Tjing Tjing House
Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
Bar in Cape Town, South Africa
Book with PearlWhy go
Tjing Tjing House on Longmarket Street is one of Cape Town's better-positioned rooftop bars for groups; the multilevel layout handles four-plus easily, the City Bowl location beats the waterfront for atmosphere, the crowd is socially mixed without being chaotic. Come early if you want conversation; come later if you want energy. Booking ahead for weekend evenings is sensible.
About Tjing Tjing House
A Rooftop Bar That Earns Its Reputation in Cape Town's Most Competitive Drinking Scene
If you're choosing between Tjing Tjing House on Longmarket Street and heading straight to the waterfront bar circuit, go to Tjing Tjing House first. Cape Town's City Bowl has quietly shifted the city's nightlife gravity away from the V&A; Waterfront, Tjing Tjing House at 165 Longmarket Street sits near the centre of that shift; a multilevel venue that draws a crowd looking for atmosphere and cocktails rather than sea views and tourist-facing pricing.
The energy here reads as Cape Town at its most socially mixed: after-work professionals, visitors who've done their research, a younger creative set who treat the rooftop as a default meeting point. The sound level climbs through the evening, which is worth factoring into your plans. For a group of four or more, that ambient noise becomes part of the draw rather than a problem; conversation flows naturally when there's enough of you, the space handles larger tables better than most bars in the City Bowl. If you're coming as a pair hoping for a quiet catch-up, earlier in the evening gives you a better experience than arriving after 9 PM.
The format suits groups well. A multilevel layout means your party can spread across the space, the rooftop tier, which has made Tjing Tjing House a reference point among Cape Town bar-goers, gives you a vantage over the Bo-Kaap rooflines that most of the waterfront venues simply cannot offer. For a group occasion, a birthday drinks session, or a pre-dinner start to the night, this works more reliably than a single-room bar.
What's changed in recent years is the venue's position in the wider conversation about Cape Town drinking. A wave of strong cocktail bars has raised the bar across the city, Tjing Tjing House has kept pace by holding its ground as a go-to for atmosphere rather than repositioning purely around its drinks program. The crowd has evolved with the neighbourhood, Bo-Kaap and the lower City Bowl have become more deliberately social, Tjing Tjing House benefits from that foot traffic.
For the explorer-type visitor to Cape Town, this is a useful stop on a broader evening that might begin here and move to dinner in the City Bowl. It pairs well with the neighbourhood rather than standing apart from it. Check our full Cape Town bars guide for how to sequence your evening, see our full Cape Town restaurants guide for dinner options nearby.
Reservations: Easy to book; walk-ins are generally possible but rooftop space fills on weekend evenings, so booking ahead for groups of four or more is sensible. Dress: Smart-casual is the norm; the crowd skews put-together without being formal. Budget: Pricing sits in line with mid-range Cape Town bar expectations, this is not a budget option, but it is not premium-tier either. Getting there: Longmarket Street puts you within walking distance of the City Bowl's main restaurant cluster and a short Uber from the V&A; Waterfront.
How It Compares
See the comparison section below for how Tjing Tjing House sits against Cape Town's other main bar options.
Pearl Picks, Also Worth Your Time in Cape Town
- Asoka, a strong alternative in the City Bowl for a different pace
- Cafe Caprice, the go-to if you want Camps Bay beach proximity with your drinks
- Planet Bar, hotel bar polish if you prefer a quieter room
- Cassette, a tighter, more cocktail-focused option for smaller groups
- Our full Cape Town hotels guide, for where to stay nearby
- Our full Cape Town wineries guide, for day-trip winery planning from the city
- Our full Cape Town experiences guide, for building the full itinerary
- Sin + Tax in Johannesburg, for reference if you're also visiting Joburg
- The Wine Shop by Caraffa in Pretoria, a wine-led alternative if Pretoria is on your route
- Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu, for international context on craft cocktail bars worth planning around
Planning details
- Location
- 165 Longmarket St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa
- Website
- tjingtjing.co.za
- Phone
- +27 21 422 4374
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Tjing Tjing House presents itself as a spirits-first cocktail bar that values depth and curation over theatrical gimmicks. The writing highlights a back bar that acts as the venue’s editorial voice, communicating supplier relationships and a deliberate point of view. Placed on Longmarket Street within the older commercial grain of the city centre, the bar feels rooted in a layered urban context rather than the tourist-facing waterfront. That location and the serious approach to bottles give the venue a discovery-oriented, refined character that attracts people who prioritize thoughtful drinks and a focused bar program.
Best For
This is a bar geared toward those who come for the drinks rather than the scenery. It suits late-night outings and date nights where conversation and cocktails are the main event, and it rewards small groups or casual hangouts that are willing to seek out a well-curated back bar. Because the writing emphasizes spirit selection and curation, the venue also works for people who enjoy exploring bottles and tasting-focused evenings rather than loud, theme-driven bars. It is best for guests who value deliberate, spirits-led experiences in a city-centre setting.
Ordering Tips
Approach the bar with curiosity—Tjing Tjing’s strength is its back bar and the statement the shelves make about the program. Ask the bartender about standout bottles, house curation principles, or what they’d recommend based on your spirit preferences, and be prepared to let the selection guide the experience. The venue favors depth over theatrics, so seek out curated or lesser-known labels rather than expecting menu-driven cocktail theater. If you want to understand the bar’s point of view, a conversation at the counter about the back-bar selection will typically reveal it.
Planning details
Location
165 Longmarket St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa · Directions
Also consider
Also Consider
- Asoka; Notable alternative
- Cafe Caprice; Notable alternative
- Planet Bar; Notable alternative
- Cassette; Notable alternative
- Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen; Notable alternative
Bar context
How Tjing Tjing House Compares to Other Cape Town Bars
Against Asoka, Tjing Tjing House wins on rooftop atmosphere and group capacity but loses on intimacy. Asoka suits a smaller group or a pair looking for a more contained setting; Tjing Tjing House is the better call when you need a venue that can absorb a crowd and still feel like a destination rather than an overflow room. For groups of six or more, Tjing Tjing House is the more practical choice of the two.
Cafe Caprice in Camps Bay serves a different purpose entirely; if sea views and a see-and-be-seen terrace are the priority, that's your venue. But Cafe Caprice prices accordingly and skews tourist-heavy in peak season. Tjing Tjing House gives you a more locally-weighted crowd and a City Bowl location that makes it easier to extend the evening into dinner. Planet Bar at the Mount Nelson is the quieter, more polished hotel-bar option; go there if the group wants conversation over cocktails in a calmer room; come to Tjing Tjing House if you want energy and a rooftop.
For a more cocktail-forward, technically focused experience in a smaller format, Cassette and Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen both outperform Tjing Tjing House on drinks craft. If the cocktail list is the main event for your group, those venues deliver more precision. Tjing Tjing House earns its place when atmosphere, location, group-size flexibility matter more than the drinks program alone.
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Tjing Tjing House guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Tjing Tjing House
| Venue | Booking Difficulty | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Tjing Tjing House | Easy | No published awards |
| Asoka | Unknown | 2012 World's 50 Best Bars · #502009 World's 50 Best Bars · #45 |
| Cafe Caprice | Unknown | 2010 World's 50 Best Bars · #27 |
| Planet Bar | Unknown | 2010 World's 50 Best Bars · #292009 World's 50 Best Bars · #43 |
| Cassette | Unknown | No published awards |
| Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen | Unknown | Top 500 Bars 2026 · #455 |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the crowd like at Tjing Tjing House?
Expect a mixed but switched-on crowd: locals who know Cape Town's bar scene well, creative professionals, visitors who've done their research. Longmarket Street draws a city-centre demographic rather than a purely tourist one, which keeps the energy grounded. It's livelier than Planet Bar and less scenester-heavy than Cafe Caprice.
What's the signature drink at Tjing Tjing House?
Specific menu details aren't confirmed in Pearl's current data, so we won't guess. What's consistent across visitor reports is that the cocktail programme is taken seriously; this is not a spot where drinks are an afterthought to the view. Ask the bar team what's seasonal when you arrive; that's usually the safest order at a bar with craft intent.
Does Tjing Tjing House have outdoor seating?
Yes. The rooftop format at Tjing Tjing House on Longmarket Street is central to why people go. Outdoor rooftop seating is the main draw, particularly at sunset. Cape Town's wind can be a factor in certain seasons, so it's worth checking conditions before you commit to a long evening outdoors.
Is Tjing Tjing House good for a date?
Yes, it's one of the stronger date options in the Cape Town CBD. The rooftop setting does the work atmospherically without feeling as staged or tourist-facing as the waterfront alternatives. For a first date, it's easier to navigate than a full dinner reservation; arrive for drinks, extend if it's going well.
Is the food good at Tjing Tjing House?
Tjing Tjing House is primarily a bar destination, not a dining one. Food is available and functions well as a complement to drinks, but if a full meal is the priority, it shouldn't be your anchor choice. Treat the food as functional; it keeps the evening going; and plan around the drinks and the rooftop.
