Beaulah Bar
De Waterkant
Originally a Lesbian bar, Beulah now is not only where girls meet girls but boys meet boys. Beaulah - which means "beautiful" in local gay slang - is In the heart of...
- LGBTQ
- Nightclub
- 3
Amsterdam Action Bar
De Waterkant
The Amsterdam Action Bar in the heart of the gay village offers two floors of anything-goes action. The mellow downstairs has an outside deck off the bar area, a...
- For Men
- Pub
Beefcakes
Greenpoint
Around since 1959, Beefcakes is known for its gourmet burgers, its beefy waiters, body shots and drag dinner shows with more than a touch of camp. Every Tuesday it's
- LGBTQ
- Nightclub
Café Manhattan
De Waterkant
Gay-owned, the industrial chic Café Manhattan has been a fixture in the heart of the De Waterkant village since 1994. It lays claim to being the oldest gay mixed...
- LGBTQ
- Pub
- 2
Barcode Gay Bar
De Waterkant
Barcode, established in 1999, is the city's only gay/bi leather bar and fetish venue. The bar has a maze of darkrooms, slings and an outdoor deck with special themed...
- For Men
- Cruising
- 1
Harringtons Cocktail Lounge
District Six
The new bar on the bloc, Harrington's offers cocktails, live jazz, special themed evenings and late-night disco. The upscale upstairs lounge occupies part of the...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Lounge
- 1
Stargayzer
Parow
In the northern suburb of Parow, Stargayzer is the place to dance the night away with great DJs, karaoke, pool tables, a lounge area and two bars. Crowd is mainly
- LGBTQ
- Nightclub
Crew Bar
De WaterKant
Dance the night away at the multi-level, multi-dance floor Crew, which goes almost to dawn. It has a hunky wait staff, themed events and celebrates South African
- For Men
- Nightclub
Hot House
De Waterkant
Hot House is an upmarket steam bath in the heart of the gay village with a fireplace and a rooftop sun deck for bronzing or admiring the views. Inside, it offers a...
- For Men
- Sauna
Rands Lifestyle Space
Khayelitsha
Not all the fun is downtown in Cape Town. Rands Lifestyle Space in Khayelitsha Township on the Cape Flats is hopping all day and into the night. Started in 2015 by...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Bar
The Piano Bar
De Waterkant
The Piano Bar is a laid back lounge that showcases up-and-coming local talent playing easy-listening music across genres. With a wrap around terrace and roof deck,...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Bar
The Pink Panther Social Club
Gardens
Dress is smart casual at the upscale Pink Panther Gay Club, launched in early 2017. The all-inclusive dance club is on one of Kloof Street's busiest corners
- LGBTQ
- Nightclub
Coco Nightclub
City Center
The la-di-dah Coco opened in 2013, taking clubbing to a new level locally with beautiful people, VIP service and high-end bottle service. Friday night, the sound is...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Nightclub
Cubana - Havana Lounge
Green Point
Take a side trip to Havana while in Cape Town by dropping by Cubana - Havana Lounge, a relaxed tropical bar with wicker chairs and a cigar lounge. A restaurant by...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Bar
ERA
City Centre
Launched in 2014, the two-story ERA is an electronic music mecca, presenting an eclectic mix of established and emerging artists. It's an out-of-this-world...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Nightclub
Fat Cats Lounge & Bar
Strand
Fat Cats, the Surfside Restaurant bar in the Strand Pavillion, has sundowner views over False Bay. It offers half-price cocktails Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays.
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Bar
Pakalolo
Table View
On the north side of town, the beachfront Pakalolo is known more for its cocktails and its legendary views of beach and mountain than its food. A local institution...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Bar
SGT Pepper Long Street
City Centre
With an inviting balcony overlooking Long Street, SGT Pepper is a pizza parlor by day and a place to party at night, sometimes to live music. The 300-square-meter...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Bar
Shimmy Beach Club
V&A Waterront
The open-air restaurant at the Shimmy Beach Club morphs into a dance floor by night, going late. International and local DJs, two bars and an infinity pool add to
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Other
Stoep and Swing
Simon's Town
Stoep and Swing is a family-owned pub known for chilling out, live music and slow dancing. On way to Cape Point, it has a ping pong table and great views of wetlands
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Pub
Stones
City Centre
The sports bar Stones features many pool tables, a dance floor, big screens and karaoke in addition to good drink specials. It regularly hosts top DJs, comedians,...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Bar
The Nameless Pub
Somerset West
The Nameless Pub is a local dive bar with a kitchen that's open late. On two levels, it has a pool table down and live music up. The long-running pub recently added
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Pub
The Sugarhut Club
East City Precinct
Most popular in the wee hours, the hip Sugarhut club has themed bar areas for sipping cocktails or dancing the night away and an all-weather outdoor deck with...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Lounge
Zer021 Lounge
Green Point
Zer021 Lounge or Social Club is known for its drag shows and great music but considers itself not just a venue. It's part of a movement - the drag movement. Named
- LGBTQ
- Bar
Jade Lounge and Champagne Bar
Green Point
Jade is an intimate and upscale boîte that attracts a professional crowd. The venue has French flair in a 1930s Art Deco building. No cover charge, but the doorman...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Nightclub
Alexander Bar
City Centre
A playwright and a software engineer got together to recreate the Alexander Bar, Café & Theatre. It has a full theater upstairs staging live music, comedy, drama...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Other
Deon's Gat Party
Milnertown
Afrikaans-style ballroom dancing to country-and-western-style music is the draw at twice-monthly gat parties. The parties are so named because "gat" means "hole" in...
- For Men
- Party
Backroom Bar
De Waterkant
The small and intimate Backroom Bar, formerly on Napier Road, linked up with the Amsterdam Action Bar in 2012. Downstairs the drinks are served by topless barmen and...
- For Men
- Bar
Bascule
V&A Waterfront
Bascule is a wine, whiskey and cocktail bar that gets high marks for an intimate wood interior and waterfront location on the international yacht marine. In the posh...
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Bar
Beerhouse
City Centre
It's 99 bottles of beer on the wall and 20 taps at Beerhouse, a downtown beer hall with live music. Beer selection includes international brands and South Africa
- LGBTQ-friendly
- Bar
