4 Best Bars in Cape Town, South Africa

Tetsuo Hasegawa, bartender and owner of this tiny, personally craft cocktail bar in the heart of the city, eschews trends in favor of creating cocktails using imagination and local ingredients. The Tokyo-born mixologist blows minds and taste buds with drinks like his innovative milk-washed, tequila-forward Beat-nik, which contains beetroot, Durban masala, and apple shrub, or his All Night Boogie made with Cape brandy, Shiraz, banana and white miso, and dark chocolate. The drinks, tailored to your tastes, are exquisite, the atmosphere impeccable (only vinyls are played), and there's food available.

We’re not kidding: the bouncer will not let you inside Art of Duplicity without the password! Once the friendly interrogation's over, you’ll be led down the alley (under drying underwear hanging from overhead lines) and past the kitchen before a rap on the door finally gets you admitted to the speakeasy-styled bar with its Prohibition Era theatricality and talented bartenders concocting one-of-a-kind libations. The idea is to get lost not just in the spirits, but in the spirit of the place, so dressing up is recommended, and then experience a bit of time-travel with its low-lighting, vintage apothecary counter, and seating between the coffee sacks. Food goes a bit beyond ordinary bar snacks: your lobster roll might resemble an éclair and your beetroot soup will require a second take. To book, go to the website—you’ll get sent all the details you require, including that crucial password.

Conjuring the atmosphere of a high-pedigree sports bar, this multistory eating-drinking-schmoozing establishment was formerly owned by sports enthusiast Herbert Tothill; it was once a kind of speakeasy that flew in the face of apartheid-era discrimination by welcoming patrons from across the color spectrum. Its new owners have taken inspiration from that era and used the walls and antique cabinets to curate memorabilia, newspaper clippings, and photographs that tell tales of South Africa’s often unsung athletes. Plush leather- and velvet-covered chairs, embossed wallpaper, Persian rugs on herringbone floors, and marble countertops bring a touch of sophistication, as do the canapés and snacks, tapas, and more substantial Greek and Mediterranean dishes. Their cocktails make use of barrel-aged spirits, and they are known to push the edges a bit, so ask the bartenders to see if they can surprise you. They regularly have live music.

Across the road from its sibling restaurant, The Black Sheep, this is the kind of neighborhood bar that every neighborhood wishes it had. Utterly eclectic, with mix-n-match decor and a relaxed, bohemian atmosphere, it's the kind of place where you can cozy up on a sofa or make friends at the bar. Head to the rooftop to enjoy your drink while staring at an unparalleled view of Table Mountain and Lion's Head, and an entire panorama of Cape Town. There's an excellent wine, beer, and cocktail selection, and some seriously tasty, slightly upscale bar food that could easily result in a decision to skip dinner.