SurfaRosa

SurfaRosa opened in 2017 at 61 Harrington Street, under District on the East City strip, and stated its position plainly: punk and surf influences, loud music, no polish. Cape Town Magazine calls it the East City dive bar full of personality, and the international recognition followed; in 2019 it was rated the 19th best dive bar in the world, as Cape Town Etc reported.

The credentials are visual before you drink anything. Posters by local artists run down the wooden outdoor alley, the room is tiny, and the DJs work through old punk, rock and roll, and whatever keeps heads moving, per Best Bars SA.

Who would hate it? Anyone who wants craft garnish or a quiet word. The door policy is 21 plus and the volume policy is up.

Inside is a tight, sticker bombed box with a short bar and standing space; the wooden alley outside, papered in local artists' punk posters, doubles the footprint and takes the smokers and the spillover. Cape Town Magazine's profile rates the alley as the signature view. Live bands squeeze in on occasion and remove all remaining space.

Local beer runs about R35, shots stay in pocket change territory, and the cocktail list is short and unapologetic. The kitchen's pizza is the late night anchor, and the bunny chows, the Durban curry in a hollowed loaf, are the menu's local flex that Cape Town Magazine leads with. Order rounds for the table; tabs here are measured in hours, not Rand.

Locals, rowdy regulars, and travelers who found the strip mix with the Harrington Street art crowd; Thursdays and Fridays run until 4am and feel like it. Best Bars SA describes the mix as lively locals and thirsty travelers, and the 21 plus door keeps it adult.

What regulars say:

• Cape Town Magazine calls it the East City dive full of personality and praises the bunny chows.
• Cape Town Etc reported its 2019 ranking as the 19th best dive bar in the world.
• Tripadvisor reviewers rate the grungy atmosphere and friendly bar staff as the reliable pair.

Who it is for:

• Drinkers who measure bars by volume, value, and wall art
• An honest late shift after the City Centre cocktail rooms close
• Avoid if you want table service; Aces 'n' Spades next door is the louder sibling option

Cape Town's one true dive, and proudly so. Start on the strip at dark, end in the alley at 3am, and bring cash for one more round than you planned.

Getting there: 61 Harrington Street in the East City, below District, ten minutes' walk from Long Street and on the same strip as Harringtons Cocktail Lounge.

Timing: Open from noon Tuesday through Sunday; Thursdays and Fridays run to 4am, Sundays close early. Strictly 21 and over.

Cost: Beers about R35, shots about R30, pizza and bunny chows under R100. Cash and cards both work; cash moves faster.