Want to know where the locals love to go? In this exclusive series on Time Out Cape Town, ‘Local Intel’ taps into some of the city’s best-connected characters to unearth the corners you simply can’t miss in the Mother City.
Ever enjoyed the fine threads of a Carducci suit? Sipped on the famous Old Fashioned at The House of Machines? Upped your wardrobe game with a shirt from The Proper Store?
If you answered yes to any of those, then you have Paul van der Spuy to thank.
This self-taught designer has more than 40 years of experience in the fashion world, from founding the iconic Carducci label to designing and creating for brands like Frank B. Ernest, Wylde Oscar, and bluecollarwhitecollar. He famously offered fashion tips to Paul Smith on the streets of London, has opened stores across South Africa, and along the way earned five South African Fashion Design Awards for Best Menswear.
Paul is also a founding partner of The House of Machines (THOM), a Cape Town hotspot as famous for its for coffee and cocktails as it is for its motorcycles and embrace of the Mother City’s urban culture.
‘Fashion is expensive, style is free,’ says Paul, who today keeps his hand in the ‘rag trade’ with an outlet at the ever-popular Oranjezicht City Farm Market in the V&A Waterfront.
And when he’s not out there designing threads, you’ll find him propping up bars and coffee counters across the city. He’s a man with no end of inside intel, and was only too happy to share his favourite corners of the city with Time Out Cape Town.
MORE CELEBS SHARE THEIR LOCAL SECRETS
This is my favourite cocktail bar in Cape Town. ANTHM is run by a Japanese guy who used to run a cocktail bar in New York. This bar is exquisite. It’s all about Japanese flavours. They’re not cheap, but you drink it as you would experience a fine Japanese perfume; you consider it. While you’re drinking he plays vinyls, and there’s a whole collection of old jazz records. It’s an experience.
76 Hout St, Cape Town
This new outpost of Pauline’s Coffee [the original is in Main Road, Sea Point] is in the Goodman Gallery in Green Point. It’s in a beautiful old stone church, and the gallery has taken the main part of the building, but they have this wonderful courtyard filled with giant trees. It’s an oasis away from all the noise of Green Point, where you can sit outside, have a coffee, and meet interesting people.
37A Somerset Rd, Green Point
This is a simple Portuguese bar and restaurant, and what I like is that it’s quite simple. It’s like you stopped in a typical unstylish country bar. But at Villa they do very tasty and affordable Portuguese food. The sardines are excellent. I also love the espetada, and the fish and chips. They have very good prices and very tasty food. I’m not a big sports fan but they have big TV screens that show all the games, so if the Bokke are playing I’m there.
176 Upper Buitenkant Street, Vredehoek
Unlike the other beaches around here I think Bakoven is still relatively undiscovered, so it has the feel of a private beach. It’s always cold, but because of the big rocks it’s always flat. I love baking in the sun on the rocks and then plunging into the ice cold water. You come out feeling fully alive! There’s also Beta Beach on the other side, which is smaller and perhaps a little bit too trendy. At my age I don’t fit into that category.
Kreef Lane, Bakoven
[Bakoven is #3 on Time Out's list of the Best Beaches in Cape Town!]
Spier is curated magnificently. I can’t say the art is always to my personal taste, but they have the most amazing shop on the farm called The Cow Shed with the most incredible products. It’s full of wonderful décor and plants, all at very good prices. Creams and perfumes and home-dye inks. We normally order a picnic basket and sit out on the grass. You really feel you’re amongst good stuff.
Baden Powell Drive, Stellenbosch
Apart from my own store, I really love the Oranjezicht City Farm Market. SunHee Foods has the best South Korean food. Pete Goffe-Wood as the Kitchen Cowboy does very good meat. In terms of clothing there’s me – as Proper Store – and Chommies with beautiful Mohair knits. Swing is quite a big stand of fun women’s wear. All plain colours and fabrics, but all sexy, timeless. I also love Chasing Bees, with a casual collection of men’s and women’s clothing, and part of the proceeds go to bee conservation. I always suggest you get there early – by 8.30 – to avoid the crowds.
Granger Bay Boulevard, V&A Waterfront
The Ladder is a coffee bar that just nice and easy. Very relaxed and quite stylish inside. They have really good pasteis de nata, but I usually order the hot chocolate, which is served in a handmade ceramic cup. So tasty and homey.
136 Bree Street, Cape Town
Theatre on the Bay is one of those theatres that’s so unique. It has extraordinary shows that are always world-class. And on the top floor they have the Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy, and the shows they bring out are incredible.
1 Link Street, Camps Bay
The reason I love The Power and the Glory is that it’s a real bar. It’s got no pretence at trying to be the best. It’s just a bar. It’s got that old smoky feeling in the smoking area, it’s full of plant life inside. It says ‘Ons Praat Afrikaans’ on the window. It’s a real local. You can walk in and sit down and instantly feel comfortable. You never feel you may be intruding. They don’t do fancy cocktails, I’ll have a Tafel lager. It’s basic and friendly. It’s like a labrador.
13d Kloof Nek Rd, Tamboerskloof
Of course I have to mention my bar. The House of Machines cocktails are extraordinary. We are famous for our Old Fashioned, but if you go for our Negroni, our Old fashioned or our Whisky Sour you can’t go wrong. We are also very strong on our live music, and we have a songwriters’ showcase on a Tuesday for musicians to bring their instruments and they get two songs to sing.
84 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town
I love Publik because it’s all about undiscovered wines that people don’t normally know. A lot of it’s organic, and the sommeliers really know their stuff. The chef does tapas, which are fantastic. It’s almost a place you’d go there before you go for dinner. Sit around the bar, chat to the guys about food or the wine. You always meet interesting people here.
11d Kloof Nek Rd, Tamboerskloof
I’m really into the life of trees, and this is one of my favourite hangouts. I really do hug trees and you’ll often find me lying under a tree looking up through the leaves. There are 160 different species of trees in De Waal Park, which is just a Disneyland for dogs!
Molteno Rd, Gardens
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