BarGuide - Best Bars In South Africa

Last Friday I found myself en route to La Vie, Seapoint, and couldn't wait to quench my thirst with a tall glass of icy cold Jack Black draught.

After arriving at  La Vie, shortly after 7pm on a Friday evening, (and boy was I damn lucky to find a parking spot within relative walking distance) I immediately noticed the bustling, vibrant atmosphere of beautiful people enjoying tall glasses of chilled wine, merrily chattering about trivialities. It was beautifully lit, almost like a white, open - plan cocoon bursting with colours, voices and laughter.

 

 

Last Saturday afternoon I drove through to Bart's Tavern, situated on Beach Rd, Strand.

A very good mate of mine chose this venue for his birthday, and as this was my first visit to Bart's Tavern, I saw this as a golden opportunity to investigate this unobtrusive, unpretentious little pub and to give an honest opnion to our loyal readers who count on us to direct them to the best bars in South Africa.

And boy was I surprised...

 

Last night we visited The Dubliner, a pseudo - Irish bar in Upper Long Street, Cape Town.

 

I was slightly impressed by the decor, fixtures and fittings, but apart from their selection of Single Malt whiskeys and Guiness sold on - tap (at around R30/pint), there was nothing remotely Irish about The Dubliner.

If you ever find yourself in the West Coast - vicinity, do yourself a favour and travel to Paternoster, a small fishing village about 1,5 hours drive North of Cape Town, on the West Coast Road.

There you will find a little jewel of a pub aptly named "The Panty Bar", carefully hidden within the confines of the ever popular Paternoster Hotel. The Panty Bar will appeal to any avid bar - lover, as the entire ceiling is clad in hundreds of used panties, old and new, large and small.

As a young child, I vividly remember passing Ronnies Sex Shop, en route to Outdshoorn while making our bi - annual visit to my grandparents. In those days the building was a mere dilapidated shell, creating a strong contrast to the arid, hilly vistas of the Klein Karoo plains.

Today, however, this legendary bar, affectionately known as "Ronnies", is something quite different. It is a destination pit - stop to travellers of all walks of life. When stopping there, the first thing you would notice, is the vibrant atmosphere enveloping this little bar, as you would most probably stumble apon a heard of thirst - driven nomads, hastily quenching the intense dryness that has nested in their parched throats.