How to have the perfect long weekend in Cape Town, like a local

Boulders Beach, Table Mountain and Robben Island are all great, but also pretty touristy. Wondering how to do a long weekend in Cape Town as a local would? Think good coffee, consciously-sourced food, relaxed afternoons, and an almost spiritual connection to the mountains and the ocean. Read on for how born and bred Capetonians spend their weekends (although don’t expect any true Capetonian to ever pack quite this much planning into a single weekend).

Thursday night

If you’re in Cape Town on the first Thursday of the month, you must go to First Thursdays. On the first Thursday of every month, art galleries and shops in the City Bowl stay open late, restaurants and bars run specials, there are DJs and live music, and food stations pop up all over the CBD. As the locals say, it’s a vibe. Cape Town is absolutely packed, and with everyone walking between venues, First Thursdays feels a bit like a street party. Walk around Bree Street, Loop Street, Church Street and Shortmarket street, and blend in with Capetonians spilling out onto the pavements.

For something more outdoorsy, head to the Thursday night weekly market at Cape Point Vineyards, which runs from 16:30 – 20:30 every Thursday night in the summer. Cape Point Vineyards is the only Cape Town wine farm with sea views, and sitting on the lawns above the vines, watching the sunset, is a lovely way to end your mini Friday. There are food trucks and live music, and you can bring a picnic blanket and order wine from the estate. Perfection.

Friday

Morning

Skip Table Mountain and start your morning with a Lion’s Head hike. Starting early is always a good idea during summer in Cape Town, because it can get very hot on the mountain. Lion’s Head is usually a bit quieter on weekdays, but there is a good enough before-work crowd that it is safe. If you go all the way to the top, the hike usually takes around three hours in total, but we often do only a portion of it on a work morning, to save time. The steepest, most difficult section is at the beginning, so you get pretty good bang for your buck even if you don’t go all the way to the top.

If you prefer to avoid a steep incline, do the Lion’s Head Contour Loop, around the base of the mountain, which is relatively flat, and takes about an hour. For another relatively flat option, do the Pipe Track, which follows the contour of Table Mountain and has stunning views over Camps Bay. In total, it takes around two hours. After that, you’ve earned a proper breakfast – get one at Clarke’s, Mulberry and Prince, or Hemelhuijs.

If you have the day off, Friday is a great day for shopping in Cape Town, as it tends to be quieter than on the weekends. The Waterfront used to be full of mostly touristy shops, but recently, more local designers have opened stores, and Cape Town’s textiles industry seems to be seeing an uptick. Go to Mungo and Jemima, or Hannah Lavery for women’s clothing or to Spirit Jewellery for silver trinkets.

If you’re venturing to Gardens, my favourite clothing store is Sitting Pretty, which stocks linen clothing, neutrals, and well-made basics. Fabricate stocks all manner of locally handmade delights. For books, pop into The Book Lounge, an independent book shop on the corner of Roeland and Buitenkant Streets. For jewellery, local designer Famke sells 9ct gold stacking rings at the best price I have seen in Cape Town. I also love Moxie, Dear Rae, and Black Betty, local jewellery designers which all have stores in the Cape Town city centre.

Afternoon

For lunch, get sushi or seafood with excellent harbour views at Sevruga, or forgo the views for my favourite sushi spot in Cape Town, Willoughby and Co (I promise you, the 4×4, a menu item featuring sushi rolls topped with tempura prawns, will more than make up for the lack of a view). Sevruga’s sister restaurant, Beluga, is an old Cape Town favourite which is still doing their legendary sushi and cocktails special from 16:00 to 18:00 on weekdays.

After lunch, there’s no greater treat than a Friday afternoon pamper. The spas at the One and Only and the Mount Nelson are amazing, and are loved by locals as an occasional treat. But for a more pocket-friendly alternative (and somewhere locals go more frequently), have a massage or a mani-pedi at Dante in Seapoint. It is also fabulous for group bookings, and you can have a G&T or a glass of wine with your treatment.

Evening

In the evening, do the triangle, Kloof Nek’s trio of delights: start with a pre-dinner glass of wine at Publik, Cape Town’s OG wine bar, then go for tacos at El Burro Taqueria, and end with a nightcap at The Power and The Glory (fondly known as P&G). If you prefer pizza, have dinner at Pizza Shed on Bree Street, which makes Neapolitan delights, and have drinks next door at Aperitif, or go to The Gin Bar on Wale Street, which is hidden behind Honest Chocolate.

Saturday

Morning

Start your Saturday as any local would, with an early morning cold water swim in Kalk Bay (unless you’re a surfer, in which case, head to Muizenberg). Years ago, the many tidal pools in Cape Town were generally considered no-go areas, and it’s lovely to see how much they are used now (thanks to Wim Hoff and Cape Town’s insatiable love of anything trendy). Brace yourself for a cold water dip at Dalebrook tidal pool, followed by a well-deserved croissant at Olympia Cafe, Kalk Bay’s OG bakery, or go to Chardonnay Deli across the road.

If you’re based in town and can’t bring yourself to venture all the way to Kalk Bay (you know you’re a true Capetonian when a 30 minute drive is too much for you), have a swim at Saunders’ Rocks tidal pool, but be warned that the water is much colder in Seapoint, being the Atlantic Ocean, than it is on the Kalk Bay side. Reward yourself with a bagel at Kleinsky’s afterwards, or get an all-day breakfast at Arthur’s Mini Super. If you’re up for braving the queue, Jason Bakery in Green Point is known for its cronut, baked fresh every Saturday, and the flavour changes every week.

Afternoon

Once you’re warmed up and changed, head to the ‘burbs – it’s time for lunch and a wine tasting. Keep it casual, and make a booking at Buitenverwachting or Constantia Glen, where you can linger over cheese boards and bottles of wine all afternoon. If you haven’t yet left the Deep South, the views at Cape Point Vineyards are unparalleled, and you can have a picnic on the lawn.

Evening

For dinner, nothing is more South African than a braai. If you’re invited to someone’s house for a braai, bring a bottle of wine as a contribution (and don’t clutch your pearls when your local hosts put ice in their white wine), and whatever you want to put on the fire. A major gripe with Cape Town’s city centre is how difficult it can be to braai – a lot of apartments have rules forbidding it, and you are more likely to have to head towards the leafy suburbs for your braai fix.

Alternatively, watch the sunset on Kloof Corner (a 20-minute walk), or the Lawns at the Roundhouse. For dinner, take your pick of Cape Town’s best casual cool spots: Club Kloof for Italianish food, Ouzeri for Greek, Hacienda for Mexican, or Thali for an Indian inspired tasting menu. Afterwards, have a post-dinner drink at the House of Machines or The Athletic Club and Social if you’re near Bree Street. If you’re on Kloof Street, go to The Dark Horse or Asoka (note the tree growing in the middle of the bar!).

Sunday

Morning

Start your day with a coffee from Plato or Pauline’s in Sea Point, and a walk on the Sea Point promenade. If you’re feeling very energetic, combine it with a morning gym class – there are lots to choose from in Sea Point. Go to yoga at the Yoga Loft, a Cape Town yoga institution, barre or pilates at the Movement Lab, or a treadmill interval workout at Sweat 1000 (not for the faint of heart, I became almost delirious towards the end of this class). Afterwards, have brunch at the OZCF Market, Jarryd’s, or Maggy Lou’s.

Afternoon

There’s nothing better than the beach on a sunny Cape Town Sunday afternoon. The best is Clifton 4th, or go to Llandudno for a beach which feels like a local secret. Keep in mind that water is much colder on this side, but the beaches are nicer (and there are no sharks). It’s also basically impossible to get parking at the beach in the summertime, so take an Uber. Get picnic treats from Woolies or Giovanni’s to tide you over to dinner time (note that it is illegal to drink alcohol on the beach in South Africa). Camps Bay Beach tends to be slightly more touristy, but the benefit is that you can order pizza from Col’Cacchio across the road, and they will bring it to you on the beach, plus there are no stairs to negotiate.

Evening

In the summer, the best thing to do on a Sunday night in Cape Town is a go to a Summer Sunset Concert at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, set on the slopes of Table Mountain. The tickets sell out far in advance, so this is worth booking ahead of time. You can bring a picnic (and you can also bring alcohol with you), but there are also food trucks on site. Definitely take a picnic blanket to sit on, and get there early to get a good spot.

By the time your head hits the pillow on Sunday night, you will be suitably wined, dined, exercised, tanned, socialised and happy – all the best Cape Town things.