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T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town

1. Cape Grace Hotel

8.5
West Quay Ro. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, iKapa, Western Cape
Hotel · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 18 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Located on a private quay, Cape Grace is a magnet for Hollywood royalty. Rooms are done up with botanical prints, iron lamps, and whimsical chandeliers made from dangling delft saucers.

2. Ellerman House Hotel

8.1
180 Kloof Road, Bantry Bay, Cape Town
Hotel · Sea Point · 5 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: You’ll find plenty of discreet charm at this Edwardian, mountainside retreat overlooking the Atlantic, whose patios look out onto terraced gardens. Tour the hotel’s art gallery, built into the bluff.

3. Kensington Place Hotel Cape Town

6.4
38 Kensington Crescent Higgovale, iKapa, Western Cape
Hotel · Gardens · 3 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Interiors at this eight-room town house in the foothills of Table Mountain are ultracontemporary (slick leather sofas; hot-pink pillows), with tasteful accents such as original South African artwork.

4. Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel

8.8
76 Orange St, Gardens, Gardens, Gardens, Western Cape
Hotel · 61 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Updated Oasis wing rooms, decked out in plush red sofas and paintings by local artists, have given the storied hotel new life. Chef-led tours bring guests to the coast to forage for the night’s meal.

One&Only Cape Town is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

5. One&Only Cape Town

9.3
Dock Rd, iKapa, Western Cape
Hotel · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 38 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: The postcard-perfect views of Table Mountain and Adam Tihany–designed rooms (bright geometric textiles; parquet flooring; freestanding soaking tubs) have made this V&A Waterfront hotel a new favorite.

6. Taj Cape Town

8.5
cnr Wale & St George Mall (Adderley St), iKapa, Western Cape
Hotel · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 30 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Old meets new at the Taj: elegant Heritage rooms—tufted headboards; original mullioned windows—in two restored landmark buildings offset the more modern Tower wing, with its private balconies.

Villa Zest is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

7. Villa Zest

7.2
iKapa, Western Cape
Hotel · Green Point · 4 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: At this 1970's-inspired hotel in leafy Green Point, vintage Polaroid cameras and Panasonic Toot-a-Loop radios line the hallways while rooms are decorated in mod egg chairs and shag rugs.

8. House Of Machines

8.8
84 Shortmarket Street, iKapa, Western Cape
Café · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 44 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Equal parts men’s outfitter, motorcycle shop, café, and bar, House of Machines caters to various whims (and tastes). Try one of the small-batch bourbons, then shop for a pair of house-brand jeans.

Mungo & Jemima is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

9. Mungo & Jemima

108 Long Street, iKapa, Western Cape
Uncategorized · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 2 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Come here for a carefully chosen selection of feminine-yet-sophisticated women’s wear and accessories by emerging South Africa–based designers including Coppelia, Margot Molyneux, and Selfi.

O.live is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

10. O.live

iKapa, Western Cape
Furniture and Home Store · Gardens · 1 tip

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: The rustic-chic local housewares shop is an aspiring decorator’s dream. You can find everything from textured ceramics to ribbons, natural soaps, and vintage porcelain tea sets.

11. Olive Green Cat

Shortmarket, iKapa, Western Cape
Jewelry Store · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 1 tip

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: You’re unlikely to leave this jewelry boutique empty-handed. Philippa Green and Ida Elsje turn out avant-garde treasures—embellished cuffs; rings with diamonds floating in resin—that make a statement.

Whatiftheworld Gallery is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

12. Whatiftheworld Gallery

iKapa, Western Cape
Art Gallery · Woodstock · 4 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Woodstock’s first art space showcases the city’s newest generation of contemporary artists. The highlights: exhibitions by local painters and global talents including renowned illustrator Olaf Hajek.

District Six Museum is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

13. District Six Museum

7.8
25A Buitenkant St., iKapa, Western Cape
History Museum · Zonnebloem · 24 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: The former Methodist church was a shelter for anti-apartheid protesters during the Sixth Municipal District’s 1960’s fallout. Today, the museum hosts a range of works, from photos to living documents.

14. Table Mountain National Park

9.3
Table Mountain Rd (Kloof Nek Rd), iKapa, Western Cape
National Park · Table Mountain · 118 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Cape Town’s landmark Table Mountain, a 10-minute ride from downtown, is named for its distinctive flat top. An aerial cableway whisks sightseers to unbeatable views of Cape Peninsula and beyond.

15. Carne SA

8.2
70 Keerom Street, iKapa, Western Cape
Steakhouse · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 42 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: No one braais (grills) better than this locavore steak house (the meats are sourced from owner Giorgio Nava’s ranch in the Karoo). Try the free-range lamb or the 24-month-aged, grass-fed sirloin.

Grand Cafe and Beach is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

16. Grand Cafe and Beach

8.2
1 Haul Rd, Granger Bay, iKapa, Western Cape
Café · Green Point · 73 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: The ocean-facing tables and outdoor cabanas at this beachside hangout are perennially packed with stylish Capetonians. What to order: café classics such as smoked-trout salad and flatbread pizzas.

Neighbourgoods Market is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

17. Neighbourgoods Market

8.6
373-375 Albert Rd, iKapa, Western Cape
Flea Market · Woodstock · 14 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: On Saturday mornings, pick up pastries, coffee, and crêpes at this collection of high-end artisanal food stalls in Woodstock, then grab a seat at one of the communal wooden tables.

The Pot Luck Club & Gallery is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

18. The Pot Luck Club & Gallery

9.1
Albert Rd (Mill Street), iKapa, Western Cape
Tapas Restaurant · Woodstock · 83 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: An airy dining room filled with contemporary art sets the backdrop for chef-owner Luke Dale-Robert's creative dishes, prepared in an open kitchen. Get the pork belly with red cabbage and apple slaw.

19. The Roundhouse

Round House Road (Kloof Road), iKapa, Western Cape
African Restaurant · 35 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: The draw of this onetime Dutch East India Company guardhouse? An artful six-course tasting menu (rib eye topped with onion petals; beet carpaccio served with pickled eggplant and shimeji mushrooms).

20. The Test Kitchen

The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, iKapa, Western Cape
Restaurant · Woodstock · 55 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: At Pot Luck Club & Gallery’s older sister, ingredients are pickled and poached to intensify their essence, while dishes are presented in unexpected ways—like biltong topped with plum-cured foie gras.

21. Groot Constantia

9.0
Groot Constantia Rd, iKapa, Western Cape
Vineyard · Constantia · 48 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Twenty minutes south of the city, the 450-acre Groot Constantia is one of the country’s oldest wine estates, known for its high-quality red blends.

22. Fairview Wine and Cheese

9.2
Suid-Agter-Paarl Rd, Paarl, Western Cape
Vineyard · Suider-Paar · 102 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Find this farm just outside the historic town of Paarl; book a private tasting of the winery’s single-vineyard bottlings paired with Fairview’s own goat-milk cheeses.

23. Babylonstoren

9.3
R45, Klapmuts, Western Cape
Vineyard · 48 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: This 17th-century Cape Winelands farm estate, in the Franschhoek valley, produces fruity Viogniers and Chardonnays.

24. Cape Point Nature Reserve

9.3
Cape Point Nature Reserve, iKapa, Western Cape
Nature Preserve · Cape of Good Hope · 47 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: You’ll pass Boulders Beach, home to a colony of African penguins, before reaching the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve. The view from one of the peninsula’s highest points is unparalleled.

25. Hout Bay

Hout Bay, Western Cape
Neighborhood · 8 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: A scenic, cliff-hugging drive leads to this picturesque harborside town. Stop by the late-19th-century Chapmans Peak Hotel for lunch and order the fried calamari.

26. Scarborough

Neighborhood · 5 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: This seaside village outside central Cape Town draws urbanites seeking a quiet weekend escape. Stroll the boardwalk that runs along the beach—if it’s windy, you’ll have only kitesurfers for company.

Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

27. Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar

8.3
165 Longmarket Street, iKapa, Western Cape
Cocktail Bar · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 38 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: One of the city’s few rooftop bars is a great place to watch the lights come up on Table Mountain at dusk. Order a negroni.

Hemelhuijs is one of T+L's Definitive Guide to Cape Town.

28. Hemelhuijs

8.9
71 Waterkant St, iKapa, Western Cape
Café · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 58 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Head here for a weekday brunch, where chef Jacques Erasmus combines seasonal and classic ingredients like salmon with daikon radish. The freshly squeezed fruit juices served in tall jars are a must.

29. Harbour House

8.4
Kalk Bay Harbour, Kalkbaai, Western Cape
Seafood Restaurant · 67 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Kalk Bay is a wonderful place to bring out-of-towners. Have lunch at Harbor House, which looks out over the waterfront.

30. Orphanage Cocktail Emporium

227 Bree St (Orphan St), iKapa, Western Cape
Cocktail Bar · Cape Town CBD - Foreshore · 55 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: This cocktail emporium is a favorite for late-night drinks; the tapas are equally outstanding.

31. Giovanni's Deliworld

9.1
99-105 Main Rd, iKapa, Western Cape
Bakery · Green Point · 86 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: After an early run along the seafront, recharge with breakfast here and get the ham-and-cheese ciabatta sandwich with a cappuccino.

32. Kleine Zalze

7.9
Strand (R44) (Techno Park), Stellenbosch, Western Cape
Vineyard · 4 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: If you’re taking a drive along the Cape Winelands, stop for a bite at Terroir at Kleine Zalze farm, known for its Shiraz.

33. Bakoven

8.2
Beta Road, iKapa, Western Cape
Beach · Camps Bay · 3 tips and reviews

Travel + LeisureTravel + Leisure: Families often pack up the car and go swimming in the rock pools at this beach, probably Cape Town’s best-kept secret.