Phones at the ready! Bartenders and beverage directors are increasingly serving up ‘gram-worthy drinks, pushing the envelope on everything from the containers beverages are served in, to the ice cubes that keep them cool.
Sometimes the decor can be just as on point as the drinks. This is our list of the very best bars in Cape Town that are a treat for both your Instagram feed and your taste buds.
Cause Effect
When it comes to the most Instagrammable cocktails in Cape Town, Cause Effect is leading the way. This jewel of a bar located at the V&A Waterfront is both gratifyingly opulent and yet utterly welcoming with a drinks list of legend. The bar serves up unusual and aesthetically appealing drinks, from a menu that is ever-changing. A popular favourite is “The Rocket”, inspired by the historic building in which the bar is built.
Orphanage Cocktail Emporium
Named after the real orphanage founded by St Paul’s Church across the road, this Bree street favourite is all about vintage glam: a chandelier strung with old keys, oil lamps, and waistcoated barmen theatrically presenting retro cocktails. The drinks menu is rife with nods to famous orphans from years past, like “Miss Havisham’s Daughter” and the “Daddy Warbucks”.
Tjing Tjing
Tjing Tjing does not only turn heads with its fantastic Shinjuku-inspired decor but also for the four unique and vastly different experiences it offers curious diners. For an all-out Japanese extravaganza, Tjing Tjing Torii, Tjing Tjing Momiji, Momiji Lounge and the uber-cool Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar tick all the boxes. Serving some of the coolest cocktails in the city, the rooftop bar is located in the attic that’s beautifully decked out with a wall of black-and-white Japanese photographs and a shrine-inspired red bar, spilling out onto the airy terrace.
Asoka
Beyond the homely terrace and sash windows is a space that whisks you boldly away to another world and seduces each and every one of your senses. The key design feature at Asoka, however, is the legendary Olive tree located inside the restaurant. The Dharma Tree, as it’s lovingly referred to, is a homage to the teachings of Buddha and is the ‘earth’ part of the five feng shui elements of forces. From the flickering candles on the tables to the fairy lights that glitter like stars from the ceiling, everything’s been arranged with the utmost love and attention – much in the same way as Asoka’s fusion food and its famous Porn Star Martini.
Harringtons Cocktail Lounge
A feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds! This East City hangout has four different bars all with their own eclectic personalities. Thanks to an Art Deco feel, unique cocktails and a general good time vibe, it has quickly made a name for itself as the bar to go to and the bar to be seen at in Cape Town. The resident mixologists have a variety of signature drinks, along with old-school classics, contemporary twists and new favourites.
The Athletic Club & Social
Situated in a 19th-century three-storey building on Buitengracht Street in Cape Town, this edgy bar has fast become the place for socialising. From the tasselled bucket chairs covered in velvet to the leather booths with French rattan screens, there’s no doubt that this place is Instagram-worthy. The well-designed craft cocktail menu is a typographer’s dream, and the drinks themselves are delicious.
