Sweet treats at Charly’s Bakery, Cape Town
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Don't pretend you don't like cake. I know you do. And if there is one place any cake-lover must head to in Cape Town, it's Charly's Bakery. Do not pass go. Do not collect £200. Just run straight to Charly's (the tightest itinerary should make time for it).
From the outside, it looks something of a gingerbread warehouse – an architectural no-mark painted with the brightest and most child-like pinks and pastels your eyes could rest upon. And from the inside? Oh my, oh my. It's like falling into the Mad Hatters Tea Party in an exploded sugared almond factory.
You don't have to be a kid to enjoy Charly's (though they will love it). Such tempting and tantalising rows of orange and lemon cupcakes, green and purple gingerbread ladies, rich, towering chocolate cakes, and marshmallowy meringues – all designed to make your mouth water like a running tap and draw the rand from your purse in an icing sugar cloud.
But the quirky wonderland interior design of Charly's Bakery makes for some digestion in itself. The chandelier is hung with teacups, and the cake stands are piled with cherry-topped buns and delicate sugar-crafted petals.
There is no excuse not to part with some cash for a heavenly taste experience here, with succulent morsels of sweet enticement priced from around R10, as well as delicious lattes and other hot drinks to wash your purchases down if you choose to eat in.
If you are looking for something a little more extravagant – like a birthday or wedding cake, this is where Charly's particularly excels itself. They have photographs of the various celebration cakes they've made over the years, some of them more eccentric than others (think gold Jimmy Choo shoe on a shoe-box), some of them downright bawdy (such as the 'boobs in a bra' cake!), and other simply stylish (like the elegant white chocolate tiled wedding cake with roses).
But even if you can't or won't eat cake, Charly's is worth a visit for the photo opportunity! Or to buy a gift for someone else. It's really is one of Cape Town's delicious little surprises, and rumour has it than one Norwegian bride moved to Cape Town especially for her wedding, so her cake could be made by Charly's Bakery.
If you are going to try and a squeeze a visit into a Cape Town itinerary, a good tip is to tie Charly's Bakery in with a visit to District Six and the museum of the same name, which is just around the corner. Then you can feel virtuous that you are doing some 'proper' sight-seeing, while enjoying the self-indulgence of an afternoon tea-break at Charly's Bakery.
Bear in mind that Charly's is only open Monday to Friday from 7.30am unti 4pm, so fit it into the week, as it's shut over the weekend.
Canterbury Street 38, Cape Town, South Africa
Contact tel: +27 (021) 4615181, fax: +27 (021) 4621135, e-mail:
Cost 2 course a la carte: Up to £10 per person
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did not have a good experience - will not visit this place again. lots of other places with good service in cape town.
To Jacqui--So glag to hear you are now open on Sat!! We were there last April & being a Sunday you were closed :-( I am happy to say that I willbe back in Sept & will make sure I stop in Ada