Things to Do in Salt River

The legendary Old Biscuit Mill is something of an institution in the Mother City. It has the vibe of a warm-hearted country hamlet situated in the middle of the bustling suburb of Woodstock. This vibrant spot is home to night and day markets, dynamic office spaces, workshops and designer stores, delicious farm-stalls, decadent cafes as well as an awesome line-up of festivals and events. 'The Mill' is also a place where people share, collaborate and show off their heart-felt passion. Explore the Mill and meet some of South Africa’s most talented designers, artists, photographers and connoisseurs of fine taste and décor. Where? 373 - 375 Albert Road, Woodstock

A shooting star in Observatory These Four Walls gallery has risen out of its humble beginnings as a series of affordable art exhibitions operating out of a small flat in Woodstock. Thanks to the overwhelming success of these exhibitions, the owners came to realise that there was indeed a gap in the Cape Town art market for a space that offers inexpensive, desirable and beautiful artworks in a semi-informal atmosphere.Our vision is to bring to the buying public a gallery that excels at exhibiting artwork that people want to live with and can afford to own.These Four Walls creates a space that is not completely defined. It is a space that can change and adapt with and to a variety of art and exhibitions in which the overwhelming sense is of honesty and integrity. Two elements which tend to be forgotten in the cut-throat world of art.It is a place to visit, be welcomed, and enjoyed, even if only for a fleeting five minutes.

This all white minimalist space features innovative exhibitions showcasing some of South Africa's rising young talent as well as established artists. UCA Gallery regularly curates conceptual and visual artists in solo and group shows. Their dual focus is to promote Cape Town talent and bring in other vibrant artists from other parts of South Africa to the Mother City.Need to know? Gallery hours: Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm | Sat 9am - 1pm

The multitude of Grecian-style columns and host of lion sculptures on the slope of Table Mountain is something of a curiosity. This rather grand, shrine-like structure goes way beyond being a memorial to the imperialist Cecil John Rhodes but it’s a great place to go for tea and take in the magnificent view of bustling Cape Town towards the Helderberg and Hottentots Holland Mountains. Built on the site where Rhodes liked to sit and ponder his future, it was a short ride on his horse from his home at Groote Schuur, where the famous hospital now lies. Rhodes Memorial Restaurant is open 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week.

The Baxter Theatre Centre provides an exciting forum for the celebration of life which is the essence of live theatre, music and dance. It is one of the major live theatre venues in Cape Town and has always been at the forefront of the performing arts both as a popular venue and as a leading producer.The Baxter Theatre Centre at the University of Cape Town endeavours to present and host the best of South African performing arts. The objective is to reflect the cultures of all the people of South Africa on our stages and in our galleries. The Baxter Theatre strives to present cutting-edge and major works from South Africa and masterpieces from the international repertoire. Since its opening in 1977 the complex has continued to provide a stage for all types of professional entertainment - music, drama, ballet, opera and intimate theatre. Even through the difficult years of racial segregation its doors remained open to everyone and it thrived, drawing on indigenous talent and creating a uniquely South African theatre tradition.

The University of Cape Town, fondly called UCT, presides over the southern suburbs and Cape Flats from its lofty position on the slopes of Devil’s Peak on Table Mountain. UCT's setting and beautiful historic buildings make it one of the most attractive universities in South Africa.Famous students who have walked its halls include Prof Christian Barnard, the heart transplant surgeon and three Nobel Prize laureates – the writer JM Coetzee, Prof Alan MacLeod Cormack and Sir Aaron Klug.Visitors often walk from UCT to Rhodes Memorial. Another popular spot is the ‘Jammie steps’ leading up to Jameson Hall. These steps used to be the hub of many heated political protests and debates during the Apartheid regime.

The Mother City's 'One-Stop-Shop of Creative Excellence' is situated between Table Mountain and Table Bay. The Artscape Theatre Centre is home to the Artscape performing arts company and includes the Opera House, Theatre, Arena, Piazza and News Café. Originally established 40 years ago as the official performing arts council for the Western Cape, Artscape has today developed into a vibrant, multi-functional creative arts centre, offering exceptional venue facilities and specialist theatrical services. With its close proximity to Cape Town's central business district, the new International Convention Centre and the V&A Waterfront, Artscape is ideally situated to serve the Cape's performing arts, film, tourism, entertainment, conference and exhibition industries. Artscape Opera House auditorium is the largest theatre in the Western Cape and seats 1187 and offers a variety of productions from contemporary opera to ballet, large scale musicals to semi-staged orchestral performances. Artscape Theatre auditorium seats 540 if the pit is not utilised. The size of the orchestra pit determines the number of seats. The Artscape Arena theatre was originally the right side of Artscape Theatre. The raked auditorium can seat up to 140 people. A cosy bar at street level offers opportunities for intimate art exhibitions and private parties. DF Malan Street, Foreshore, Cape Town +27 (0) 21 410 9800

A unique combination of cultural and military history, exhibitions and military ceremonies awaits you at the Castle of Good Hope. Also experience the dungeons, dolphin pool, blacksmith, cannon fire, horse and carriage rides and above all the tranquil atmosphere of the Castle of Good Hope.Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, better known as the VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), this pentagonal fortification replaced a small clay and timber fort built in 1652 by Commander Jan van Riebeeck, founder of the maritime replenishment station at the Cape of Good Hope. The oldest building in South Africa, it is steeped in history but moving with the times.The Castle lends itself to many present day activities, such as open air concerts with Table Mountain as a backdrop, film and fashion shoots as well as a variety of venues for corporate functions and conferences.Guided tours are conducted by Castle guides from Monday to Saturdayat 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00. Traditional ceremonies take place during weekdays.The Key Ceremony was performed in the Castle from its earliest days and depicts the unlocking of the Castle of Good Hope. This ceremony takes place at 10:00 and 12:00 during weekdays.The firing of the signal cannon directly after the Key Ceremony is symbolic to indicate the significance of cannons at the Castle of Good Hope.The Castle Guard performs both these ceremonies. The Castle of Good Hope opens daily at 09:00 and closes at 16:00.

An exciting new theatre in Cape Town’s legendary District Six, The Fugard, is home to the internationally acclaimed Isango Portobello Theatre Company - an exciting example of what can transpire when local talent and vision meets committed international support.The Fugard is located in the historic Sacks Futeran building with the original decommissioned Congregational Church Hall in Caledon Street as its entrance. The theatre is named in honour of Athol Fugard, South Africa’s greatest playwright who will be present at the inauguration. The 270 seat theatre complex, including a rehearsal studio, foyer space, dressing rooms and office space, is a transformation of two warehouse spaces and the original Congregational Church Hall.

Retro décor, spaciousness and the hippest bands have earned The Assembly its reputation as one of the hottest nightspots in the Mother City. Catch anything from live electronics, punk, rock, indie, jazz, ska, pop, comedy or the coolest new acts at The Assembly! The enormous pimped loft has a great vibe with awesome lighting, seating and a huge bar. You'll always find the hip set here and the venue is often used for big parties.

Widely regarded as one of the leading convention venues in the southern hemisphere, the Cape Town International Conference Centre (CTICC) couldn't be more appropriately positioned. Situated in the heart of the City Centre against the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain and next to the V&A Waterfront, it is a place where people from all walks of life are brought together. The CTICC is an International exhibition and conference venue featuring auditoriums, exhibition and trade show space, grand ballroom, meeting suites, galleries, conservatories and landings as well as the largest, most advanced kitchen facility in the Western Cape.

Headquarters of the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province Rugby squad, the grand old Newlands Rugby Stadium is one of the three oldest rugby stadiums in the world. Set in the ultra-green suburb of Newlands, Newlands Rugby Stadium has a capacity of 51 000 with steeply elevated stands affording maximum visibility and electrifying viewpoints. Cape Town's three Premier Soccer League clubs also utilize the facilities for their inter-club matches.

Keeping a century-long tradition alive, the friendly Adderley Street flower sellers bring vibrancy and character to the inner city.Known for their cheeky wit and striking array of blooms – it’s always a worthwhile stop on a walkabout of the city. You’ll be coerced to grab a bunch or two but their wares are typically inexpensive, fresh and make a great gift for someone special or just yourself.The happy sight of freshly cut flowers includes numerous exotic blossoms as well as fynbos species such as king and pincushion proteas, depending on the season.Situated in the old market place in Cape Town’s main road, you will find the flower sellers between Strand Street and Darling Street. The market is within easy walking distance of Greenmarket Square.

The first of its kind in South Africa, the Wheel of Excellence is an exclusive attraction for the V&A Waterfront during and after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.The stunning situation offers visitors a bird’s-eye view of the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town Stadium, Robben Island, Table Mountain, the City Centre and Paarl mountains.At 50m high, it is a fully illuminated giant observation wheel featuring 36 fully enclosed luxury cabins that will treat visitors to a unique sightseeing opportunity, glass of bubbly in hand! The comfy cabins feature glass floors, air conditioning and LED lighting.This type and size of wheel is a first for Cape Town and South Africa and will be fully operational for an extended period post-World Cup. This particular wheel came directly from the Champs Elysees in Paris where it was a major attraction over the peak Christmas and New Year period.Ticket prices to the Wheel of Excellence cost R80 per person and R50 per child aged 4 to12. Tickets can be purchased at the Wheel of Excellence site or at the V&A Waterfront Information Centre.

Celebrate a cinema experience beneath the stars in the world's only rooftop trailer park at the Pink Flamingo Cinema. Get your free pop-corn, candy cone and welcome drink with your ticket. Movies start at 19:00. For private screenings call 021 424 7247.

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.

Right in the centre of Cape Town is one of the oldest public spaces in the Mother City. Greenmarket Square celebrated its 300th birthday in March 2010 with a substantial facelift.Refurbished ablutions, a brand new stage, newly laid cobblestones, reconstructed marketplace and more spacious café environment have made this vibrant spot more people-friendly.The atmospheric market dates back to 1696 when it was built. Later sailors from passing ships would use the area for trading their merchandise and stocking up on produce before they continued their voyage.In recent years, Greenmarket Square has become an increasingly crowded trading venue offering a wide variety of Pan-African curios, clothing, candles and speciality stalls.Numerous restaurants and cafes surround the square, providing good people-watching vantage points while you take a caffeine break from shopping.Remember the Purple Rain Protest? Throughout the apartheid era, Greenmarket Square was frequently the focus of political protests. This was largely due to its proximity to parliament, and also the background of its shoppers and merchants. Today the market is still buzzing with interesting characters and has a great atmosphere.Opening hours:Monday to Friday 09:00 – 16:00Saturday 09:00 – 15:00

Who is that dude with all those eggs on his head? Egg Man appears at Greenmarket Square come rain or shine and at all the hottest festivals in South Africa, adding an air of Rio-style festivity wherever he performs. His name is Gregory da Silva - a comedian artist, storyteller, dancer and live street performer. Egg Man was born in Benin West Africa, which is Voodoo Country. He speaks French and English and is living in the Mother City.Wearing an invincible smile and a twenty five kilogram headdress, he always turns heads as he strolls around Greenmarket Square. Each day his outfit sports a new feature, presenting the city centre with a new display of his symbolic African art and culture. His body is armoured with artefacts and his face painted with tribal patterns. Gregory's warm voice is lively and he repeatedly offers phrases and words in French. Gregory performs at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, the Hermanus Whale Festival, Klein Karoo National Kunstefees and many others. He has been hired to receive guests at hotels and airports and appeared on SABC 2 and E-TV News. His dream is to impart creative knowledge to South African youth, giving them the power to create beautiful things and also to support themselves, all part of his ultimate venerable ambition to "bring Africa together to make one". Bravo!

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.