Hout Bay Bars

On the road to Noordhoek's Long Beach and tucked away under the ancient milk wood trees you will find the Red Herring restaurant. Above it is Skebanga’s Pub - a place so laid back that shoes are not essential and baggy shorts are fine. Skebanga’s is loud and always packed and very popular with horse riders, surfers and locals just chilling out, but there is always room for one more. In the winter a roaring fire will keep the chills at bay, but for most of the year one can enjoy the truly spectacular views of Long Beach from the outside wooden deck. Noordhoek faces West and it is known for breathtakingly beautiful sunsets and nowhere can one enjoy them more than the deck of Skebanga’s pub. Sunny winter afternoons can be spent on the deck watching whales mating off the beach in the cool Atlantic. Deservedly reputed to be one of Cape Town’s great pubs, Skebanga’s serves great pub fare at modest prices, but locals know that the best nosh is the wonderful thin based Pizzas cooked in a wood fired oven, and said to be the best in the Southern hemisphere. Enjoy the multi-choice pizza menu or order one made to your own specification, but be warned - their pizzas are huge and best shared with another. A range of beers is available on tap as well as the usual pub offerings. Don’t be alarmed if you find yourself hooked and keep on returning. That is what Skebanga’s does to you!

Zula Sound Bar mixes the finest music with live theatre and dance. Add a sprinkling of poetry, and Cape Town has an ever-changing art house. Zula has hosted some of the Mother City's leading musicians – Freshly Ground, Godessa, Teba, Bed on Bricks, 340ml and Sons of Sellassie as well as International DJs such as Pascal (True Playaz). Zula gets cooking from 12:00 until late every day, having one of the finest kitchens in Long Street offering affordable excellent meals. From the fully licensed Magic Tree Bar there is a selection of Cape wines, local and international beers and cocktails. Whether you chill on the balcony, boogie inside or sink a few balls between sets in the games room, Zula is a cool, fresh, funky music venue and restaurant just waiting for you – whatever your age, gender, colour or creed. Opening hours: 12:00 to 00:00 Tuesday to Saturday, Monday 16:00 to 00:00.

Introducing Cape Town’s new Jazz Club THE RAINBOW ROOMAt last Capetonians now have a top central city Jazz and dinner venue! Since opening mid December 2009, The Rainbow Room at Mandela Rhodes Place on St George’s Mall the superb line up of well known local artists and young up and coming talent has had residents and visitors alike flocking to the club. Enjoying top class jazz in a superb environment that mirrors overseas clubs of the same genre is not the only thing the Rainbow Room offers: delicious “Soul” food and social drinks add to the experience making a memorable evening!The philosophy of these regular sessions is to feature Cape Town’s top musicians supported by young up and coming musical talent. The brains behind this venture; Alison McCutcheon and business partner Frank Gormley of The Rainbow Experience, Eric Alan of Jazz Rendezvous on Radio 2000 and Aki Khan of Eastern Acoustics have networked and collaborated with musicians and the top acoustic specialists to ensure that this new venue is an optimum performance environment.Sessions will take place four times a week and Monday sees Listening jazz with head set and jazz jamming, Thursday offers AfroJazz with Shado Twala offering her choices for fabulous entertainment, Friday evenings takes you on a smooth jazz trip whilst Saturday will showcase mainstream jazz. During the week sessions start at 6pm allowing you to enjoy a relaxing time after work and beat the evening traffic gridlock. On Saturday prepare for an evening of pleasure from 8pm.Great food is part of the experience so book early and enjoy some Cape Town soul food: delicious butter chicken, lamb shank with dollops of garlic mash and morogo plus traditional cuisine done the rainbow way! Chef Whaheed Rojan will have daily surprises to keep one coming back for more.The format of the sessions is simple: an opening act of one set by student musicians drawn from the music schools of Cape Town, followed by two sets featuring the best jazz musicians from Cape Town. Nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians will be featured when the occasion arises. There is no prescribed play list and the Rainbow Room will encourage the artists to perform their original compositions as well as the well known International and South African jazz standards.With a cover charge of R50 (special discounts for music students and musicians) and this convivial atmosphere, whether seated at tables or the bar, you can enjoy jazz at its very best.Jazz guru Eric Alan is excited about the response to the venue which answers all the musicians’ needs.“Finally we have a professional platform to showcase Cape Town’s and South Africa’s amazing musical talent in an environment where music lovers are going to feel as at home as the musicians. It is also important to give new young talent a stage to perform before a live audience, this vision is being realised at every session and we can only grow from hereon. The Rainbow Room’s aim is to become the premier serious jazz music listening venue in Cape Town and South Africa, rivaling the best known jazz venues around the world.”The Rainbow Room is a true music venue in all senses and acoustically provides the best that Cape Town has to offer. Aki Khan of Eastern Acoustics spent many hours fine tuning and developing the venue and says he is proud to be the technical partner of The Rainbow Room. His vision is to assist in empowering musicians, technicians and in growing the music business through quality live recordings. With this in mind all performances will be recorded with the view of releasing “Live at The Rainbow Room” compilations and full CD’s of all concerts. This means there will be a strict “silence during performances” policy in place during the sessionsResearch into successful Jazz venues in international cities has shown that creating a space of respect for musicians and the music has resulted in outstanding musical experiences where musicians perform at their optimum.Expect the unusual to be the usual and the Rainbow Room to become your venue of choice to visit on a regular basis.Need to know? Booking is essential 021 422 1428Cost: R50 cover charge plus any refreshments. Dinner is served before and after the main act. Interpark Parking off Burg Street with direct access to Mandela Rhodes Place.

Inspired by the love of all things bling, Daddy Cool is the whimsically glamorous bar of the Grand Daddy Hotel. In this white and gold playspace you can sip on fine wines, delicious cocktails, happy-go-lucky bubbly and a good old fashioned selection of spirits. Need to know? Open each evening (except for Sundays) Daddy Cool kicks back with good sounds and live performances throughout the week.

Filled with old-world charm, a functioning rotary dial telephone system, warm incandescent lighting and a revolving sofa, Alexander Bar & Café is engineered for playful interaction and conversation. With impeccably selected jazz and world music and a fairly priced range of local wines, malt whiskies, martini cocktails and light meals, Alexander Bar is building a loyal base of Cape Town regulars and becoming a happy discovery for visitors.

Somewhere between comfort and sophistication; understated, with flair, something to discover & celebrate in style, the Alba Lounge is situated above the Hildebrand Restaurant. A much needed experience in the V & A Waterfront, the Alba Lounge is the up market cocktail lounge and provides a venue in which to relax, listen to the subtle music or indulge in conversation with friends. This venue has style, elegance and a relaxed atmosphere complete to suit any & all needs.