fox•trotter

Oh my word! Yet another blog about Cape Town. Well... izzit? Here you'll find only drawings. No pictures. Because taking photos of everything I might put on my blog drives me - and my friends - nuts. So mental pictures it is! And those I like to share will end up here. Hopefully you feel triggered to come visit the most amazing city on the continent and see all the brilliant spots for yourself. I'd love to show you around!

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The Dog's Bollocks

Is it a restaurant? Hmmm not really. Let's call it a driveway. A quirky artistic place with wire garden furniture, loud music and a great, simple concept that has gained cult status in Cape Town. And rightfully so!

At night 'The Dogs Bollocks' serves amazing, yet ridiculously big, burgers (the size of my head, no kidding) baked personally by chef Nigel. He stops flipping at the count of 50 though, so make sure you arrive on time! Wine is only sold by the bottle for R 55.

The next morning the name changes to the lovely The Bitch's Tits which serves us well as a hangover recovery joint, with delicious sandwiches and caffeine shots from 'Deluxe Coffeeworks'. 

Note: on a Saturday ask for a take away coffee and head for The City Bowl Gourmet Market on Hope Street, just around the corner!

6 Roodehek Street, Gardens

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Truth Coffee HQ

Here you can find me at least three times a week. Great place to start the working day!

No matter how early you come in, at Truth it's always service with a smile. They will even hang up your bike on the wall for 'safety' - and yes, my red Peter Allan looks bloody cool up there! The interior is quite industrial and a good mix between hangout and flex office (above the large table in the middle are many sockets and the WiFi is free during the first hour). And best of all: gooood prices. Two flat whites and a croissant? R 32 sista!

Wow.

36 Buitenkant Street

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Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar

When you ask me about restaurants in Cape Town, I simply can't stop talking. This city is blessed with great gastronomy on every corner. But if you ask about good bars, my list is awfully short. Somehow many of them just don't really do it for me. But Tjing Tjing is a welcome exception!

Here, it all comes together: location (on the third level of an almost 200-year-old house on Longmarket Street, on the corner of buzzling Long Street), interior (sexy with wood, dark and red tones and plenty of corners to snuggle up in), crowd (urban & attractive), music (indie & electronic tunes) and tasty tapas and cocktails to top it off. Tjing Tjing's glory days might be dwindling a bit, but it remains a true asset to Capetonian nightlife. So next time you're up for a drink after dinner, you'll know where to find me.

165 Long Market Street, [phone], [phone]

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Dear Me

I am a total sucker for restaurants. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a simple dirt cheap local hangout or a fancy, chic gourmet place. As long it’s authentic, honest and passionate about food it fills me with excitement. But sometimes, after that third wine or cake too many, eating out can fill me with guilt - and that’s the reason I love Dear Me. Guilt free, healthy indulging is guaranteed here! 

, 

All breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes can be adapted for vegetarians, vegans or people with allergies or intolerances. As Dear Me puts it:

“You should be able to eat with us every day and never feel guilty about compromising your health, weight or wealth. We truly value diversity and understand that different people have different needs when it comes to what they want to eat. This is reflected in a menu designed to accommodate special dietary requirements and a flexible, can-do attitude.”

I wish more restaurants shared this philosophy! From Monday to Friday you can enjoy delicious creations for breakfast (7am-11am) or lunch (12pm-3pm), but if you’re up for something truly special, make a reservation for the a la carte dinner (with great wine pairing!) on Thursday evenings from 6.30pm.

Tip: start or end your night out at the Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar upstairs.

165, Long Market Street, [phone]

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Clarke's

Although Clarke's probably has the worst acoustics in town, this little bar & dining room is one of my favorite hangouts when it comes to chatting over a cocktail. Their Old Fashioned can be ridiculously good!

burger

And don't forget to order one of their great, filling burgers (the veggie bean burger is a lot more tasty nowadays than it used to be) and yummy fries to ease the landing of all those drinks...

133 Bree Street, [phone]

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Tamboers Winkel

I really should have shared this discovery months ago, but I totally forgot to put this post online. So finally a well-deserved praise for Tamboers Winkel! I just adore this warm, cosy, sympathetic new deli in the Kloof Street area. 

All food is resonably priced and everything I tried so far is pretty good, but highly recommended are the salad trio (R19 each), juices (strawberry and vanilla... great combo), the roasted chicken and the meat pie that a friend of mine is still dreaming about.

Bonus: free WiFi!

3 De Lorentz Street, [phone]

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Carne

Every vegetarian is entitled to at least one 'escape' and mine will definitely be Carne from now on. It's serious meat business here! 

In this rather fancy spot, your waiter shows up with a huge plate of raw steak, chops and other prime cuts and you just take your pick. Surprisingly enough my sirloin wasn't as brilliant as the Kudu I once had at The Sidewalk Cafe (of all places), but still: amazing. 

Want to try more of chef Giorgio Nava, head for 95 Keerom, across the street!

70 Keerom Street, [phone]

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Skinny Legs & All

What's not to love here? Interior: light and airy, dotted with items from the fifties, sixties and seventies. Service: super friendly, attentive, smiling and yes, occasionally skinny-legged. People: vary from tourists lucky enough to find this place to ridiculously hip grandmas. 

Coffee: good and comes with a heart-shaped shortbread biscuit. Juices: super fresh and served in rustic cups. Food: amazing, especially the quinoa salad, brownies and oatmeal with fresh fruit. WiFi: yes, and it's free.

So Jason Bakery, I'm so sorry to say this, but please step aside for Skinny Legs & All: my new favorite breakfast & lunch hangout!

70 Loop Street, City Centre, [phone]

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Hudsons - The Burger Joint

Hello Royale, please make some room on the burger stage for Hudsons! Both joints have amazing burgers and where Royale is unbeatable when it comes to shakes, Hudsons totally kicks Royale's ass in the fries arena.  

Hudsons is a great hangout on Kloof to catch up with friends while enjoying drinks and honest burgers. The menu is pretty large, but I usually don't browse any further than The Meridian. A spicy veggie one for just R 35!

69 Kloof Street, [phone] (and there's another one on CNR Portswood and Somerset Road, Green Point)

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Dear Rae

I used to stay far away from girly, delicate jewelry, but that was before I spotted Dear Rae (and before my boyfriend bought me this cute little necklace!). Just have a look at her website. Don't you agree that the simple designs are just gorgeous???

To quote designer Karin Rae Matthee:

My diverse surroundings inspire me. I look to create jewellery that celebrates the preciousness of the everyday. I am drawn to simplistic forms and I enjoy translating them into functional jewellery. I hope to create adaptable jewellery, that allows the wearer to enjoy it differently each day.

Karin's items are sold in different stores around town, but the real Dear Rae paradise can be found in Woodstock, next to my favorite hairdresser.

160 Albert Road, Woodstock, The Foundry shop 3

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Cafe Mozart

Café Mozart has been around for quite some time and I really don't get why it took me six months to visit. Well, my loss: what a cute little treasure! Mozart is loved by both tourists and locals because of the homey vibe and good, reasonably priced food. I enjoyed a lazy Saturday afternoon on the terrace with some drinks and a remarkably delicious (not greasy at all!) wild mushroom soup. 

For me, that soup is reason enough to come back soon but I heard good things about their breakfasts (served till noon), the daily changing lunch buffet and the fresh juices too. And if you really fancy a bite aim for the famous Mozart Royale Burger!

37 Church Street (corner with Long Street), City Centre, Cape Town, 086 162 3263

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The Armoury

Cape Town is heaven for outdoor sports addicts - climbing Lion's Head for breakfast, an epic surf session for lunch - but last Monday I tried an indoor sport for dinner: boxing! I signed up for a free Boxing Fitness class at The Armoury Boxing Club - and loved it. Best de-stressing exercise so far... 

Besides that, since our notorious Dutch 'quality' news paper De Telegraaf told me yesterday that I'm living in the most dangerous city on earth ("more dangerous than Mogadishu and Bagdad", just saying, and: "taking the wrong alley at the wrong moment might be fatal"), I'd better be prepared. ;-) 

No seriously, boxing is great fun. And not for sissies! Really, those lessons can be tough. At the Armoury you can pick whatever class you like: from Boxing Fitness (to build speed, stamina and strength) and Psychical Training (including Kettlebell exercises!) to Skills & Sparring (against opponents) and Squad Runs (to improve speed and stamina).

Unit 104 Armoury Building, Buchanan Square, Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, + 27 82 90 19 246

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The Power & The Glory

A relaxed coffee/breakfast/lunch hangout during daytime and a happening bar at night. Not many spots can pull that off, but The Power & The Glory (check out this ilovecoffee blogpost: great pics!) is super popular at every hour of the day.

And what's even more amazing: no beer smell in the morning. Cape Town's creative crowd loves this well-decorated joint and so do I. But don't ask me why everyone goes crazy for the hotdogs - I'd rather stick to the coffee, their perfect Chai Tea Latte, lemon-poppy seed cakes and Shiraz!

Corner Kloof Nek & Burnside Road, Cape Town

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Recreate

The longer I live here, the more I fall in love with Capetonian design. Talented designers are everywhere, turning the city into an inspiring, creative hub. How about this cute little stool and chair, made from suitcases? 

They are part of a great collection of furniture, lighting and interior accessories designed by Katie Thompson, who is quite a recycle queen. As she puts it herself:

"I love creating functional art from discarded non functional junk".

Katie sells her beauties both online and at her studio in Woodstock, opposite The Old Biscuit Mill. 

368 Albert Road, Cape Town, [phone]

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I love my Laundry

From the outside it doesn't look like you can bring your dirty socks and shirts, but yes, they actually do love your laundry here. And it's worth sticking around a little longer! Owners Clayton Howard and Mico Botha, who will welcome you as though it's their own home, won't stop offering you drinks and sweets - and sell great local designer stuff too.

I brought my laptop (there's free WiFi), started with a 'desconstructed latte' (they poor the coffee and foam, I got to poor the milk - great system) made from Brazilian-imported beans by Joga Joga Café, couldn't resist a 'single bite' brownie and topped it off with dimsum and delicious wines...

Good to know: Clayton and Mico are able to get you all kinds of wines for 'cellar door' prices and they love to throw wine tastings (I love my Wine) and other events!

59 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town, 084 660 0777 (Clayton) or 083 6020291 (Mico)

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The Lobby - Hair Shop

Craig, former hair stylist at Scar, opened his own hair shop in Woodstock: The Lobby. Craig is not only a supernice guy (who remembered and pronounced my name corectly 6 weeks after my first visit, pretty impressive), he has his special way of cutting that truly works out. 

At least it did for my boyfriend and I, as shown in the drawing above. So very hipster :). Added bonus: Craig is the only one cutting in the salon, so great hair style guaranteed!

160 Albert Road, Woodstock Foundry, Woodstock, Cape Town, 021 825 3714

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Unwrapped

Lately I brightened up my interior with a few cushions by Unwrapped and even bought a bag, but I'm still craving for more! Mandi Garbman designs all kinds of lifestyle items for in and around the house (fabric, vinyl wall art, bags, cushions, wallpaper, purses and so on) and is influenced by all things rural from the late 1800's - early 1900's, such as wild flowers, living off the land and organic fabric. Love it.

Where to buy? Online on her own website, but there are several shops around town that sell part of her collection too, such as I Love My Laundry (about which I will write later) on 59 Buitengracht Street.