harrington street is Cape Town’s coolest locale
Forget Bree Street – Harrington is Cape Town’s coolest stretch
until recently, no one would have blamed you for giving harrington street a miss. While it may have a pretty seedy history, a collective of style brokers have their eyes fixed on the future, ramping up this east City Precinct street to Cape Town’s most enviable address, reports Edwain Steenkamp.
1. SWAN CAFÉ
French-born Jessica rushmere brings a little bit of her home to Cape Town with swan Café, just off of harrington street, on the corner of Buitenkant and Barrack. a sanctuary in every sense, this French café is the perfect escape from the urban bustle just outside. Leave your gluten phobia at the door and say hello to a bounty of crêpes, savoury galettes and a stunning selection of speciality teas, all surrounded by 16th-century inspired art. 8 swancafe.co.za
2. JUST LIKE PAPA
From the street, the black exterior of Just Like Papa is as imposing as it is intriguing. It certainly doesn’t look anything like a gear supply shop, and the great outdoors are the last thing that comes to mind. But the survivalist mecca, opened by davide rossi and Thomas Ferreira, brings new meaning to hands-on adventure. Who could have imagined that shopping for an axe, tent or Leatherman could look this good? We didn’t think it was possible, but here it is. justlikepapa.com
3. LEKKER VEGAN
When James Knaap opened Lekker Vegan at the end of 2017, he introduced Cape Town to cuisine it never knew it needed: vegan junk food. and with a wide range of options on the menu, from gatsbys to burgers, it’s quite the experience. If you’re planning on going all out on the harrington street bar scene, you’ll be happy to know it is open until 3am on weekends, making it the perfect pit stop between drinks. lekkervegan.co.za
4. HARRINGTONS
a need-to-try hideout for cocktail lovers and foodies – quite an achievement in a city filled with tough competition. Perhaps it’s the unusually luxurious interiors: plush booths, varnished wooden floors and art on almost every surface that can accommodate it. or maybe it’s the regular live music shows. Located in the same building as surfa rosa and a nightclub, The district.
thefirmct.co.za/harringtons
5. EAST SIDE CARTEL
aimed specifically at professional hair stylists, east side Cartel is, in both space and execution, brilliantly conceptual. The low-down: stylists rent a chair in the gritty, industrial-style salon studio and management takes care of everything else. The interior, with its profusion of concrete finishes tempered by soft wooden tones, makes for a simple, contemporary look.
061 485 5740
6. PALM BLACK TRADING CO.
Being on the bench under a tattooist’s needle might not be everyone’s idea of fun, but there is no denying that Palm Black Trading Co. is an experience.
The space is split between the downstairs tattoo parlour and the upstairs screen-printing studio. Filled with art, plants and decor it is not unlike stumbling into a mad collector’s showroom. resident tattoo artists raoul goetze and richard Moir have become the preferred favourites among the ink-lovers of the city.
palmblack.co.za
7. NUDE FOODS
There are few people that have taken ethical shopping to heart quite like Paul rubin and sherene Kingma, the owners of nude Foods. Located in a renovated parking garage, nude Foods is Cape Town’s first plastic-free grocer. Patrons bring their own containers and can shop organic and non-gmo foods by weight. With a large variety of food available, it’s an easy step in the right direction.
nudefoods.co.za
8. SURFA ROSA
restaurateur reg Macdonald, along with guy Wood and surfers grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker and Jordy smith, have put their unique spin on a dive bar, and the result is surfa rosa. The renovated space, which used to be a nightclub called The assembly, is now a favourite among the city’s achingly hip and cool. and with plenty more restaurants and bars within walking distance, it’s the perfect place to start – or end – your night out. expect an electric atmosphere, sublime drinks and of course, a playlist fit for a dive. thefirmct.co.za/surfarosa