Cape Town After Dark
The Ultimate Guide to Cape Town’s Nightlife and Secrets After Sunset
Although the city is known for its golden sunsets, the energy does not wear down once the moon comes out to play. In fact, that’s when the real fun begins. From bar hopping to clubbing near the ocean, this is the ultimate guide to Cape Town’s nightlife in and around the city center.
Bar Vibes
Most of the bars in Cape Town have eateries that generally turn festive from about 10 PM onwards. If you’re in for a pub crawl, or something slightly tamer, this list is a good place to start planning your nighttime adventures.
Beerhouse
Hard to miss with its bright yellow exteriors, Beerhouse offers 99 bottles of beer showcased on its walls and over 25 beers on tap. Beers range from local craft beer to beers specially sourced from around the world.
Some South African brews to look out for:
- Castle and Castle Light — a local favourite
- Umqombothi — a traditional beer made from corn. Ask for “Chibuku Shake Shake” and everyone will know what you are talking about!
- Black Label — an award-winning beer synonymous with South Africa
If you are not a beer drinker, there is something for everyone. Think ciders, spirits and even the humble Coca Cola. With a balcony overlooking the famous Long Street, you are able to partake in the bustling nightlife that the city has to offer with easy access to other bars along the street.
Yours Truly
Yours Truly is your go-to-place for sundowners that turns into a busy place for socialising and drinking simultaneously. This hip establishment is busy every night of the week, come rain or sunshine. The branch on Kloof Street has a great view of the popular Gardens neighbourhood and a big balcony that is illuminated with fairy lights. This bar offers all kinds of drinks, however, the house wine is a big hit and won’t break the bank!
The Village Idiot
Recognised by the giant stuffed ostrich on its walls, the Village Idiot is a quirky bar in the heart of Cape Town. If you aren’t quite accustomed to the local flavours, you could try some uniquely South African shooters that are on offer:
- Amarula
- Milktart
- Rooibos shooter
- Springbok
While the kitchen provides pub food with a South African twist, the festivities only really begin after 10 PM when the drinks are flowing, the music gets louder and the dance floor in the corner starts picking up. Even better, why not start on the dance floor?
SoCal
This speakeasy-style bar, with its fun decor and retro feel, is located on trendy Bree Street. Always a top option when looking for a great place to grab a few drinks. The dance floor starts to kick off later in the evening and is always buzzing on weekends.
Arcade
Remembered by bright pink and white neon lights, Arcade is the place to go on Bree Street. The atmosphere is bustling with a dance floor and an outside seating area, should you prefer either one. This place gets busier by the minute so make sure you don’t arrive too late in the evening. If you arrive early enough you’ll get a good view of the “Youth has no age” neon lights to kick off a night of fun and the grab the perfect Instagram shot!
La Parada
Although La Parada is known for its tasty tapas, the place transforms into a bar after dark. The Bree Street branch is popular, with crowds flowing out onto the sidewalk whilst the branch on Constantia Nek gets festive on a Sunday, ending off the weekend on a classic note.
Tiger’s Milk
Popular for its food and after-work drinks, Tiger’s Milk is great for happy hour and socialising until the early hours of the morning. The Kloof Street branch is particularly busy on a Friday evening, not to mention a great hangout to meet locals.
Club Scenes
Cape Town clubs are plentiful and cater to all different music tastes. Different strokes for different folks. Clubs come alive on weekends (and some weeknights) and will leave your ears ringing after a night well done. Done well. Wait, what?
Modular
This club specially caters for the underground electronic scene lovers. With a unique array of DJs who are free to experiment with house and techno music, you are sure to find yourself dancing a little harder on the D- floor.
Cafe Caprice
Beachside restaurant by day, club by night. This is the place to go to for a glamorous party, especially on a Sunday night. Located in Camps Bay right next to the ocean, the restaurant comes to life by turning into a club after the sun sets. Watch the dress code go from shorts and bathing suits to semi-formal. This is a restaurant, a bar and a lounge all wrapped up in one, so you could possibly spend the whole afternoon and evening there.
Boogie
The perfect 80s themed club, located in the Southern Suburbs, is worth the trip South and will leave you singing catchy songs all weekend. This is the place to let loose and dance the night away to all your favourite classics. Leave your fancy shoes at home at come in your sneakers. Trust us on this one!
Coco Lounge
This is the place where you definitely want to grab your best dress and fancy pants. Expect hip hop music, drinks to be flowing and plenty of dancing. It’s also possible for you to reserve a table, but you’ll have to fork out for a bottle of something rather expensive for you and your friends.
Fiction
Fiction hosts a range of different music on different nights so this is a unique place to cater to everyone’s music tastes. From hip hop nights to drum and bass, keep a lookout on their Facebook page for the schedule. This place is also centrally located so it’s perfect to walk to after enjoying drinks at a bar on Long Street or any of the surrounding areas.
Reset
This place is great for electro lovers. With a state of the art sound system and edgy visual displays, you will be dancing all night (and/or morning) to the likes of local and international DJs.
Keeping it Classy with Cocktails
If you prefer your drinks served cocktail-style, then look no further.
This is another speakeasy-style bar located on Bree Street, famous for its cocktails and great music. Don’t let the dark interiors fool you. The cocktails are colourful and experimental. Orphanage pride themselves on their mixology and experimental freedom. This is a must for any cocktail enthusiast.
Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar
Located in a beautiful building that’s nearly two centuries old, Tjing Tjing has a great cocktail menu to pair with its indie music. Order some Asian-inspired bites with your cocktail and aim to get some seating in the intimate space on the rooftop. Try The Russian Samurai cocktail, one of their signature drinks.
Utopia Skybar
The only thing better than a great drink is having a great drink with an even greater view. With the sky bar overlooking the city, this is the perfect place to sit back and relax. The best time to go is just before sunset to catch a glimpse of golden hour and the city lights alike.
Cause and Effect
While slightly more upmarket, this cocktail hotspot is known for its funky, trendy and futuristic cocktails that are sure to score your pics a few extra likes on Instagram. #nodoubt
The Botanical Bar
Being world famous for its vast floral kingdom means that its only fitting that the city is home to a bar that serves botanical-inspired cocktails and food.
Now, Call Your Uber. It’s Time to Jol
If you’re here for ETHCapeTown and find yourself looking for things to do after dark, try our list out. Now, we know we haven’t told you all of Cape Town’s best-kept secrets, but we’ve given you a good place to start.
We’re excited to welcome everyone to the Mother City! For further info, please visit our website.
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