Best Gay Bars in Cape Town (2026): Local Favorites

De Waterkant is where Cape Town's gay nightlife actually lives, and it's small enough that you can walk between most of it in one night if your feet hold up.

We spent over a month in Cape Town as digital nomads, plenty of time to actually make our way around the gay bars rather than judge the scene off one long weekend. Unlike massive cities like London or Berlin, where a bar you loved last year might be a vape shop by the time you're back, Cape Town's scene barely shifts year to year. That's part of the beauty of it.

This is the dedicated rundown: every gay bar, club, sauna, and drag night we could verify is currently open, cross-checked against live reviews rather than old blog posts. If you want the full Cape Town picture, hotels, beaches, day trips, the complete gay Cape Town guide is here. This page is just about where to actually go once the sun goes down.

Find Your Bar: The Quiz

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The Gay Scene in Cape Town: De Waterkant & Beyond

Almost everything on this list sits within a few minutes of each other in De Waterkant, Cape Town's gayborhood. It's a small, walkable pocket of Green Point packed with colorful Cape Dutch houses by day and the city's main queer nightlife by night. Zer021 is a short Uber ride away in Zonnebloem, and Shaft Cruise Zone is out in Observatory, but everything else is a stumble apart.

Best Gay Bars & Clubs in Cape Town

Cape Town's best gay bars and clubs are Café Manhattan, The Pink Candy Night Club, Zer021 Social Club, Crew Bar, Honey & Dora Rooftop, and Shaft Cruise Zone, nearly all within a few blocks of each other in De Waterkant. Here's what to expect at each, with current ratings.

Café Manhattan

The oldest running gay bar in Cape Town (and all of Africa for that matter), tucked right in the heart of De Waterkant on Waterkant Street. Café Manhattan a lively, colorful start to a night out, think fruity cocktails, neon signage, and a menu that goes well beyond bar snacks. It fills up early with people grabbing dinner and a drink before heading elsewhere, and it works just as well for a quieter weeknight glass of wine and dinner as it does for a Saturday warm-up.

We've come here quite a few times and find this to be the best place to meet new people. During the South Africa summer season, it is filled with travelers, but there are also loads of locals too. We wrote up one particularly memorable midweek stop here if you want the personal, less-filtered version.

• Address: 74 Waterkant St, De Waterkant
• Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (1,188+ reviews)

The Pink Candy Night Club

If Café Manhattan is where you start, Pink Candy is where a lot of people end up. It's got a proper dance floor and enough open space that it doesn't feel like the cramped inner-city clubs Cape Town is otherwise known for, although we have definitely been there at times including Cape Town Pride, when it was absolutely jam-packed. You can definitely expect themed nights on the regular.

Curious what a night here is actually like? We covered our first visit in more personal detail.

• Address: 120 Strand St, De Waterkant
• Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (216+ reviews)

Zer021 Social Club

Zer021 has rebuilt itself around drag, and it shows, reviewers consistently call out the performances as the main event, with lip-sync competitions and regular queens holding court. It skews younger and draws a strong mix of Black and Coloured South African guests, which is worth knowing if you've mostly seen the more tourist-heavy De Waterkant spots. A handful of recent reviews flag repetitive music and cover charges that stick around even after the drag portion of the night wraps, so it's a stronger pick earlier in the evening than at 2am.

We wrote about our own night at Zer021 if you want the full story.

• Address: 46 Canterbury St, Zonnebloem
• Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (390+ reviews)

Crew Bar

You may see older gay Cape Town guides (including our own, until this update) claim Crew Bar shut down during Covid. Based on current reviews landing weekly through 2026, that's outdated, it's open. That said, go in with realistic expectations: reviews are genuinely mixed, some praise the karaoke nights and air conditioning, others flag overcharging and slow midweek crowds. Worth a look if you're already in De Waterkant, not necessarily worth planning a night around on its own.

• Address: 10 Cobern St, De Waterkant
• Rating: 3.6 out of 5 (236+ reviews)

Honey & Dora Rooftop

Honey & Dora Rooftop is a rooftop restaurant and lounge on Somerset Road that leans hard into drag and burlesque as part of its evening programming, alongside cocktails and a full food menu. Staff get named and praised constantly in reviews, which says something about the service culture here even when other parts of the night don't land. Treat it as a good rooftop drinks-and-a-show spot.

• Address: 24 Somerset Rd
• Rating: 4.8 out of 5 (660+ reviews)

Shaft Cruise Zone

Cape Town's main gay sauna and cruising venue, Shaft Cruise Zone is out in Observatory. It functions as a combined gay bar, nightclub, and bathhouse, open daily from the afternoon with weekend specials. Most reviews describe it as clean, safe, and genuinely fun, with a few consistent complaints about the locker/storage system (they've moved to a bag-and-camera setup rather than individual lockers), so don't bring anything you're precious about.

• Address: 299 Lower Main Rd, Observatory
• Rating: 3.8 out of 5 (90+ reviews)

Bob's Bar Longstreet

Worth a mention, even though it isn't a gay bar specifically: Bob's Bar on Long Street is well known as gay-friendly, with a laid-back pool-table-and-cheap-shots vibe that draws a mixed crowd. It's not where you go for a specifically queer night out, but if you're staying near Long Street and want a relaxed, welcoming spot with zero attitude, it's a safe bet. They do quite a lot of karaoke, too!

• Address: 187 Long St, Cape Town City Centre
• Rating: 4.1 out of 5 (1,200+ reviews)

Which Should You Actually Go To?

Hidden Gems: Miscellaneous Bars in Cape Town

The above clubs and bars are the epicenter of Cape Town's gay scene! However, there are many more places that are not specifically LGBTQ+ bars below that deserve a mention. We've been to all of these and commend them for being quite inclusive.

• Modular: This is not really a gay bar, per se, but it is one of the few techno/electronic venues you will find, if you are into this type of scene. It is pretty extensive and usually has a few different floors. While it doesn't rival the Berlin scene, it definitely comes close!

• Bokeh Creative Studio: If you are a karaoke lover, get yourself to this place in Sea Point! It makes karaoke the sole focus and takes it to the next level. Some clienteles are hysterical (let us know if you meet Jackie-O). If you head there on a weeknight you will for sure get a large amount of songs in, but we cannot say the same for a weekend. Drinks are a bit pricey and will add up as there is table service, but the experience is worth it and a total gay scene favorite.

• The Art of Duplicity: Also not gay, but worth it! It is a speakeasy where you have to make a reservation beforehand. The cocktail menu comes on a receipt and the drinks are pretty special.

• Rockpool: This one is a questionable entry here, as it is not really gay, but if you are looking for a good... slightly trashy time, with fabulous sea views and massive Coronaritas, this will be your jam. They have nice food, too!

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