#1333Global
Art of Duplicity
Cape Town, South Africa · Hidden cocktail bar · Middle East & Africa
A discreet Cape Town cocktail bar with a glamorous, theatrical mood and reservations handled online.
Description source · Checked 2026-09-09
Plan Your Visit
36 Buitenkant St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
- Style
- Hidden cocktail barChecked 2026-09-09 · Source
- Booking
- Reserve through the Book Now link on the official landing page; a waitlist email is also offered.Checked 2026-09-09 · Source
- Menu
- Experimental house cocktails described in a feature first published in 2019 and updated in September 2026; current menu unconfirmed.Checked 2026-10-05 · Source
Hours and menus can change. Check the venue’s latest details before visiting.
The score & its evidence
Seven signals. One score.
16.3 / 100
The composite combines the seven weighted signals and the published adjustments. The chart shows each signal before weighting.
Read the full calculation- Guest ratings
- 47.4
- World's 50 Best
- 5.9
- Top 500 Bars
- —None found · Checked; no qualifying signal found; contributes zero
- Spirited Awards
- —None found · Checked; no qualifying signal found; contributes zero
- Regional Recognition
- —None found · Checked; no qualifying signal found; contributes zero
- Serious press
- —None found · Checked; no qualifying signal found; contributes zero
- Social Vibes
- 51.8
Weights: Guest ratings 23% · World's 50 Best 12% · Top 500 Bars 10% · Spirited 12% · Regional Recognition 18% · Press 10% · Social Vibes 15%
Missing evidence, confirmed none and evidence outside a scoring window each contribute zero. We do not redistribute their fixed weight to other signals.
Social Vibes
Score read updated:
Sentiment score
74/ 100
Score context
Still-operating CBD speakeasy (booking via 170120.co.za; Instagram takeover Aug 2026). 2025 Google is split: bar-hoppers call it one of the best speakeasies they do; others describe a rude password wait, sarcastic bartender, and undrinkably strong cocktails in tumblers. Small review base. Treat as high-variance, not a sure thing.
Guest score details
What guests like
- password-and-warehouse speakeasy theatre plus live jazz
- convivial bartenders and strong Tommy’s Margarita / off-menu mezcal builds
- 1920s room (Chesterfields, tall crystal cabinet)
What to know
- polarized Google (~4.1–4.3; cluster of 1-stars)
- rude door / password waits; dead nights with no music
- some 2025 reports of boozy, plain-tumbler drinks and R1,700–2,000 tabs that felt wasted
Other cited sources
Editorial context
Editorial review checked:
Guest accounts · dates unavailable
The available guest accounts describe very different experiences. One praises the concealed entrance, decor and bartender recommendations; others question value or service. One visitor was disappointed not to find the live jazz they expected.
This editorial note is independent of the score and does not change it.
Editorial sources
- wanderlog.comwanderlog · Reviewed · Also present in the score evidence
Full page showed Google 4.1/45 and three highlighted reviews at lines 128-145. The visible excerpts were not dated or named in the reader output.
Crowd signal
Google 4.2★ across 54 reviews.
View on Google · Checked . Ratings and review counts can change.
Awards
Results from the three global systems scored separately in our formula.
Regional Recognition
Regional and national lists, local awards and bartender peer picks considered for this room's Regional Recognition score. The strongest result from each program and year scores; assessed guides use the latest accepted dated status once.
No recorded regional recognition in the scored window.
Reviews & press
No linked coverage yet.