Cape Town has 7 cocktail bars in the BarMagazine directory, and ANTHM leads the pack. This guide covers the cocktail bars specifically; the full Cape Town picture, all 7 bars of it, lives on the city page. Each listing is verified, with the address, opening hours and what to order.
A Japanese-inspired cocktail bar and listening lounge on a Loop Street corner, opened by Tetsuo Hasegawa, former head bartender of New York's Angel's Share, with partners from NYC bar ROKC. Craft cocktails use Cape botanicals and Japanese techniques, tequila with African sage, whiskey with porcini, alongside Japanese-influenced small plates, with vinyl and live music upstairs.
A proudly South African cocktail bar and cocktail kitchen in the V&A Waterfront's Pierhead district, serving inventive terroir-driven cocktails inspired by Cape Town's oceans, mountains and fynbos. It doubles as the Cape Brandy Bar, holding an impressive collection of Cape potstill brandies and local spirits, and is a popular sundowner spot.
A cocktail bar on the corner of Bree and Wale Streets in Cape Town's city center, serving signature drinks inspired by local myths and legends, with a seasonal menu that evolves so each cocktail tells a story. Drinks are paired with curated snacks and DJ sets, with weekend daytime service and happy-hour specials.
A grungy, art-filled cocktail bar on Loop Street with clashing artwork, graffiti and moody red lighting, run by co-owners Alessandro Galassi and Nicholas Crouse. It serves original seasonal cocktails alongside classics, plus American-African fusion snacks such as fries with chakalaka.
A relaxed neighborhood bar at the top of Kloof Street with an eclectic vintage interior and a rooftop area with mountain views. It focuses on precisely made classic cocktails, an all-South African wine list and locally sourced small plates, on a no-bookings, walk-in basis.
A hidden courtyard bar established in 2014, entered through the Honest Chocolate Cafe on Wale Street and known for one of Cape Town's largest gin selections. The venue recently added a dedicated Bubbly Bar and operates on a walk-in basis.
A multifaceted venue combining a working motorcycle shop with a coffee shop, cocktail bar, craft beer selection, restaurant, menswear boutique and live-music space, set among exposed brick and wooden beams. It is the original Cape Town outpost of a brand with sister venues abroad.
These are the cocktail bars specifically. The full Cape Town guide ranks the best bars of every style, and the directory lists all 7 with a map and filters.
Best bars in Cape Town