5 New hot-shot bars to visit in Cape Town

It’s silly season and Cape Town’s bars are ready for it. Add our five most anticipated experiential, pop-up and specialised bars to your libation bucket-list for a well-satiated Summer. 

1. Cause:Effect

Foregoing the gin fixation and instead pre-empting the brandy one (while simultaneously celebrating a South African-loved spirit), Cape Town’s first exclusive brandy- and experiential cocktail-focussed bar opened this week – and it’s worth the hype. Inspired by the Cape’s vineyards, mountains, ocean and fynbos, Cause:Effect offers a well-curated selection of potions, from in-house Aperitifs, classic brandy cocktails and an experiential seasonal menu featuring the likes of hay-infused brandy, orange husk marmalade, lavender tinctures and Buchu-infused potstills. 

2. Chinchilla Rooftop Café & Bar

Camps Bay’s sexy new rooftop café and bar, located above the equally new Bilboa restaurant, is set to simmer this summer as travellers descend on Cape Town’s hottest venues. Known for its string of contemporary sophisticated eateries, the Kove Collection introduces its newest destination hang-out: The first of its kind in Camps Bay, Chinchilla is an exclusive rooftop locale, catering to those seeking a beach-side sundowner, light bite to eat or late-night DJ/dancing set. 

3. The Gin Dock

On trend with the local gin movement, The Gin Dock, a newly opened pop-up gin bar at the V&A Waterfront, is a collaboration between three Capetonian brands, namely A Mari Ocean Gin, Geometric Gin and Hope on Hopkins Distillery. Aptly located at one of Africa’s most visited attractions, The Gin Dock will run for the duration of high season, (so get there before it closes in three months). 

Read: Our Gin Dock listing here. 

4. The Botanical Bar

They’re keeping us waiting and we don’t even mind. The Botanical Bar, opening “any day now” in Longmarket Street promises to create new tinctures using local botanicals. Bitters, shrubs, aperitifs, cocktails and food will be the order of the day.

More sneaky peeks ?? things are taking shape. Not long now ?

A post shared by The Botanical Bar (@thebotanicalbar) on Dec 1, 2017 at 8:30am PST

5. Outrage of Modesty

Although it’s not entirely new, Outrage of Modesty in Shortmarket Street is playing host to its new Head Bartender, Noreen Dunzo, for the Spring/Summer season. This time hailing from Singapore and bringing with her a decidedly Asian-themed menu, with of course her own interpretation of South African flavours and nuances, Noreen has created eight bespoke cocktails that use local seasonal ingredients. Expect an unrivalled experience set in the sleek Tokyo-esque interiors. 

ALSO READ… 

7 Local bubblies found off the beaten track to pop open this Summer

(image: iStock) Wander off the beaten track and discover lesser known but equally (if not more) delicious bubblies to pop open at your New Year’s or year end celebration. These farms value minimal intervention in the cellar, produce European-influenced but proudly South African MCCs in smaller and more precious quantities that have stories to share with each “cheers”.