← Back
Bar The House of Machines
A motorcycle shop, barber, coffee bar, and live music venue all on Shortmarket Street in the Cape Town CBD. By day, it is a laid-back café serving Brooklyn-style coffee and sandwiches on bread from Jason Bakery. By night, it transforms into a vibrant bar with craft beer, a curated whiskey selection, and legendary aged cocktails like the Old Fashioned.
Live music happens almost every night, with Tuesday open-mic evenings drawing poets and musicians. A small boutique sells men’s clothing and motorbike gear, with a barber upstairs. This Shortmarket Street spot is an excellent choice for morning coffee, an afternoon burger from Frankie’s Burgers inside, or late-night drinks with live music.
Chefs / choosing this place
Jess van Dyk
Executive Chef and Owner
Post & Pepper
Scot Kirton
Chef Proprietor
La Colombe Restaurant Group
Glen Williams
Chef Proprietor
Foxcroft and Little Fox
Ashley Moss
Culinary Director
FYN Restaurant Group
Charné Sampson
Head Chef
EPICE
Ivor Jones
Chef Owner
Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia
Nina du Toit
Head Chef
Salsify at the Roundhouse
Chris Erasmus
Chef Patron
Terrarium
Garth Bedford
Сo-Owner
Joostenberg Bistro
Marcus Gericke
Head Chef
Urchin
Peter Tempelhoff
Managing Director and Founding Chef
FYN Restaurant Group
Shaun Scrooby
Owner and Chef
VUUR
Adel Hughes
Head Chef
Seebamboes
Gregory Henderson
Executive Chef
de Tafel
Jason Kosmas
Group Executive Chef
Luke Dale Roberts Group of Restaurants
Matt van den Berg
Head Chef
Mertia
Travis Finch
Executive Chef and Co-Owner
Arum
Ryan Cole
Chef Patron
Salsify at The Roundhouse
Dale Mouton
Head Chef
Foxcroft
Amori Burger
Executive Chef
Upper Union
Caroline Lamb
Head Chef
The Red Room
Bertus Basson
Owner
Chorus, Eike, Spek & Bone, Toevlug, Bloem, Ongetem, Kantien, De Vrije Burger
Geoffrey Abrahams
Co-Head Chef
COY
Xavier Francis
Head Chef, Co-Owner
Chefs Warehouse at Maison, Le Grand Domaine Cantina by Chefs Warehouse
The House of Machines has a cool vibe and a great negroni.
Ashley Moss
FYN Restaurant Group
The music is always a vibe, their negronis are the best in town and all the cool people hang out there
Nina du Toit
Salsify at the Roundhouse
