Cape Town

The 10 Best Bars with a View in Cape Town

Cape Town's most photographed drinks aren't on any menu — they're in the rooms with the right windows. The bars with a view on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.

  1. 01

    Azure Bar at Twelve Apostles

    CAMPS BAY · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Azure Bar at Twelve Apostles draws a steady local crowd in Camps Bay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  2. 02

    Grand Cafe & Beach Camps Bay

    CAMPS BAY · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Grand Cafe & Beach Camps Bay draws a steady local crowd in Camps Bay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

  3. 03

    Neighbourgoods Market Rooftop

    WOODSTOCK · $$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Neighbourgoods Market Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Woodstock. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

  4. 04

    Rosary Rooftop Bar

    CITY BOWL · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Rosary Rooftop Bar draws a steady local crowd in City Bowl. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

  5. 05

    Table Mountain Cafe

    TAFELBERG · $$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Table Mountain Cafe draws a steady local crowd in Tafelberg. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  6. 06

    The Bungalow

    CLIFTON · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    The Bungalow draws a steady local crowd in Clifton. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

  7. 07

    The Pink Flamingo Rooftop

    SEA POINT · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    The Pink Flamingo Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Sea Point. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

  8. 08

    The Silo Rooftop Bar

    V&A WATERFRONT · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    The Silo Rooftop Bar draws a steady local crowd in V&A Waterfront. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

  9. 09

    Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar

    CITY BOWL · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar draws a steady local crowd in City Bowl. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

  10. 10

    Leopard Bar at Twelve Apostles

    CAMPS BAY · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

    Leopard Bar at Twelve Apostles draws a steady local crowd in Camps Bay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Use this guide either as a single curated route through Cape Town or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten bars with a view that any serious drinker in Cape Town would tell you to put on the list.

Azure Bar at Twelve Apostles draws a steady local crowd in Camps Bay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Grand Cafe & Beach Camps Bay draws a steady local crowd in Camps Bay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

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Looking beyond Cape Town? See our guide to the best bars with a view worldwide, or compare bars with a view city by city.