The Pot Luck Club sits atop the Old Biscuit Mill silo in Woodstock, Cape Town, sending out small sharing plates styled on a 1950s American pot luck.
OrderTaco 2.0, linefish with black bean puree, charred corn salsa and avocado
TipBook well in advance, this Woodstock room is one of the hardest small-plates tables to get in Cape Town.
The Pot Luck Club tops the Old Biscuit Mill silo in Woodstock, Cape Town, Luke Dale Roberts's globally inspired sharing plate room since 2013.
OrderSharing plates from the Family Favourites menu, starting with the Taco 2.0 of linefish on black bean puree
TipA R450 per guest deposit secures the table and must be paid within 24 hours of the provisional booking; tables of nine or more pay R750 each.
Pizza Connection fires Napoletana and Romana style pizzas in a wood-fired oven on Roodebloem Road in Woodstock, Cape Town, with San Marzano tomato sauce.
OrderA Margherita on either base, the clearest test of the San Marzano sauce and imported fior di latte.
TipThe cured meats, from guanciale to mortadella, are imported from Italy, so order a pizza that shows them off.
Ferdinando's Pizza fires wood-fired pies in a quirky 70-seat room on Lower Main Road in Observatory, Cape Town, grown from a secret home pizzeria in 2011.
OrderThe Classic Diavola, spicy Italian salami on a Margherita base and the top-selling pizza.
TipTry the signature Turbanite with grilled baby marrow, caramelised onion jam and feta; diners voted the room second in a 2021 pizzeria challenge.
Timbuktu Cafe is an affordable Ethiopian favourite on Lower Main Road in Observatory, Cape Town, serving shiro, tibs and doro wot on teff injera.
OrderThe shiro wot, a chickpea stew that anchors the vegetarian side of the injera platter.
TipVegetarians can build a plate of shiro with fried cabbage and beetroot wrapped in injera, which is made from teff and is gluten-free.
Sonder Cafe is a vintage styled coffee shop on Lower Main Road in Observatory, Cape Town, known for New York bagels and laptop friendly tables.
DrinkFlat white
TipBring a friend for a game of chess over coffee, and order the Hamela Anderson, a bagel with gypsy ham, cheddar and mustard.
District Cafe is a family run, Muslim-owned cafe on Roodebloem Road in Woodstock, Cape Town, serving bagels, burgers, grills and an extensive cake counter.
DrinkSpeciality coffee
TipBook for Friday or Saturday evening, when the grill menu is the draw: the Chef's Platter covers steak, chops, sausage and ribs.
Bootlegger XS Salt River is a halal branch of the Cape Town coffee chain on Brickfield Road, serving all day breakfast and coffee to the area.
DrinkWhite hot chocolate
TipThe white hot chocolate and the peri peri livers are the orders reviewers single out at this halaal branch.
Woodstock Bakery on Brickfield Road in Salt River hand-shapes every loaf and bakes it in a wood-fired oven, supplying Cape Town's weekend markets too.
Worth the queueWood-fired sourdough
TipEverything is hand-shaped and baked in wood-fired ovens, so buy from whatever is on the shelves that morning.
Espresso Lab Microroasters roasts small boutique batches at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, a Cape Town fixture known for precise Ethiopian single origins.
BeansEthiopia
BrewsEspresso, Filter
TipCome on a Saturday morning and pair a cup with the Neighbourgoods Market that fills the Old Biscuit Mill next door.
Cedar Coffee Roasters, founded in 2021 by barista champions Winston Thomas and Leigh Wentzel, roasts on Albert Road in Woodstock and now runs a cafe there.
BeansEthiopia, Rwanda, Guatemala, Colombia
TipCedar opened a full-time cafe at Side Street Studios in early 2026, and there is a Cedar Hatch at Lemkus in the CBD for a quicker cup.
Flatmountain Coffee Roasters roasts on site on Sir Lowry Road, pouring floral Ethiopian and Malawian lots at its Woodstock, Cape Town coffee bar.
BeansEthiopia, Malawi
BrewsEspresso, Filter
TipThe tasting notes read like a wine list, ask the bar to run a single origin as both espresso and filter side by side.
Solera is the tasting room of Mothercity Liquor on Albert Road in Woodstock, Cape Town, opening rare single malts and cask finishes for slow pours.
DrinkSingle malts and rare cask finishes poured for guided or self-led tastings
FoodCharcuterie boards
TipSome bottles are held back for guided tastings only, so book a tasting through Dineplan if you want the rarer pours; it is closed Monday and Tuesday.
Casa Bar has poured local beer and classic cocktails at 332 Albert Road in Woodstock, Cape Town since 2009, across the road from the Old Biscuit Mill.
DrinkClassic cocktails made with fresh local produce
FoodPizza served alongside the bar menu, two for one on Wednesdays
TipHappy hour runs 16:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 12:00 to 14:00 at weekends; Thursday is open mic night.
Pizza Connection bakes Napoletana and Romana style pizzas in a wood-fired oven on Roodebloem Road in Woodstock, Cape Town, from noon until late every day.
TryWood-fired pizza on a Napoletana or Romana base
TipBook through Dineplan at busy times, and pick a pizza with the Italian-imported guanciale or mortadella.
Ferdinando's Pizza sells wood-fired Diavola and Turbanite pizzas to take away from Lower Main Road in Observatory, Cape Town, where it has baked since 2011.
TryClassic Diavola pizza, boxed for takeaway
TipThe owners say pizza is best eaten hot and fuss-free, so eat it close by rather than carrying it far.
Devil's Peak Brewing Company pours its range at the Taproom in Salt River, Cape Town, from its Lager to King's Blockhouse, with a balcony facing the peak.
FoodFull kitchen serving burgers, wings, pizzas and tacos, with a weekly run of food and beer specials.
TipThursday from 18:00 brings two pizzas and two Devil's Peak Lagers for R320, and the balcony looks straight up at Devil's Peak.
Woodstock Brewery pours Born Slippy Lager and Californicator IPA in the Beerhall above its Albert Road brewery in Woodstock, Cape Town, brewing since 2014.
FoodBavarian beerhall-style food in the Beerhall above the brewery.
TipBook a brewery tour and tasting to meet the brewers, or try the second taproom on Lower Main Road in Observatory.
Jack Black's Brewing Co has poured Cape Pale Ale and Brewer's Lager from its Diep River taproom in southern Cape Town since opening in 2007.
FoodKitchen open alongside restaurant hours, Wednesday through Saturday.
TipCome Wednesday to Friday evening, when the restaurant serves food until 21:00; on Saturday the kitchen closes at 16:00.
LOCAL Brewery & Co pours six rotating taps every Friday night from its Woodstock brewhouse in Cape Town, along what may be the city's longest bar.
FoodDrinks led taproom with six taps and a courtyard; check the operator before counting on food.
TipIt is only open to walk-ins on Friday nights, so plan around that single weekly session.
Neighbourgoods Market has filled the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town every Saturday since 2006, with food and design stalls and a Sunday market too.
TipSkip the car on Saturday, since the market takes over the Mill's parking; secure parking opposite at the College of Cape Town costs R10.
Ferdinando's Pizza fires wood-fired Margherita pizzas on Lower Main Road in Observatory, Cape Town, a pizzeria Diego Milesi and Kiki Bisogno began in 2011.
TryWood-fired Margherita pizza
TipStick to the Margherita or a plain topping to stay at the cheaper end of the pizza menu.
Casa Bar pours local beer, cocktails and pizza on Albert Road in Woodstock, Cape Town, across from the Old Biscuit Mill, open daily until two in the morning.
TryPizza, two for one on Wednesday nights
TipHappy hour runs 16:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 12:00 to 14:00 at weekends; Thursday is open mic night.
Private tour · 4 hours
Explore the vibrant street art of Woodstock, Cape Town, on a guided walking tour. Discover the stories behind the murals and enjoy a taste of local Cape Malay cuisine.
Guided tour · 2 hours
See an eclectic, ever-evolving mix of street art from top international street artists on a guided walking tour in Woodstock. Enjoy a local's perspective on the cultur...
Day trip · 8 hours
Experience whale watching in Hermanus, visit African penguins, and enjoy wine tasting in the scenic Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on a full-day Cape Town coastal adventure.
