The top ten things to do in Cape Town in Winter

Cape Town’s tourist season ends as the weather gets colder, and there is a misconception that there’s nothing to do in Cape Town in the winter months, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. From around April until about September, the crowds mostly clear out, the beaches empty, it can get rainy, but lo and behold, you can actually get a restaurant reservation!

There are fireplaces to sit at, bottles of red which demand consumption, excellent hotel and fine dining specials to be had, and realistically, it doesn’t get that cold – the temperature rarely dips below 10°C (and it becomes a topic of discussion when it does). Read on for my pick of the best things to do in Cape Town in winter.

1. Go to a wine farm

Sure, you can’t luxuriate on the lawns as you can in the summer, and a picnic would be pretty swampy, but wine farm tasting rooms can be particularly charming in the rain, and nothing beats a tasting room with a fireplace.

Go to Beau Constantia, which has a glass-encased tasting room, and which sits at the top of the Constantia Valley. This makes for excellent views and a lot of light, even on rainy days. At Constantia Glen, the tasting room’s glass stacking doors are closed in winter, and the lit fires transform it from a summer patio into a perfect winter escape.

Buitenverwachting and Steenberg also have beautiful, light filled tasting rooms, which are lovely on colder days, and both of their fine dining restaurants, Beyond and Tryn, have fireplaces. At Groot Constantia, the tasting room as well as both of the restaurants have fireplaces.

Winter in Cape Town is made for meandering winelands drives, and if you venture slightly further afield, more cosy delights await. At Waterford in Stellenbosch and Vrede en Lust in Paarl, you can have a wine tasting paired with chocolate, sitting in front of the fire. There are also fireplaces in the tasting rooms at Tokara, Haute Cabrière, Kleine Zalze, and Simonsig.

Prefer beer? Go for a craft beer tasting at the Taproom.

2. Have a spa day

Again, there will be no sun-drenched gown-lounging in the gardens after your treatment as you would do in summertime, but don’t let that put you off. A lot of Cape Town spas have indoor heated pools, which are perfect for cold winter days.

The Heavenly Spa at the Westin Hotel is located on the hotel’s 19th floor, and the indoor swimming pool has floor to ceiling windows, meaning lots of natural light and the best views of the city. The One & Only Spa has a heated indoor plunge pool, and the Spa at the Twelve Apostles Hotel has a series of indoor hydrotherapy plunge pools, at various temperatures, set underneath the hotel in a white-washed labyrinth built to look like a limestone cave.

If you’re going to Franschhoek, the Leeu Spa at Leeu Estates has a plunge pool with glass stacking doors overlooking their stunning gardens and pond.

3. Go to an indoor market

When it’s rainy, don’t change your weekend plans for a meal at a Cape Town market, just go to a covered one. The indoor Mojo Market in Seapoint is open daily. There are five different bars, live music on the weekends, and 30 different food vendors, serving pizza, burgers, dim sum, and poke. I love a smashburger, and Junior in the Mojo Market is my favourite place in Cape Town to get one. For a slightly more upmarket (lol) experience, try the newer Time Out Market at the V&A, which is also open daily. I like Time Out for its creative food options and its championing of local chefs, but it is pricier and more touristy than most other Cape Town markets.

On the weekends, go to Cape Town’s OG hipster hangout, the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock (open from 9:00 – 16:00 on Saturdays and 10:00 – 16:00 on Sundays). They have all kinds of food options, bars, and live music all weekend. Alternatively, take a slow drive to the Bay Harbour Market in Hout Bay (open Friday nights and weekends from 09:30 – 16:00). This is a huge indoor market with many vendors (I love the paella and the seafood) and a cool, rustic feel. There are also clothing and homeware stalls. I actually think this market is better in winter, as it can get quite crowded and hot during summer. Plus, if you’re indulging in champagne, oysters and live music on a rainy Saturday morning, you know you’re winning at life.

4. Have bottomless brunch

My first Cape Town bottomless brunch was on one of those winter Sundays when it feels like the rain will never stop, and everyone battens down the hatches. I actually had no desire to leave my flat under such circumstances (Capetonians are like cats when it rains – everything is cancelled), but we had a booking for bottomless brunch at the Pot Luck Club, and it ended up being the best way to spend the day.

The set brunch menu is a whopping ten courses, so you will be there for some time. Along with bottomless Graham Beck MCC, there is a Bloody Mary bar from which you can serve yourself (bacon infused vodka, anyone?). The best part about it is that there is absolutely no pressure to leave – we arrived at 11:00, and the next time I vaguely wondered at the time, it was after 16:00. Once you roll out of there, you can pretty much slither straight to bed.

As an alternative, the Mount Nelson has a very luxurious Sunday Jazz Brunch, served buffet style, and which includes such delights as sushi and oysters. There is an optional add-on if you’d like bottomless bubbly.

5. Indulge in afternoon tea

There is something about cold weather which makes it far more acceptable to spend an afternoon in an upmarket hotel, eating your weight in tiny finger sandwiches, scones, and meticulously created sweet treats.

I remember my first ever afternoon tea in great detail (as people do for all great “firsts” in life). The lounge at the Mount Nelson Hotel, fondly known as the Nellie, with its chequered floors, tinkling live piano music, and tranquil ambiance on the terrace, was an unforgettable experience. The staff are also unendingly polite and accommodating, and go out of their way to make it a great experience. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, our waiter offered us an off-menu chai, made according to his family recipe. Although you won’t be able to sit on the terrace in winter, the lounge where they serve high tea, which is filled with plants and natural light, is stunning even in the cold.

As an alternative to the Mount Nelson, I love the high tea at the Leopard Bar at the Twelve Apostles, which has a slightly moody feel, and spectacular views out over the Atlantic. Driving along Victoria Road towards the Twelve Apostles is a quintessential Cape Town winter experience in itself. The Atlantic Ocean is physically colder than the Indian Ocean, but I’ve always thought of it as metaphorically colder, too, and Victoria Road illustrates this perfectly, particularly on a stormy day, when the Atlantic is dark, deep, and dramatic. But take heart: even with the rain lashing against the windows, the Leopard Bar is always perfectly cosy inside.

Another option which never disappoints is the One and Only, which serves afternoon tea from its hotel bar, and has stunning views of Table Mountain (combine afternoon tea with your spa trip for a very indulgent day!). If you feel like a drive, the Orangery at Le Lude in Franschhoek also does an excellent afternoon tea. The conservatory setting, with lots of greenery and large windows, makes for a fabulous experience.

6. Enjoy discounted fine dining

Cape Town has long been known for its fine dining scene, which is very popular with tourists. Winter is a great time to try some of these restaurants, many of which run great specials outside of tourist season.

La Colombe, widely regarded as the best restaurant in South Africa, has a winter lunch menu (available only during weekdays at lunch time), which is almost half the price of its regular lunch menu. The La Colombe group has an expanded offering of seven different restaurants these days, and a lot of the related restaurants also have winter specials worth trying.

The Pot Luck Club and its sister restaurants have winter prix fixe menus, and the restaurants at Steenberg also have winter specials. In Stellenbosch, Cavalli offers a discounted two-course winter menu.

7. Go to a museum or the theatre

People are often surprised to hear that there is a thriving theatre scene in Cape Town. The two biggest theatres in Cape Town are the Artscape in the city, and the Baxter in Rondebosch. Both of these offer quite a varied range of productions, including ballet, musicals, and plays, and occasionally host international shows as well.

There are also some really great smaller theatres in Cape Town. My favourite was always the Fugard, named after the famous South African playwright Atholl Fugard, which sadly closed a few years ago. However, a new theatre has opened in the space, called the Homecoming Centre, which has regular scheduled productions. Other small theatres worth having a look at are the Kalk Bay Theatre and Theatre on the Bay, in Camps Bay.

A very well-loved restaurant/theatre experience in Cape Town, perfect for the winter months, is Stardust, a restaurant where all the waiters are performers, and you are treated to various musical numbers throughout dinner.

In terms of museums, the best ones surround the Company’s Gardens, so you can take your pick and make a day of it. Choose from the District Six Museum, the South African Museum (focused on natural history and science), the South African Jewish Museum, and the Slave Lodge. For art, the Iziko South African National Gallery, also in the Company’s Gardens, is worth a visit. For contemporary African art, the much newer Zeitz MOCAA at the Waterfront is very impressive and is the largest museum of contemporary African art in the world.

Last but not least, my favourite cultural activity for winter in Cape Town is the Planetarium. I’m fully aware of how random this is, but there is something wonderfully meditative about lying in a dark room, in a reclining chair, with the stars above you, and a suitably mystical voice narrating the show.

8. Have a burger

Cape Town absolutely loves a burger, and there are an extraordinary number of burger specials to be had in winter. One of the more memorable lines I’ve ever read about Cape Town is that you know it’s winter when the Caprice burger special starts.

Burger and Lobster has a winter burger special, and both Clarke’s and Caprice have winter two-for-one burger specials on Tuesdays (check the times at which the specials operate in advance!). Iron Steak and Bar also has a winter burger special on Wednesdays.

For burgers which are not on special but are nevertheless worthwhile, go to Frankie’s Burgers at the House of Machines. They also do a weekly changing burger flavour every Friday night, only at the Woodstock location. Other places in Cape Town I love for burgers are Hudson’s, Jerry’s, The Dog’s Bollocks and Junior.

9. Stroll the Sea Point promenade in the rain

Before you call me crazy, hear me out. I know the summer crowds are tucked up in their warm homes, it’s pouring with rain, and the waves are crashing over the railings – but that is the point! There is something immensely satisfying about putting on your raincoat and going to the promenade when the weather is horrendous. Afterwards, treat yourself to hot chocolate at the Winchester.

I should say that this is not an activity suited to small children or dogs. They don’t call it the Cape of Storms for nothing, and it can get fairly dangerously stormy on the promenade, with the waves sometimes reaching all the way to the road. If it seems dangerous and there is absolutely nobody else around, go home (or just go straight to the Winchester).

If you prefer to stay dry while watching the waves crash around you, the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay, overlooking a tidal pool, is perfect for this. It is casual, very beloved by locals, and serves excellent seafood and pizzas.

10. Go to Franschhoek

Last but not least, the best thing you can do in Cape Town in winter is get out – but only to the winelands. Franschhoek hotels, while fairly pricey during the summer months, run excellent specials in winter, including on weekends. For a small town, it has an unimaginable number of excellent fine dining restaurants and art galleries, as well as a very luxurious wine route.

Franschhoek also holds a number of annual festivals, and the best ones are in winter. My favourite is the Franschhoek Bastille Festival, which takes place in July each year. Dress in red, white, and blue, don a beret (or buy one there), and enjoy winter wine tastings and a food fair. For a slightly more refined alternative, the very well-loved Franschhoek Literary Festival takes place in May each year – writing workshops, presentations, and chats with local and international authors take place over breakfasts and afternoon teas with Franschhoek as the stunning background.