Specials · De Waterkant · Every week

There is a special on every single day we are open.

Cafe Manhattan has run a daily happy hour since long before it was a marketing tactic. Here is everything currently on: what it costs, which day it lands on, and what you need to book ahead for.

Happy hour 4–6pm dailyOpen 11am – 11pm74 Waterkant StreetNo card needed for happy hour
The full list

What’s on, and when

We are open every day of the week from 11am until 11pm, and there is something running on all seven of them. The happy hour is the constant — it has not moved from 4pm to 6pm in years, and it does not skip public holidays. Everything else rotates by day.

Every day · 4pm–6pm

2-for-1 Happy Hour

House spirits, house white and red wine, Castle Lite and Black Label dumpies, tequila shots and Long Island cocktails. Order one, get the second free. No exceptions, no excuses, no loyalty card.

2 for 1
Monday

Burger Day

Buy one, get one free on the House Cheese burger, the Southern Fried Chicken burger and the Falafel burger. The single busiest Monday night in De Waterkant, and the reason our kitchen dreads it.

From R155
Tuesday

Date Night

Two share plates for R395, or three full courses for R595 — and we throw in a bottle of wine on the house. Bookings essential; this one genuinely fills up.

R395 Free wine
Wednesday

Drag Night

Cape Town’s best drag show, on our floor, at a size you will not get at a bigger venue. Free entry. Get here early if you want to sit.

No cover
Thursday

R20 Tequila & Jäger

Olmeca Gold tequila and Jägermeister shots at R20 each, all night long. House DJ from 8pm. Karaoke on the mic. Regrets optional.

R20 Save R25
Friday & Saturday

The Weekend

Kitchen running until 10pm, bar until 11pm, DJ through the back half of the night. No special needed — the happy hour still runs at four.

Happy hour 4–6
Fine print, briefly

How the specials actually work

Happy hour is 4pm to 6pm, every day. It applies to the house range — house spirits, house wine by the glass, Castle Lite and Black Label dumpies, tequila shots and Long Islands. Both drinks come at the same time; you do not get to bank the second one for later.

Monday burgers are buy-one-get-one-free on the three house burgers. The cheaper burger is the free one. It applies to eat-in only, and it runs all night rather than in a window.

Tuesday date night needs a booking. Two share plates for R395 or three courses for R595, and the bottle of wine is included, not discounted. Message us on WhatsApp or call 021 002 8867.

Thursday shots are R20 each all night — Olmeca Gold and Jägermeister, no minimum round.

Specials do not stack with each other, and the happy hour price already beats every other discount we run, so on a Monday at 5pm you want the happy hour on drinks and the burger deal on food. That is the cheapest hour of the week in De Waterkant, and we are aware of it.

Where to find us

74 Waterkant Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town, 8001. On the corner, three minutes’ walk from Bree Street and a short walk down from the Bo-Kaap. Open 11am to 11pm every day, kitchen until 10pm.

Call 021 002 8867, or book on WhatsApp.

Common questions

Good to know

What time is happy hour at Cafe Manhattan?

Happy hour runs from 4pm to 6pm every single day, including weekends and public holidays. It is 2-for-1 on house spirits, house wine, Castle Lite and Black Label dumpies, tequila shots and Long Island cocktails.

Do I need to book for the specials?

Only for Tuesday date night, which reliably fills up. Happy hour, Monday burger day and Thursday shots are all walk-in. For Wednesday drag, arriving before 8pm is the difference between a seat and a standing spot.

Is the Monday burger special available for takeaway?

The 2-for-1 burger deal is eat-in only. You are welcome to order the burgers for takeaway at the standard price.

How much is a burger at Cafe Manhattan?

Burgers run from R130 for the Falafel single to R220 for the F.A.B double, and every burger comes single or double. The House Cheese is R155 single, R195 double. On Mondays the House Cheese, Southern Fried Chicken and Falafel are buy-one-get-one-free.

Where exactly is Cafe Manhattan?

74 Waterkant Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town, 8001 — on the corner in the middle of the De Waterkant village, minutes from Bree Street and the V&A Waterfront side of town.

Coming for a special?

Walk-ins are welcome for happy hour and burger Mondays. Date night on a Tuesday needs a booking — the share plates sell out.