37 Victoria Road. Camps Bay, Cape Town Central, South Africa
Cuisine:
Cafe, Mediterranean
Good for:
Bar Scene, Breakfast/Brunch, Dinner, Late Night, Lunch, Reservations, Scenic View
Cafe Caprice
7 Visitor Photos +
Expert Review
Located right on the main road in Camps Bay, Café Caprice has been a popular après-beach spot for years now,...
Located right on the main road in Camps Bay, Café Caprice has been a popular après-beach spot for years now, and on summer weekends you can expect to wait for a table from early afternoon onwards. With a lounge-like vibe, DJs, multiple rooms and bars, and frequent alcohol promotions, it almost has a club-like feeling, but it still does a full food menu that a hungry post-beach crowd gobbles up.
No one comes to Café Caprice specifically for the food. It’s not that kind of restaurant. You come because you’ve been at the beach all day, and you are hungry and want a few cocktails in a place where the vibe is laid-back cool. Plus DJs spin deep house beats beginning just before sunset Thursday through Sunday nights.
The cocktail menu here is extensive, featuring pretty much any combination of liquor you can imagine – it goes on for a few pages. I admit the pina colada I had here, while still not what I’m used to drinking in the U.S. or Caribbean, was the best one I drank in Cape Town. They also feature a long wine list and bottle service.
For mains, the bistro-style menu covers everything from starters and salads to full-meal mains like lamb chops, chicken schnitzel, and my personal favorite, the Cajun Calamari (it was so fresh and light). Order a side of skinny fries.
Burgers and sandwich rolls are also popular, and there are some dozen different choices, including a veggie burger. Finally, should you just want nibbles for the table, check out the menu’s “To Share” section, which focuses on cheese, vegetable and meat boards.
Expert Review
What started out as a simple sidewalk café has morphed over the past decade into a lounge-bar-restaurant hybrid that is...
What started out as a simple sidewalk café has morphed over the past decade into a lounge-bar-restaurant hybrid that is the place to see and be seen on the glamorous Camps Bay strip.
With palm trees lining a beach of blinding white sands, Camps Bay is Cape Town’s answer to Miami. When the weather is fine the bikini is the national dress here, and the beachfront cafés throng with tourists soaking up the sun, sea and sights.
When the sun dips though, is when places like Café Caprice really come into their own. The lights go down, the music gets louder and the skirts get shorter. A favourite haunt for the Mother City’s modelling set, you’ll certainly need to throw on some gladrags if you want to blend in here.
While the sidewalk tables are best for grabbing a bite to eat off the menu of light meals, it’s the indoor Groove Bar where the real action happens. Resident DJs spin lounge, house and commercial beats from an elevated box, as cocktails flow from the mirrored bar.
Speaking of cocktails, don’t think of ordering anything else if you want to blend in. Although somewhat pricey, the likes of Lemongrass Blossom and Spiced Berry Daquiri are what the in-crowd will order here. It’s a place to be a little flash, and nothing says you’ve made it like the ‘Millionaire Baby’: Grey Goose Vodka, Chambord, seasonal berries and a mini Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial. Yours for $60.
Café Caprice isn’t for everyone, but if you like your bar to have a buzz and beautiful people, this will be your happy holiday hunting ground.