Cape Town for The Night Owls: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

Kudu and ostrich on the menu, a marimba band in the room and a long bar; you will be heard before you are seen.

Over a hundred beers on tap and in bottle, with a loud crowd on the balcony; the list is the reason to be here.

A DJ bar with a small dance floor on Long Street, open into the small hours; no cover on most nights.

Late lunch on a sunny terrace after a long night, and good coffee and a plate of eggs; open from the morning.

Three stages under one roof, with new South African plays and comedy most Saturday nights; check the programme and take an Uber home.

A cocktail list of more than a hundred drinks, with dim lights and a loud room; the bartenders will improvise to your taste.

Lunch from the deli counter, with a sandwich of pastrami or a plate of pasta, and a coffee at the pavement tables.

A theatre with a bar attached: cabaret, a play or a gig depending on the night; get a drink and pick a seat early.

A Japanese-inspired rooftop bar with whisky, sake and gin, and a menu of small plates that run to late.

Croissants and a long coffee are the cure; the line moves fast and the pastries are gone by noon.

A slow walk through the painted streets in the late morning, once the shutters are up and the tour groups have gone.