Your Cape Town winter guide, featuring blankets, brews and Bree street in the rain
POV: You’re romanticizing Cape Town in July - just swap sundresses for scarves and sundowners with hot chocolate. But rainy days don’t have to mean cabin fever or soggy socks. The city has a softer side this time of year. One that feels like a heated blanket and your comfort show on loop.
So here it is: your rainy day survival guide. For when the mountain’s hiding, the wind’s howling, and your soul needs a little comfort (and maybe just one more coffee).
For the coffee-first, questions-later crew: Nice Café
Located inside several Neighbourgood locations across the city, Nice Café lives up to its name. It’s warm, laid-back, and smells like heaven in the form of a freshly-baked chocolate chip cookie. No matter where you are in the inner city, chances are there’s a Nice close by, with free WiFi and oat milk that won’t curdle under pressure.
What to order: The banana bread. Trust.
Vibe check: Minimal, mellow, laptop-friendly.
For the culture lover in Uggs: The Labia Theater
Cape Town’s oldest independent cinema is the perfect winter hideout. With its retro charm, cosy interiors, and line-up of arthouse films, The Labia is where nostalgia meets culture. Glühwein is served at the bar (yes, really), alongside classic movie snacks like buttery popcorn and handmade fudge. Settle in for a moody midweek screening or make it your go-to for a rainy Sunday.
What to order: A glass of glühwein and a slab of fudge.
Vibe check: Think: old-school elegance, indie spirit, red velvet everything.
For the ones who chase warmth: Stellski Café on Bree
If you’re strolling down Bree in the rain, follow the smell of bagels straight into Stellski, tucked inside Neighbourgood Bree Street Workspace. It’s got just the right mix of hustle energy and hideaway charm. Sip something strong, send your emails, and act like you're planning your personality rebrand.
What to order: The Chavo bagel or the Cream Cheese & Avo bagel = rain day royalty.
Vibe check: Stylish but unfussy, like your most productive friend.
For coffee-to-wine transitions: Vine and Dandy
Tucked just off Kloof Street in Gardens, Vine and Dandy is that kind of spot you hope to stumble into and then never leave. By day, it's a bright, pastry-filled haven (mini banana breads and brioche sausage rolls, anyone?), and by late afternoon it quietly transforms into a wine bar complete with tastings and toasties for when the rain’s made you ravenous.
What to order: Start with a warm matcha, then slide into their evening wine tasting spread.
Vibe check: Hidden-gem feels, dog-friendly pups on patrol, and an atmosphere that’s very Cape cosy.
For the Sunday mood every day: Libertino
Tucked away on Jarvis Street, Libertino brings bold energy and good times without trying too hard. It’s part trattoria, part courtyard hangout, with a playlist that makes you want to cancel your next plan. Whether you’re sipping something strong under the fairy lights or catching up over plates of pasta, it’s got that effortlessly cool, Cape Town-in-winter kind of vibe.
What to order: A negroni and the rigatoni.
Vibe check: Retro Italian flair with local edge - loud in the best way.
Final thoughts (best read in fluffy socks)
Rainy days in Cape Town aren't for wasting. They're for reclaiming your time, filling up your hot water bottle, and finding the city’s slower pulse.
Ready to head out? Put on your Birks, call your work bestie, and romanticize the rain like it’s your full-time job.
We’ll be at Nice Cafe with a seat by the window and a cookie with your name on it.
