Cape Town’s queer nightlife has earned a place on the international stage, with two De Waterkant venues named among Time Out’s inaugural list of the world’s greatest queer spaces.
Café Manhattan and The Pink Candy Nightclub were included in the list, which highlights venues recognised for their role in creating memorable experiences and fostering queer communities.
The recognition places local venues alongside celebrated queer institutions in cities such as London, Tokyo, and Portland, and highlights a part of the city's cultural life that has been shaped over decades rather than tourism campaigns.
Café Manhattan's lasting legacy
Few venues in Cape Town have been around as long as Café Manhattan.
Opened in 1994, the De Waterkant venue is widely recognised as Africa’s oldest queer bar. Its longevity has made it a notable part of Cape Town’s LGBTQ+ nightlife history, with the venue continuing to welcome locals and visitors more than three decades after it first opened.
During the day, Café Manhattan operates as a restaurant and social space, while evenings bring themed events, drag-hosted quiz nights and other entertainment. Time Out describes it as one of Cape Town’s most established LGBTQ+ venues, combining a restaurant, cocktail bar and late-night social hub.
Its appeal lies partly in that combination of history and an active social atmosphere — it is a venue visitors can experience as both a restaurant and a nightlife destination.
Inside The Pink Candy nightclub
Where Cafe Manhattan offers history and familiarity, The Pink Candy Nightclub is built around energy. The club has become known for packed dance floors, drag performances, and a steady stream of local and international DJs.
It occupies a different space in the nightlife ecosystem. Visitors rarely arrive for a quiet drink. They come for the music, the performance and the sense that the night could easily continue until sunrise.
That atmosphere helped earn it a place on a list that celebrated venues capable of creating memorable experiences rather than simply attracting large crowds.
What the recognition means
Having two Cape Town venues included in Time Out’s global list puts the city’s queer nightlife in an international context.
The recognition also gives visitors a starting point for exploring a part of Cape Town that has its own history, venues and communities.
For anyone exploring De Waterkant after dark, Café Manhattan and The Pink Candy offer two distinctly different experiences: one rooted in decades of history and a restaurant-bar setting, the other centred on nightlife, drag and the dancefloor.
Together, they offer a glimpse into the variety of Cape Town’s LGBTQ+ nightlife — and two places that have now received attention from one of the world’s best-known travel and culture publications.