Listen, connect and sing along at ...
Join a Sunday service with Camissa’s Gospel Tour + connect with culture
For Moments of Joy. Follow our social channels for useful news, daily local champions | |
![]() | 072 350 2062 |
![]() | Ideas Cartel, The Old Foundry, 1 Sand Hill Road, Green Point |
![]() | www.capetownmagazine.com/subscribe |
![]() | now@capetownmagazine.com |
![]() | CapeTownMag |
![]() | CapeTownMagazine.com |
![]() | capetownmag |
Latest update: On Sunday, 25th February, part of Mzoli's was vandalised during protests.
(The popular hangout reopened on Monday and is trading as usual.)
Mzoli's in Gugulethu came from humble beginnings, when owner Mzoli Ngcawuzele started selling meat from a garage in 2003. Since then it’s become a popular hangout in Cape Town endorsed by famous faces such as DJ Fresh and TV chef Jamie Oliver. Here’s one writer’s experience of hanging out at Mzoli’s on a Sunday – one of the restaurant’s busiest days.
REAL AND RUSTIC
As we pull up to Mzoli’s we are greeted by plumes of smoke from the braai. There are already crowds of friends sitting on the plastic chairs and tables feasting from tin bowls filled with mountains of sausage, beef and chicken. You have to come in early to find a sport, as when we arrive many of the tables are already sporting reserved signs and we are lucky to find a table for our party of 20.
Before ordering our feast, we visit a nearby shop to buy alcohol and peanuts (you can also bring your own, Mzoli’s does not sell alcohol). We sit sipping cold beers in the sunshine, indulging in conversation. A DJ is playing deep house in the background. At the table next to us are some American tourists, who are already tucking into a plate of marinated beef. “This is incredible, dude. It’s so addictive,” I hear them announce, through a mouthful of meat.
MARINATED MEAT AND FUNKY FASHION
You pick your own meat from the butchery and then take it to the grill to be marinated in their secret sauce – then you wait for it to be fired up. When our mounds of meat arrive we all get stuck in. By 3pm, Mzoli’s is heaving with people. Locals, tourists and businesspeople are mingling in the same space, with many more spilling out on to the streets.
At Mzoli’s it’s not only the meat that stands out, but also the young, fashionable crowd in their bright, designer threads colours and funky hairstyles. It’s a crowd full of life, that knows how to party and can throw some serious moves on the dance floor. Mzoli’s vision was that all races could hang out in the same space and you certainly find yourself talking to people with whom you wouldn’t normally interact. It’s a crowd that can’t help but make you smile.
Best time to go: Sundays and Saturdays, from 11:00-late.
NY115 | Gugulethu | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 638 1355
---
Read our directions to Mzoli's in Gugulethu.
Discover more tshisa nyama joints around Cape Town.
Prefer to do the braaing yourself? Check out these braai spots around Mother City.
---
For your monthly update on what’s happening in and around Cape Town, be sure to subscribe to our popular newsletter. Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, join our Google+ circle, connect with us on LinkedIn, check out our photos on Instagram and follow our Pinterest boards for updates on what’s happening in and around the Mother City!
Listen, connect and sing along at ...
Join a Sunday service with Camissa’s Gospel Tour + connect with culture
Winter experiences at the V&A ...
Live jazz, date ideas, themed markets in the Waterfront
How to have an unforgettable 40th, 50th ...
Private chef and 3-course meals at a 5-suite manor
Best burger special at Sotano every ...
Share this 2-for-1 deal with a friend or eat both lamb burgers yourself
You can now book out this entire hotel ...
Infrared sauna, pool, special art, stunning rooms
We just found our next place for a ...
Cederkloof: Cottages with jacuzzi + house with pizza oven
Sumptuous Indian set menu for two
10 unique dishes (and MCC) at Bombay Brasserie
5 ways to transform your hair (with ...
Give your locks some love or change them completely
Intimate fine dining in an art gallery
A long-table experience with food, music, wine and art
Go for a drive to this apple farm in ...
From fresh food to farm cottages and fine dining evenings
A brewery with food specials for every ...
Burgers, schnitzels + curry specials at Woodstock Brewery
How healthy is your hair, really?
How to get a free diagnosis + R100 off your first visit
Cape Town’s very own cannabis club, ...
It's like your friend’s living room, just with 85 strains of weed
Introducing the Whiskey Lounge
Tastings from around the world, guided by an ambassador
Meat appreciation platter at a ...
3 cuts of meat, sizzling side dishes + epic mad-scientist experience
Spirit tastings and unique cuts at this ...
Bring out your inner mad scientist: experiment with unique spirits + meat cuts
Holistic food + drink at this healthy ...
Sit under the trees and enjoy kombucha cocktails, vegan dishes + a sea view
Unconventional vegan dishes at this ...
From tofu tostadas and kombucha cocktails to MasterChef-level desserts
5 reasons to visit this beach-side ...
Never-ending summer of waffles, hotdogs, cocktails...
Our team’s top picks at the Waffle ...
Beach-side eatery is perfect for kids, adults and dogs alike
Book out this distillery for your next ...
Make your own at Distillers Union + get pizza
Laid-back, lekker, and loud team ...
Food Jams is a party where cooking is only half the fun
The Festival of Yellow, celebrating the ...
10+ roadtrips to see canola fields. Plus getaway giveaway
Islands on the River is spring’s ...
4-day journey of music and connection at this festival
All the seasons of Cheverells Farm
Apple picking in summer and winter stay special
Boutique winery with 6 six cosy tasting nooks. Plus platters, picnics + trails