Eat, Trek, Look: Things to Do in Cape Town

The Power and the Glory is a cool bistro in the center of Cape Town that has attracted a cult following among locals. The relaxed style, the bearded staff, the folding chairs, and the sidewalk stools may remind you of a Brooklyn cafe. If you can snag a chair, it makes for a great place to work or to have a meeting over a light breakfast. In the evening, the place is usually packed with revelers. Try the quiche in the morning, the pretzel bun hot dog in the evening, and the Nutella cheesecake for dessert.

Cape Town’s Table Mountain National Park, which hugs the perimeter of the city, is so popular that the line for the cable car to the top can be longer than a queue for a Disneyland ride. But why stand in line when you can put your feet to use? There are several routes that lead to the top of the 3,562-foot, flat-topped mountain, including the two-mile Platteklip Gorge trail. Yes, it’s steep, but startling views of the city and the Atlantic await. Trek, get hungry, then picnic on local provisions—crackers, Dutch-style Gouda, and biltong, the thick-sliced South African jerky—before riding the cable car back down.

A colorful working-class neighborhood near downtown that had fallen on hard times, Woodstock has been revitalized with a mix of galleries, artists’ studios, boutiques, and restaurants. Much of the area’s original vibe remains, however, thanks to the long rows of colonnaded shops that edge Albert and Victoria roads. Among the nearby storefronts that are open throughout the week are Espresso Lab Microroasters and Luke Dale-Roberts’s award-winning restaurant, the Test Kitchen. Continuing down Albert Road, you’ll find spots like the Woodstock Co-op and the very trendy Woodstock Exchange, with a great array of places to eat and stores selling local goods. At the end of Albert Road, there’s a concentration of galleries, including the Stevenson, Goodman, and SMAC. On Saturdays, Woodstock draws crowds to the Neighbourgoods Market, a prepared foods extravaganza in the Old Biscuit Mill.

For years, the large warehouse next to the Two Oceans Aquarium was a dimly lit place where local craftsmen hawked traditional African curios. Many of these items were duplicates of items already found in Greenmarket Square, or worse, were made in China. The popularity of local markets and handcrafted goods in South Africa has increased recently, especially after Cape Town was named World Design Capital in 2014. Despite the entrepreneurial outpouring, the opportunities to purchase goods from local makers remained fragmented and spread out across the city’s numerous weekly markets. The Watershed, a permanent market at the V&A Waterfront, has created the opportunity for international visitors to shop 150 of South Africa’s best makers in one central location. The application process for a booth at The Watershed is strict and ensures a wide variety of high-quality products are displayed. The upstairs of the Watershed is taken up by an open-air floor plan with several wellness vendors, as well as, event space available for rental. From leather bags, to jewelry, clothing, and art, you’ll want to save room in your luggage for your time spent here.