East City: The Cape Town neighbourhood that has it all

A few walkable blocks where one kind of day easily becomes another

Last updated: Thursday, 23 July 2026

This is your sign to stop sleeping on one of Cape Town’s liveliest and most experimental districts. By day, grind your own peanut butter at a zero-waste grocer, open your laptop to work inside the world’s tallest hemp building, or hunt for designer finds in a light-filled thrift shop. By sunset, shift gears and follow the after-work crowd for wagyu grilled at the table, golden-hour drinks on a rooftop, or a cocktail lounge that slowly becomes a dance floor.

That closeness is exactly why East City deserves the spotlight. Everything sits within a few walkable blocks, so park once and follow your curiosity. Because in this compact precinct, one experience can easily roll into something delightfully unplanned.

Here are just a few places the journey can take you.

61a Harrington Street | East City | Cape Town | @surfarosact | Image: Harrington Street

TAKING HEMP TO NEW HEIGHTS

Neighbourgood has several city stays across Cape Town, but 84 Harrington is unlike any of the rest. It's found inside the world’s tallest hemp building, a 12-storey high-rise with a concrete frame infilled with eco-friendly hempcrete. Known as the Hemp Hotel, it combines self-catering apartments, modern coworking spaces and a calendar of community events. That blend makes it a fitting starting point for exploring East City on foot.  

84 Harrington Street, diagonally across from the Kodak-yellow Cape Film Supply building | East City | Cape Town | @neighbourgood_sa | Image: Neighbourgood

DESIGNER FINDS THAT GIVE BACK

Vintage with Love feels more like a boutique than a traditional thrift store. Their beautifully curated rails might hold anything from Chanel and Fabiani to Country Road, giving carefully sourced pre-loved designer pieces a second life. Every purchase from its flagship East City store also helps fund literacy and education programmes across South Africa. It turns the usual vintage treasure hunt into something that keeps giving after you leave the shop. 

46a Canterbury Street | East City | Cape Town | @vintagewithlovesa | Image: Vintage With Love

ROOFTOP DRINKS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN PLANS

Perched on the Hemp Hotel – just a hallway removed from Neighbourgood’s communal workspaces – Somewhere Nowhere has a habit of catching people between plans. Come up for a cocktail, cold beer or glass of bubbles, and then watch East City shift from office hours into golden hour. Be sure to come for sundowners to catch the last light as the district starts to loosen up. 

5th Floor, 84 Harrington Street, with views of the busy Barrack Street just below | East City | Cape Town | @somewherenowhererooftopbar | Image: Somewhere Nowhere

ONE ADDRESS, TWO WAYS TO DINE

Also at 84 Harrington, dinner splits in two without really separating. East City Grill serves premium cuts in a classic steakhouse setting, while just a few steps away, Yakiniku lets you grill local wagyu at the table. The same manager, staff, and music connect both experiences every evening, so choosing one often leaves you curious about the other. It’s East City’s “everything on a platter” idea brought to life at a single address.

1st Floor, 84 Harrington Street. Follow the neon red staircase next to Hemporium up to this steakhouse with a dash of Japan | East City | Cape Town | @eastcitygrillct | Image: Cape Town Magazine

THE STORE REDEFINING HEMP

Keeping up with East City’s experimental spirit, the same sustainable plant used in the building of the Hemp Hotel appears again in clothing, accessories, textiles, and skincare. Appropriately located at the hemp-lined 84 Harrington, Hemporium is a showcase of how one material can move from walls to wardrobes. It's an educational stop as much as it is a retail space, reflecting East City's willingness to champion innovation alongside creativity.

Ground Floor, 84 Harrington Street, right beside Commercial Street | East City | Cape Town | @hemporium_sa | Image: Hemporium

DINNER TURNS INTO DANCING

Harringtons Cocktail Lounge gives you several versions of a night out, all in one room. Early evening starts with dinner, cocktails and rotating specials before DJs gradually shift the mood and the space becomes a dance floor. Some nights even bring unique delights, like piñata bashing for Fiesta Fridays, along with regular drink specials across the week. Discover all the different versions of a night out Harrington Street has to offer. 

61b Harrington Street | East City | Cape Town | @harringtonsct | Image: Harrington Street

PUNK WITH PLENTY OF PERSONALITY

Just below Harringtons is Surfa Rosa, which feels like the rebellious younger sibling. This tiny bar runs on loud rock music, graffiti-lined bathrooms, and cold beers poured – all while pizzas named after iconic bands come flying out of the kitchen. It's rough around the edges in all the right ways, with affordable bunny chow adding one more unexpected reason to go. 

61a Harrington Street | East City | Cape Town | @surfarosact | Image: Harrington Street

A GENRE-SHIFTING VENUE

District is hard to pin down, and that’s very much the point. One night it’ll host the likes of Shortstraw, Fokofpolisiekar, or Desmond & The Tutus; the next, a themed party such as a Bollywood bash or even a Shrek rave. Part of the charm of East City is that the same stage that hosts a corporate event on Tuesday might switch to a hard rock show on Wednesday.

61c Harrington Street | East City | Cape Town | @district.ct | Image: Harrington Street

PACKAGE-FREE SHOPPING

At Nude Foods, package-free shopping becomes part of an ordinary grocery run. Bring your own containers and fill them with exactly as much as you need, whether it's pantry staples, household essentials or body-care products, helping cut down on both single-use plastic and unnecessary spending – with a strong focus on local suppliers. You can also stop for a smoothie or warm drink at Café NUDE, or grab breakfast or lunch from the Wild Eatery food truck. It makes low-waste living feel less like a mission and more like part of your day.

5 Constitution Street | East City | Cape Town | @nudefoods.za | Image: Nude Foods

HOW TO GET AROUND IN EAST CITY

East City is one of Cape Town’s most walkable precincts, so park once and explore on foot. 84 Harrington makes a useful starting point, with many of the neighbourhood’s best stops only minutes away.

The precinct sits roughly between Roeland, Darling, Buitenkant and Canterbury streets. Harrington Street runs through its heart, leading towards District Six and the Castle of Good Hope.

Most hotspots are within a five- to ten-minute walk of one another, making it easy to let one stop lead to the next. Look for paid street parking along Harrington, Buitenkant and nearby roads, or use one of the secure paid garages in the area.

CCID Public Safety Officers patrol the central city around the clock. The nearby Roeland MyCiTi stop also makes the precinct easy to reach without a car.

By Jodie van Heerden 

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DISCOVER MORE IN CAPE TOWN

See all the different versions of a night out Harrington Street has to offer. 

Looking for somewhere new to eat? See our suggestions. 

Want even more ideas to make this winter special? We got you.

Don’t know what to do this weekend? Check out our 7+ things to do in Cape Town.

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