I firmly believe that when coming to Cape Town and if you want to stay like a local, you’ve got to give credit to the local hub of buzzing knowledge where credit’s due! Cape Town is best experienced beyond the guidebooks and with First Thursdays coming up this week, Canopy by Hilton group says themselves that to stay like a local, you must immerse in the lekker.
And honestly, as someone who lives here, I rather like the philosophy.
Cape Town is not really a city you can experience from a checklist, beyond the obvious postcard moments. It is written in the love letters from the locals that want you to see the most through taste, flavour, flair, culture, colour, and sun-dappled hats when sitting at our favourite spots with you.
Staying like a local in Cape Town is found in the little things! The morning coffee from Custodian Pastry Bar, a delicately sweet and unassuming café down the road. The shopkeeper who knows your name, and you browse for extra special delicacies at the Olive Branch Deli just a skip away. It is found in the long lunch that accidentally becomes dinner from Hope Distillery Store to Ongetem, where the words ‘batch-made’ and ‘cheers!’ flow into one. Wandering through streets without a particular destination in mind. It’s in finding a tiny gallery just further along at 99 Loop Street, where a neighbourhood bar or a restaurant beckons you closer; one you would never have discovered by following a traditional tourist itinerary or dotting the t’s from a quick social media search.
And, of course, sitting around a table and eating your way through the city is the best way to map the destinations that become treasured stories.
Which brings us rather neatly back to Ongetem.
Located within the Longkloof Precinct, Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof positions itself as more than somewhere to put your suitcase down at the end of the day. Its ‘Stay Like a Local’ philosophy places the surrounding neighbourhood, its people, businesses, and artisans at the heart of the guest experience.
For visitors, that means swapping the rush of seeing everything for the pleasure of actually settling into a place. Canopy is a rather good place to do exactly that.
From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore the City Bowl on foot, wander along Kloof Street, dip into Company Gardens and historic Tamboerskloof, discover local businesses and galleries that sprinkle the streets flowing toward De Waterkant and Bo-Kaap, and generally allow Cape Town to unfold around you rather than rushing from one landmark to the next.
What do to for October First Thursdays in Cape Town
The idea of neighbourhood-inspired travel also feels particularly fitting when paired with Ongetem. Bertus Basson’s restaurant brings a distinctly South African sensibility to the Longkloof, creating an experience that feels rooted in place while still polished enough for a special occasion.
My evening began with a table full of food and ended with the distinct feeling that I had experienced a little pocket of my city rather than simply eaten at another restaurant. The charm lies within the rhythm of its streets, the conversations spilling out of cafés, the creative energy tucked into old buildings, the food on the table and the people who make the city feel alive.
Park Road is practically pulling you to do exactly that, especially this October’s First Thursdays in Cape Town. So, I’ve curated some of my local and lekker spots to see this week for your absolute galore.
Start with the accessories
First stop? Ballo.
The Cape Town-born sunglasses and lifestyle brand will be opening its doors from 5pm to 8pm for First Thursdays, giving you an excellent excuse to browse its handmade sunglasses and goods while pretending you absolutely do not need another pair of sunnies.
I personally believe First Thursdays shopping operates under different financial laws anyway.
If something looks good under the Cape Town evening light, it is basically field research for your spring wardrobe.
Then have a little Café Sofi moment
Next door, Café Sofi by tashas brings the cocktails into play.
The Longkloof outpost sits at 7 Park Road, with its eclectic interiors and wraparound outdoor seating making it particularly well suited to that First Thursdays ritual of sitting down for “just one” drink and then immediately deciding you should probably order another.
Café Sofi is inspired by Sophia Electra, the mother of the tashas founder, and the space embraces that same sense of eccentricity, elegance and personality.
Which feels rather fitting for an evening where the only real rule is that you should follow your curiosity.
Pastry, but make it First Thursdays
Then there is Custodian Pastry Bar, the Longkloof home of Hoghouse Brewing Company’s coffee, pastries, bread, toasties, beers and deli treats.
For First Thursdays, Custodian is open from 5pm to 8pm, with selected Hoghouse drinks and baked treats ready to fuel the evening.
And I feel compelled to say this as someone who has already made the rookie mistake of thinking a pastry is merely a little snack:
It is not. It is dinner-adjacent.
Especially when you are walking around Cape Town looking fabulous.
Cocktails from Hope, because obviously
A few steps later, Hope Provisions Store brings a little more spirit to proceedings.
The City Bowl outpost of Hope Distillery operates as both a neighbourhood tasting room and cocktail bar, with G&Ts, spritzes, classic cocktails and tasting flights available alongside its bottled spirits and pre-batched cocktail range.
For a First Thursdays wander, it’s exactly the kind of place that rewards popping in without overthinking it.
Have a drink. Taste something new. Buy a bottle. Have another drink, make it Toste.
I don’t make the rules.
Shop the Longkloof
And then, because First Thursdays is not merely about drinking your way through Cape Town (although I admire the commitment), the boutiques along Park Road are getting in on the action too.
Ogūn, Rosey & Vittori and Rowdy will be open from 5pm to 8pm, giving you the chance to browse local fashion and design while the precinct starts to buzz.
Ogūn brings clothing and lifestyle pieces with an emphasis on classic silhouettes, natural textures and everyday function. Rosey & Vittori leans into globally influenced, locally produced fashion with a more streetwear-inflected edge. And Rowdy brings African craftsmanship into contemporary leather goods and accessories.
Rowdy is also hosting a Meet the Soft Tote activation for October’s First Thursdays, adding another little reason to pop your head inside.
This is the bit of First Thursdays I love most.
You aren’t necessarily shopping. You’re looking, touching fabrics, trying things on. Having conversations; most silly, but many informative.
And suddenly the neighbourhood feels a little more familiar.
And yes, you can eat
If you’re wondering where Ongetem fits into all of this, this is where my recent spring-menu experience starts making even more sense. Finish at Ongetem, because obviously I am going to tell you to leave room for dinner.
Cape Town is best experienced when you leave a little room for the unexpected. And with a stretch of Park Road this packed with independent brands, good food, cocktails and creative energy, you don’t really need a grand plan.
You just need somewhere to start. This October, start at Longkloof. Come for First Thursdays. Stay for the neighbourhood.
And take the long way home.
First Thursdays Cape Town takes place on Thursday, 1 October 2026, with the Longkloof programme running from 5pm.