Cape Town has a couple of cafés where cats are the order of the day. Since the opening of Cat Heaven, South Africa’s first rescue cat café in Somerset West, feline enthusiasts have been captivated by cat inspired eateries.
Cat lovers in Johannesburg got their first feline café in 2024, when the Woodrock Cat Café opened in the heart of Kyalami.
There has been a global wave of similar establishments, including the world’s first cat cafe in Taipei in Taiwan, pop-up eateries in New York City and even bookstores with felines in Seattle and Kansas helping cats finding their forever homes.
Travelers with a fondness for felines can also book a stay at a cat hotel in Asoka, Japan or live like a cat in Cape Town, at the Kat Kondo, a ridiculously kiff cat-themed loft apartment located in the heart of the city.
Though details and offerings vary, cat cafés and everyday eateries honoring cats all have one thing in common: cats, of cause!!
I love finding cats in the most unusual places and spaces. I also love sharing, so here, I share a list of the coolest kitty cat hangouts around Cape Town and surrounding areas of the Mother City.
What distinguishes this list of eateries from the Cat Cafés and establishments mentioned above is that they do not house real cats on-site. Instead, they incorporate feline imagery into their branding or display cat-themed curiosities, creating a feline-inspired ambiance without live animals.
This list also highlights Cape Town eateries that celebrate feline charm beyond the ubiquitous lucky cat figurine. These establishments honour cats in unique, quirky and artistic ways.
Because you’re planning your getaway around cat-centric vacation destinations to get your feline fix, take an urban safari unlike any when you visit one of these cat-inspired eateries and drinkeries in Cape Town.
CAT INSPIRED EATERIES
Linko
While the countless of Asian eateries with a Lucky Cat on the counter didn’t make the cut, Linko’s larger than life neon cat sure did! The Lucky Cat light fixture is totally dobe, perfectly matching the vibe of the eclectic Observatory neighbourhood where the Chinese Sushi spot is tucked away.
Plucky’s Fried Chicken Korean Style
Plucky’s is an Asian-style street-food stall named for its morale-boosting mission in the face of Covid. Taking inspiration from a 1950s American diner, Plucky’s is all about offering diners finger-licking comfort food to eat! While the hole-in-the-wall sit-down and takeaway shop on Sea Point main road sadly closed due to the massive construction site directly next door, Puckly’s is still actively frying up fast food from its diverse menu that includes vegetarian options as well as breakfast dishes. But it’s the Korean-style fried chicken, served in a number of ways, that people keep returning for more. Order yours in a burger or wrap, or as a portion of chicken pieces with Korean sauce and, as the saying goes, thank me later!! Don’t skip the drinks menu, it’s pretty marvelous as well!
Urban Playground
MEOW-MEOW Mother-catters!!! Head on over to the hood next to Brooklyn and dine like the Vi$$ers at Maitland’s first and only safe place to grab lunch or enjoy dinner. Don’t expect anything but phenomenal at the kiffest Urban Playground in Cape Town. From the food to the chefs to the dogs. It’s hard to find fault. Like, hos my bru, check it!! This jol is even Die Antwoord approved. MEOW!!
Trecastelli
Did you know that you can buy traditional Italian pastries in Paarden Island? Now you do! Treat yourself to a cup of cafe and a decadent pastry at the newly opened Trecastelli bakery at Hillwood House while pondering over the cat’s tits…
Cat Inspired Drinkeries
SUSU Bubble Tea
Renowned for its playful cat’s whiskers logo and damn delicious selection of bubble teas, SUSU is a hotspot among Cape Town’s hipsters and young trendsetters. The first SUSU bubble tea shop originally launched in De Waterkant before expanding to other neighbourhoods across Cape Town.
This post gets updated with new information on a regular basis. Contact us to add your cat-inspired eatery and/or drinkeries to the list of Cape Town hangouts for the cat obsessed.
