The Best Cocktail Bars in Cape Town
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The best cocktail bars in Cape Town, according to the experts: The 50, Difford's Guide, and the Spirited Awards have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. The House of Machines comes out on top.
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fable and ANTHM Cocktail bar hold the next two places. The 50 shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with the Spirited Awards next.
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Rank 1. The House of Machines
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: Difford's Guide
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Rank 2. fable
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best International Bar Team – Middle East & Africa
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best International Cocktail Bar – Middle East & Africa
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The awards
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best International Cocktail Bar – Middle East & Africa
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The awards
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Rank 3. Talking to Strangers
Cocktail Bar
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 3. The Drinkery
Cocktail Bar
The building was a slave prison before it became a cocktail bar, which gives Heritage Square's best-kept secret a weight that no amount of exposed brick could manufacture on its own. The Drinkery leans into the history with contemporary art on the walls, a chessboard for lingering, and a living-room vibe that makes ordering a third drink feel perfectly reasonable. The cocktail list skews adventurous, with port and absinthe sharing a glass without apology.
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
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Rank 3. The Gin Bar
Cocktail Bar
A gin bar tucked inside a Mediterranean-style courtyard, reached through a cafe that gives nothing away. Once inside, the theme is South African gin, with over 70 local bottles on the shelves and a signature G&T list drawn from the building's former life as a morgue, which is either a gimmick or a perfectly reasonable way to name a cocktail, depending on your disposition. No speakeasy cosplay, just a lot of very specific botanical choices.
The awards
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery