Nightlife

There are hundreds of clubs in Cape Town, varying from your average disco dance fare to clubs where bouncers assess dress, body piercing and language before deciding whether patrons make the grade.

There are several distinct nightlife districts in the central city. Long Street and Kloof Street in the city centre are alive with restaurants, live music clubs, bars, coffee shops and the odd strip club, while the V&A Waterfront is awash with nightlife venues popular with both tourists and locals. For something a bit swankier, head to Victoria Road, Camps Bay. Visit Observatory for live music and relaxed local bars and restaurants.

Treat yourself to some live entertainment and excellent theatre, from lavish musicals to one-man/woman shows that receive standing ovations. Don’t miss out on a performance at either the Artscape or the Baxter Theatre.

As for food, Cape Town tastes great. Cape Town is more than just famous for its restaurants: dining – given the availability of both fresh ingredients and spellbinding settings – is a city pastime. Because the city is in the middle of a major wine-growing region, dining really does go together with its often-used rhyme, wining.

It offers just about any cuisine you can think of (often for much better value than you’d expected). That being said, the local speciality is, naturally, seafood, so make sure you sample the local catch. It’s an enduring image of the city: a sunset, a seafood platter and a chardonnay.