at The Round House –
this is the re-invented and relaunched spot that has replaced the Round House Rumbullion Lawns. Rugby legend Ray Mordt is the new owner of the Roundhouse property. Luke Dale Roberts now runs the actual historic building as “Salsify at the Roundhouse”. Ray maintains the outdoor “Lawns” space. This is an outdoor restaurant located in a nature reserve – with sweeping views of Camps Bay and the 12 Apostles (side view of table mountain). When the weather is perfect there can be no nicer spot to sit in the world. They are open for breakfast, lunch, sundowners and for an early dinner. They have revamped the tables, put down an artificial lawn on the one level – which looks great – added cute huts to serve the drinks. We ordered pizzas – which were great. The menu has expanded and has everything from a whole chicken to snack on through to ribs! Book for sundowners to meet up with friends at 17h30 and stay to watch the sunset! Note they close at about 8pm. This is an early evening spot! Note to make a back up plan for the day as this spot is 100% outdoors – so it is weather dependent. I would highly recommend a visit – this is one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Cape Town.
The Grand on the Beach –
is an absolute summer favourite for drinks, cocktails and pizza. This is a fake beach created around a shack of a lobster factory – right next door to the V&A Waterfront. This spot makes you feel like you are starting the summer party. No bookings required for the drinks area of the beach – but if you want to enjoy lunch or dinner it is safest to book. If the weather is good the tables are on the sea sand. This spot works for all ages – it is family friendly, as well as trendy and fun for us oldies too!
The Bungalow –
is another holiday summer favourite. Outdoor bar – sea in the distance – party music – this spot if vibey and lots and lots of fun. Location – between Clifton and Camps Bay.
Anywhere on the Camps Bay Strip – with the nicest being Bilboa! We also like the festive vibe at Tigers Milk! Note that you can stop for drinks at any of the restaurants on the strip. Caprice is the only spot that stays open really late and it rocks late at night. Note if you are going to do Bilboa which is the highest spot for a drink in Camps Bay – and boasts amazing views. It is best to book or you may not get in. If you book you also get the most fabulous table with the best view. I would recommend booking for Bilboa!
CAPE TOWN WINE BARS
- Culture Wine Bar – is the best Wine Bar in Cape Town! It is a new wine bar that opened in 2021 right next door to Grub & Vine. It is owned by Matt Manning from Grub & Vine and manned by hugely knowledgeable staff and sommeliers. Do not miss out on visiting this wine bar. Gorgeous decor too! Fabulous space. They also host wine tasting events – so check out their website and make a booking! NEW
- Publik – Truly a little wine gem – these guys source wines from smaller less known producers and change their tasting by the glass options regularly. It is a great opportunity to try interesting wines – and one can even order the ones one likes from them! They have now moved to Kloof Nek Road and have their own premises. Fabulous – tiny hole in the wall spot!
- Open Wine – Italian owners who are passionate about South African Wine – great spot to meet up with friends to sample a glass or two of wine before dinner. Location – 72 Wale Street
- La Boheme – this is a fabulous little bistro in Seapoint that offers seriously fun bistro style food at a great price and has a fabulously interesting wine menu that allows you to try lesser known wines. Note that this is a lovely spot for sitting outside in the summer on the pavement. It has a lovely vibe and is always busy as the food is well priced and really delicious! (Note it is not really a wine bar – it is a bistro – but the wine list is magical!)
CRAFT BEER SPOTS IN WOODSTOCK
- The Local Grill and The Woodstock Brewery – This is a great combo of a craft brewery and a great steak house in a fabulously renovated building in Woodstock (fringe area near the city). Tip: you can pre-book for a brewery tour and a kitchen tour to see where the meat comes from and hear about how they age the meat. Contact Andre who owns the Brewery and has a share in the Local Grill to organize your tours! 252 Albert Rd, Woodstock. Tel no 021-447 0934
- The Taproom at Devils Peak Brewery – is there “in brewery” restaurant. I loved our visit. This is a chilled out pub atmosphere. Some of the dishes on offer are chef David Walker’s unique bite-sized Cheese Burger, his legendary Pulled Pork Sandwich, Prawn Pasta, Reubens Sandwich, Vegetarian Pizza and Beer-battered Fish and Chips. They are also doing a 5 beer food pairing for a R100 that looks like great fun plus a beer tasting line up where you can taste small amounts of all of the beers. My feeling is that the food is more suited to a lunch then to a dinner. The Tap Room restaurant is inside the working brewery. When you book for a meal, you can also book for a tour of the brewery. Hours: Tue-Sat, 12 til 10 (kitchen), Sat 11-6 Address: 95 Durham Ave, Salt River Phone:+27 21 200 5818