Craft beer has become big business in Cape Town, with microbreweries popping up all over the city to supply the hipster capital of South Africa with India Pale Ales, unfiltered weissbier and handcrafted lager.

And it’s the folks at &Union that can claim much of the credit for the hoppy revolution. Although their own brand of beer has perhaps fallen a little behind the times, the golden label of the &Union Steph Weiss is still a firm favourite for many a local ensconced at the outdoor wooden tables here.

For &Union is at its best on the warm evenings of late summer, when the long wooden tables and cobbled floors have the feel of a German beer hall- Mediterranean café mash-up.

Service is low-key: you’ll need to place your order at the counter but the drinks will be brought to the table. Aside from the beer there’s also a well-chosen selection of boutique and garagiste wines, and you’ll find complimentary wine tastings offered twice a week.

If you’re hungry there’s decent bar-friendly fare with a focus on artisanal products: think handcrafted charcuterie, pulled pork sandwiches and a truly excellent steak roll.

The soundtrack is mostly the chatter of the buzzing tables, but there’s good live music on offer three times a week – Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturdays – with no cover charge. More money for another beer then.

All in, it’s a laid-back sort of place where the volume may rise and fall with the amount of beer that flows, but rarely builds into a frenzy. For a raucous night out, use this as a springboard to head elsewhere. For an evening with the locals enjoying craft beer and boutique wines, get there early to get a table.