After a long day or week of work one of the best ways to unwind is with a drink, However, anyone who unwinds this way knows a good drink isn’t only about what you’re drinking, but also where you are drinking it.
One of the best places to enjoy a drink is at a rooftop bar. From the Sevva in Hong Kong to the world-famous rooftop bar at the Marina Bay Sands Sky Park in Singapore, rooftop bars are a popular choice around the globe.
Fortunately, we don’t have to travel across the globe for this experience as there are many great rooftop bars in Cape Town. This is why we decided to make this list of our picks for the 4 best Cape Town rooftop bars. To help you find the perfect venue that matches your style, to enjoy a relaxing drink.
Gigi Rooftop
The Gigi rooftop bar is located in the Gorgeous George Hotel, close to the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront. This bar and restaurant have an industrial aesthetic with plants all over giving it a wonderfully eclectic feel. It has a terrace that overlooks the city and its heritage buildings, with a wonderful pool to cool off in, and loungers to relax on. While they do serve delicious foods, they are best known for their spectacular cocktails made by their well-renowned in-house mixologist Leighton Rathbone. This master of his craft is sure to provide a drink that will tantalise your taste buds while the lively atmosphere offers the perfect vibe to accompany it. The Gigi rooftop bar is open from Monday to Sunday from 7:30-10:00 for breakfast, and 12:00-23:00. WIth so much to offer it is no surprise that this is top of our list of Cape Town rooftop bars.
Red Roof
The RED roof bar is the perfect rooftop bar for a hot summer’s day. This bar is located on the V&A Waterfront, at the Radisson Red Hotel. This trendy bar offers fantastic views of the waterfront, and the city with the mountain majestically looming behind it. The bar has a contemporary aesthetic with a black and white tiled floor. There is a long narrow pool that is ideal for relaxing with a drink in hand. Speaking of the drinks they are easy to find thanks to the bright red drinks van parked close to the pool, which adds to the vibe. The RED roof is open every day from 06:00-00:00, so you always have a place to go for a drink or just for a swim.
Chinchilla
Of the many Cape Town rooftop bars around none have the vibe of the beach quite like Chinchilla. Located in Camps bay on the second floor of the Victoria Rd shop, this bar is as close to the ocean as possible. This provides a beautiful view of the Atlantic ocean and a wonderful view of Lions Head mountain. The bar has a beachside Caribbean aesthetic with wooden furniture, many sitting quite low, and cane bar stools, with a wooden bartop reminiscent of driftwood. The relaxed atmosphere is further enhanced by the pot plants and the reed canopy providing shade. Chinchilla does provide food as well as refreshments and they are open every day from 12:00-23:00. This is the perfect beachside bar to relax and unwind with a vibe that will make you think you are in a tropical island paradise.
Up Yours
Last on our list of the best Cape Town rooftop bars but certainly not least is Up Yours. This café bar is located above Yours Truly on Kloof Str and is the only rooftop bar on Kloof Str. This bar has a rustic aesthetic that is complemented by a variety of plants, and the terrace provides breathtaking views of Table Mountain. The bar has become a hip hangout for a lot of Cape Town’s creatives and with a backpacker’s lodge downstairs many international visitors. Therefore you are always able to meet someone interesting with a good story to tell over a few drinks. There is also live music hosted here every weekend with performances across many genres of music, which makes it quite lively in the evenings. Up yours is open every day from 07:00-00:00, so you can always grab a bite to eat or enjoy an after-work drink at this popular rooftop bar.
These are our picks for the 4 best Cape Town rooftop bars. As you can see many of them are in hotels, though surprisingly the Sky Hotel does not have a rooftop bar which seems like a missed opportunity. Most rooftop bars do not have a dress code for up on the roof, especially when there is a swimming pool, however, a good rule of thumb is semi-formal attire. Therefore, put on your good jeans or a nice dress, and enjoy a drink in some of these fantastic settings across the mother city.