The trendy, easily strollable trio - Long, Kloof and Bree Streets

Long Street, Bree Street and Kloof Street are three streets in the central Cape Town famous for their stellar coffee shops, eclectic eateries, lively nightlife, as well as independently owned shops. All three are close to each other; Long Street eventually merges with Kloof Street while Bree Street runs parallel to Long Street. Also many of the smaller streets that criss-cross these have some interesting locales to explore.

The area has its momentum, and it is easy to see how it is luring both locals as well as visitors to check its corners. Long Street, Bree Street and Kloof Street have a fierce unofficial competition which is the coolest street in the Mother City. Although they have some similarities, they all have their own unique characters that define them.

Long Street

Long Street is often considered the most vibrant street in the central Cape Town. It is a true melting pot in many aspects and visited by all generations, and locals and tourists alike. It hosts a random amalgam of shops and businesses; you can find anything from surfer shops to a stuffy minimarket, from stylish boutiques to tacky souvenir shops.

Like the heterogeneous businesses and people, the architecture is a fusion of styles. Beautiful old Victorian houses with decorative wrought iron balconies are mixed with postmodern ugly concrete blocks of flats decorated with graffiti.

All in all I found Long Street a hit-and-miss, but arguably this fusion gives it its unique character. Long Street is a renowned backpackers’ hub with plenty of cheap accommodation and it is also famous among night owls due to the multitude of bars and nightclubs. Compared to Bree and Kloof Streets, Long Street was our least favourite, maybe because it felt quite busy, dirty and later in the evening even a bit unsafe in some parts.

Although I did not get overly excited about Long Street, it nevertheless has a handful of good addresses to check. One of my favourite spots to find local fashion design was Mungo and Jemima (108 Long Street). Their clothes, jewellery, shoes and bags are designed and made in South Africa. On Long Street you can also find beautiful South African textiles, or explore second hand and upcycled vintage galore. While browsing, grab an energising drink from Orchard on Long (211 Long Street), one of the pioneers in the ever so popular juice business in the city. They have a team who cold presses the juice throughout the day so that it is always the freshest. The juice bar is a calm little oasis with lots of green plants on the otherwise busy Long Street. A few doors down, get your caffeine kick at Yours Truly (175 Long Street). It is a Capetonian institution with four establishments in the city and it was here on Long Street where it all started. This locale is smaller with only a few tables and open only till 4pm, encouraging passersby to get caffeinated or grab some made-to-order sandwiches for lunch. Apart from the damn good coffee we had sandwiches on-the-go on our way to the airport and these really hit the right spot before the tediously long flight.

Kloof Street

Long Street merges with another Capetonian trend setter, Kloof Street. Despite the close proximity, the atmosphere is different. Kloof Street felt much more contemporary, cleaner and prettier than Long Street yet it still had that vibrant, young-at-heart atmosphere. Kloof is known for a handful of galleries, smaller boutiques and concept stores, as well as a bigger Kloof Lifestyle Centre that houses yoga studios and some chain stores geared to healthy living such as Kauia and Wellness Warehouse. The street is lined with decorative Victorian houses and beautiful villas against mountainous backdrop. Also, some of the trendiest small boutique hotels are located towards the end of Kloof Streets, or on the immediate off-streets, making it a good location if you want to combine luxury with energetic neighborhood vibes.

Kloof Street is teeming with great food and drink establishments and although it is a relatively busy thoroughfare, many of these had plenty of outdoor seating to get glimpses of street life. One of the best local hangouts was Yours Truly (Kloof Street 73). Unlike their smaller Long Street locale, the one on Kloof is a spacious spot to get-together and so finding a table can be a mission during peak hours. It feels like a little garden in the city with its terrace covered in beautiful trees and plants hanging from the ceiling. During the early day patrons were busy getting caffeinated and after lunch slurping alcoholic drinks. The food selection is pretty limited, but includes gourmet sandwiches during the day (highly recommendable!) and in the evening they dish up pizzas. But why I would recommend Yours Truly is that it really encapsulates the youthful vibes of the area and it’s a good vantage point to observe the neighbourhood.

Bree Street

Bree Street is the newest hotspot but it doesn’t feel as frantic as Kloof and Long Streets. Old urban buildings have been restored, breathing new life into the street and converted offices bring lots of young professionals to the area. We enjoyed the creative, innovative and modern touches evident around the area. The tree-lined street boasts a well curated array of speciality restaurants, bars and artisanal shops. You can kick back on various terraces that were always full of life, and artisanal beer, gin and whisky spots invite people to check the street in the evening.

While Bree is a great destination in the evening, we always appreciate places where we can find solid breakfast options. I would head straight to Jason’s Bakery (185 Bree Street), a treasured place for freshly baked goods. They have just a few bar stools around the hole-on-the-wall shop, but there is fairly ample seating outside on the street. It works well and makes the place somehow relaxed and casual with people sitting outside watching the world go by, or having a coffee and pastry whilst standing and catching up. Jason’s Bakery is famous for their doughssants - a kind of hybrid of croissant and doughnut with a lineup of different fillings every week - but would I recommend also grabbing their almond croissant. They were superb; extremely crispy, fresh and almost gooey inside. Their savoury breakfast was top-notch too, naturally revolving around their freshly baked bread and bagels, gulped down with their strong coffee.

If you have reached your caffeine quota, a place to get a non-caffeinated afternoon treat is Honest Chocolate (64A Wale St), 30 second walk from Bree Street. Housed in a heritage building with wooden beams and worn floors, there was somehow a very old feeling in this cafe, as if time had stopped. There is nothing old about the food selection though. Chocolate is the protagonist here, and it is moulded in various decadent forms, including vegan and dairy-free treats. But it was their dark hot chocolate that really changed my mind about this Mayan drink; served in a small beautiful clay cup, it was a rich experience, so velvety and not sugary at all. It was almost like drinking espresso, tiny robust sips full of flavour. Their chocolate bar packaging is really arty so it’s a great place to get some tasty, craftsy gifts to take home to relive the moment. Although there is no shortage of diverse evening options, some of the Bree favourites are Burger & Lobster (105 Bree St.), Villa 47 (47 Bree St.) and Bocca (Bree St. &Wale St.), and the place to see and to be seen seems to be Arcade (152 Bree St.), a hyper trendy bar/restaurant we did not visit but admired its old factory look with whitewashed walls.

Although food and drink establishments dominate on Bree, there are a handful of specialty retailers for a great after coffee stroll. Skinny laMinx (201 Bree Street) is already a Cape Town institution selling colourful home textiles and decorations made in South Africa. My partner really liked Revolution Cycles (177 Bree Street), a spacious haven for all bike fanatics that also has a little coffee bar for a quick brew mid-cycling. Although located just off Bree Street, SAM South African Market (67-69 Shortmarket Street) is worth mentioning as they sell beautiful products designed and made in South Africa, such as bags, stationery, jewellery and other bric-a-brac. Pezula Interiors (17 Buiten Street), on the corner of Bree Street has some contemporary homeware and decoration pieces, something I always like to peruse.

All in all, the trio of Kloof, Long and Bree offer some great spots to explore the Capetonian vibes and soak up the local energetic atmosphere. We enjoyed the area for small independently owned businesses and good coffee spots overlooked by the majestic mountains. Although the streets are shouldering each other, you can easily kill a day wandering around this trio, starting with a killer coffee and brunch and staying until evening drinks. It is easy to prefer one street over another, just as we did, but the trio as a whole definitely has lots to offer for different tastes and budgets. Although the area has become fairly gentrified and is on many visitors’ radar, it still retains its urban quirkiness and local character.