A guide to wine bar crawling

Blind & free tastings, fashion store, rooftop paint social…

Last updated: Tuesday, 23 April 2023

It’s always wine o’clock in Cape Town. You’ll find a bit of everything: From blind and free wine tastings to a rooftop painting social, little known labels, live music or a cosy date night spot. Here are 13 old, new and curious wine bars in the city.

FANCY FREE WINE ON TUESDAYS?

Judd’s Local is a family-owned restaurant and wine shop on Kloof Street. Every Tuesday it offers a free wine tasting experience, hosted by a different wine rep every week. Learn about wines from across the Western Cape, from farms like Grootepost to independent labels like Vine & Co. Stick around and enjoy a charcuterie board, a burger or a snoek taco at Judd’s.

Hours: Mondays, 12pm - 11.30pm; Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11am - 11.30pm; closed on Sundays

141 Kloof Street | Gardens | @juddslocal | Image: Judd’s Local

WINE & ART CLUB

Once a week this rooftop turns into an art social and wine club. You can enjoy four glasses of wine while painting anything you’d like on individual canvases.The wine changes weekly with previous events having Durbanville Hills, Robertson Winery and The Fat Bastard. There’s only 100 tickets available every week, so booking is essential. 

Hours: Every Wednesday, 6pm till late; book via Quicket

251 Long Street | Cape Town | @kora_cpt | Image: KORA

FIRST THURSDAYS TASTINGS

Just off Kloof Street is this chic wine bar. The unique detail? It only becomes a wine bar after 3pm, with it being a fully serviced coffee shop in the day. The shelves are lined with brands including Vinehugger, Ex Amino, Cape Collective and Intellego. Plus, every First Thursdays there’s live music and wine tastings at Vine and Dandy. 

Hours: Monday, 7.30am to 3pm; Tuesday - Friday, 7.30am to 10pm; Saturday, 3pm to 10pm

7 Park Road | Gardens | @everythings_vine_and_dandy | Image: Vine and Dandy

A NEIGHBOURHOOD FAVOURITE  

Publik Wine Bar is all about “new wave” wines, supporting local winemakers who create sustainable and organic products. The shelves are stocked with curious finds like Maanschijn’s Brunch Club or Intellego’s The Pink Moustache. There’s frequent street food nights and bar takeovers from various local brands.

Hours: Monday - Friday, 4pm to 11pm; Saturday, 3pm to 8pm

11d Kloof Nek Road | Tamboerskloof | @publikwine | Image: Publik Wine Bar

NEAPOLITAN-STYLE PIZZAS 

Inside The Old Biscuit Mill you’ll find this recently opened wine bar. Pavement Special is an all-natural wine (organically farmed with no additives) bar with products from local brands including Lubanzi and Mother Rock. To pair with your wine there’s also wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas which are made with a 48 hour slow-proved dough recipe. 

Hours: Daily (for breakfast and lunch), 8am to 6pm; Wednesday to Saturday, 6pm till late

The Old Biscuit Mill | 373 Albert Road | Woodstock | @pavement_special | Image: Pavement Special

SHOP COUTURE AND SIP WINE

Shopping should be done with a glass of wine in hand. At least that’s how it’s done at AKJP Studio. Inside the fashion concept store there’s a wine bar with brands like Mother Rock, Krone, Elementis and Vinehugger. While you sip you can walk around and look through items from 40 local designers. 

Hours: Monday to Saturday; 9am to 8pm

73 Kloof Street | Gardens | @_akjpstudio | Image: AKJP Studio

DATE NIGHT IDEA 

Looking for a cosy spot to enjoy wine on a night out? Bouchon Bistro is dimly lit with candles and white tablecloths lining the tables set up between wine barrels. On the menu you’ll find sharing plates and hearty meals like mushroom risotto and beef short rib. The menu changes often to highlight the different wines and there’s also their house-made Dorrance. 

Hours: Monday - Saturday, 4pm to 11pm

95 Hout Street | City Centre | @bouchonbistro | Image: Bouchon Bistro

WINE BAR MEETS OLD-SCHOOL DINER 

It’s a favourite spot for drinks and snacks. Arthur’s Mini Super is a staple eatery in Sea Point, and in the evenings it becomes a trendy wine bar. There’s a wide variety of local wines including Mielie, Khayelitsha’s Finest, Vinevenom, Lubanzi, Mother Rock and more. Plus, you can buy wines from the wine shop. Find out more about the diner-style plates at Arthur’s Mini Super. 

Hours: Monday, 7:30am to 4 pm; Tuesday - Friday, 7:30am to 10 pm; Saturday, 8am to 10pm; Sunday, 8am to 2pm

15 Arthurs Road | Sea Point | @arthursminisuper | Image: Lara van Zyl

PIZZA BAGELS ON BREE STREET

Bagel shop by day, wine bar by night. Leo’s Wine Bar is squeezed in Max’s Bagels on the vibrant Bree Street. It’s an intimate space that spreads out onto the street terrace, where most of the seating is. Leo’s specialises in wines from smaller producers, with a great selection of natural wines. Plus they serve pizza bagels and bar snacks nightly at Leo’s.

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm - 11pm

Shop 28 | De Oude Schuur | 120 Bree Street | @leoswinebar | Image: Leo’s

WINE FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Grub and Vine’s wine bar is hard to miss, with its name splattered on a bright orange wall in Bree Street. Culture Wine Bar offers cult classics, hidden gems, natural wines, and special imports from across the globe (from France to Australia). Plus, you can snack on their small menu while listening to live jazz over the weekend.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 12pm - 11pm

103 Bree Street | Cape Town City Centre | @culturewinebar | Image: Culture Wine Bar

PICK YOUR BOTTLE FROM A WALL

Open Wine is tucked between trendy restaurants and art galleries on Wale Street and has a bar, lounge and cellar. Wine enthusiasts can choose from their exceptional selection of wine, ranging from unique boutique wines, local gems and bigger industry-leading wines. You can pick a bottle straight from the wall (which is also their menu).

Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 12pm - 11pm; Thursday to Sunday, 2pm - 11pm

72 Wale Street | Cape Town City Centre | @openwine_za | Image: Lara van Zyl

BLIND WINE TASTING

How well do you know your wines? At Saint Juz in Woodstock you could try a blind tasting. You’ll get two whites and two reds, and after guess the wines by categories. If you guess everything correctly you can win a R1 000 voucher at this Siberian-Asian restaurant. 

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8am to 6pm

111 Sir Lowry Road | Woodstock

BAR IN A HERITAGE BUILDING

Intravinous Wine Lounge & Bar is set in a revamped heritage building on Loop Street. It has bold red and green walls with exposed brick – giving off old fire station vibes – and outside tables overlooking the city. The wine list is packed with the finest local wines, from the Stellenbosch Wine Route, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and more.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 8pm

Glaston House | 110 Loop Street | Cape Town City Centre | @intravinous | Image: Intravinous

By Sarah Williams 

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ENJOY MORE NIGHTS IN THE CITY 

Discover the free, secret and new places on Bree Street.

Explore our guide to one of the coolest streets, Kloof. 

A guide to the new, old and curious places on Long Street.

Find out what’s hot and new in Cape Town.

You can taste 20+ wines at a Tulum-style beach club with Chim’s Wine Tasting.

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