Africa Travel WeekPlaces to meet up and mingle during Africa Travel Week
The Mother City is brimming with top-notch bars and restaurants. But where to go for those post-show dinners and drinks this year?
It’s almost impossible to list them all, but here are a handful for Africa Travel Week (ATW) attendees to consider. With Covid-19 protocols firmly in place, you and your colleagues can continue networking with complete peace of mind.
Gigi Rooftop and Gorgeous George
Location: Gorgeous George, St George’s Mall
Best described as ‘a living room for the neighbourhood’, Gigi Rooftop is just the kind of place where Cape Town comes to play. An ideal spot for poolside sundowners (yes, there’s a pool!), it also ticks all the right boxes as a chic breakfast spot to host those morning meetings off-site. If you haven’t yet heard of it, you’ll easily find it perched atop the Gorgeous George hotel.
Radisson RED’s OUIBar + KTCHN and RED Roof bar
Location: Silo Square, V&A Waterfront
If you’re looking to tuck into healthier fare during those post-ATW meet-ups, snap up a table at either one of Radisson RED’s two on-site eateries. The OUIBar + KTCHN serves as an anytime-of-the-day kind of place to fuel up, while the rooftop bar is the go-to for relaxing with industry friends by the pool.
Location: Artem Centre, Sea Point
Known as a ‘luxury café like no other’, Coco Safar caters to every desire, from breakfast to brunch, lunch, dinner, and even high tea. This French-style café is perfect for catching up with trade partners far from the crowds. As a side note, their coffee, bread, and fresh croissants are particularly out of this world.
Location: Southern Sun The Cullinan, Cullinan Street
If you’re based at Southern Sun The Cullinan during Africa Travel Week, chances are you’ll bump elbows with fellow attendees at the Stella Café and Bar. Located close to the CTICC, it’s a great spot to perk up with a post-show refresher. Be sure to bring those business cards as you never know who you might strike up a conversation with.
The Restaurant at The Vineyard
Location: The Vineyard, Colinton Road, Newlands
The Restaurant at The Vinyard needs no introduction. Tucked away in Newlands just outside the CBD, it offers enough peace and quiet to broker new business deals. The wine list is extensive, and the Italian menu is modern and exciting. However, if you’d like to rally a casual catch-up dinner with your team, settle in for burger night on Wednesday.
Location: Silo District, V&A Waterfront
This vibrant and innovative venue is best described as a meeting place for anyone looking to connect with others through their love of food. Based at the V&A Waterfront, Makers Landing is open every day for ATW attendees to browse, eat, chat, or simply meet the local makers who trade here.
Location: Bree Street, Cape Town CBD & V&A Waterfront
This Spanish inspired all-day eatery remains a strong favourite in Cape Town. The one on Bree Street stands as the original, but the two-floored venue at the V&A also has its perks. Great for a light dinner and drinks, La Parada offers a wide selection of tapas and a nearly-endless drinks menu. Think champagne, Prosecco, red and white wines, beers, and cocktails. Delegates, assemble!
Location: Chichester Road, Claremont
If you’re based out in ‘the burbs’ for the duration of ATW, snap up a table at Oblivion Bar & Kitchen. Complete with a laidback setting that’s perfect come day or night, you can grab a bite outdoors whilst admiring the City’s iconic Table-shaped mountain. There’s something for everyone when it comes to the cuisine, with an extensive wine list and proudly Capetonian Barking Dog craft beer on tap.
Location: Kloof Street, Cape Town CBD
While most will label Yours Truly a magnet for younger WTM attendees, everyone is welcome at this addictively chilled out bar-café. Yes, you’ll encounter the beard-and-tattoo brigade, but this is Cape Town, after all. Once you’ve wrapped up at the show, fill your belly with hearty pizzas and gourmet sandwiches, then head to the rooftop bar (Up Yours) to dabble in a fine selection of local wines, spirits and craft beers. If you’re on the hunt for a place with a ‘vibe’, this is it.
