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When I left for Ireland, I didn\u2019t think about Guinness much. Something about the colour of it made me think it tasted like coffee. I imagined it to be thick and viscous, like molasses, and I thought people drank it as an after-dinner treat, kind of like an Irish Coffee.<\/p>\n
But when I arrived in Dublin for the year to do my Masters, I obviously had to try one. I don\u2019t like having FOMO and I was terrified of not making friends, so I decided I was going to be the cool chill gal who ordered pints. I tried my first one at a meet-and-greet with all my new classmates who were ordering \u201cone pint of a Guinness please\u201d and receiving foul looks from the bartender. Ever the student, I took note of what not to do, and as casual as can be said, \u201ca Guinness pint please, I mean one of Guinness please!\u201d \u2018Cool\u2019 and \u2018chill\u2019 are not words people use to describe me. The bartender looked at me with disgust, as he mumbled something that ended with \u201cget a clue\u201d and \u201cwhen will it end.\u201d Oh, the shame.<\/p>\n
Here was this creamy, bitter-like-burnt-caramel beer that was somehow both refreshing and like a warm hug in my belly.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
After the bartender shoved the pint over to me and I took a sip, I realised everything I thought about Guinness was not only wrong, but also a bit embarrassing. Here was this creamy, bitter-like-burnt-caramel beer that was somehow both refreshing and like a warm hug in my belly. I deserved all of the bartender\u2019s disdain. I resolved to spend the next year drinking as many pints as I could to make up for lost time. Guinness became my after-class drink, my I-need-something-to-warm-me-up drink, my I\u2019ve-made-a-new-friend drink. It became something I\u2019d associate with a good mood \u2013 a feeling that, during a year of being very alone in a different country, was few and far between.<\/p>\n
One thing I learnt from the Irish is that rainy weather shouldn\u2019t stop you from leaving the house.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It also became something I associate with grey skies and colder weather. Ireland is an exceptional place, but warm it is not. One thing I learnt from the Irish is that rainy weather shouldn\u2019t stop you from leaving the house. So, now back home in Cape Town winter, I crave Guinness. This craving gets me out of the house on cold days and reminds me to celebrate little things, even if it\u2019s just me being in a good mood.<\/p>\n
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My top 5 places to grab a pint in Cape Town<\/h4>\n
\nStory Horse
\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udccd104 Bree St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town<\/p>\nThis is an extraordinary pint. Creamy all the way down to the last sip and bitter with an excellent moussey mouth feel. They are one of the few bars in the city that have the Guinness keg dispenser, which is designed to dispense nitrogenous beers, and it shows! It\u2019s the best pint in town.<\/p>\n
The Twelve Bells
\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udccd9 Kloof Nek Rd, Gardens, Cape Town<\/p>\nFor months, the Guinness at Twelve Bells tasted a bit like I was licking a tin. But my most recent visit was such an improvement that I asked the owner if something changed. Instead of SAB-made Guinness, kegs are coming straight from St. James Gate in Dublin. Praise be! It felt like I was sitting in Grogan\u2019s off Drury Street, drinking a pint after class.<\/p>\n
Fireman\u2019s Arms
\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udccd25 Buitengracht St &, 25 Mechau St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town<\/p>\nI love sitting at the bar in Fireman\u2019s. Sure, sometimes the pints aren\u2019t the creamiest, but they\u2019re served with fun \u2018foam art\u2019 and I get to people watch all the regulars. Also they make a mean \u2018Baby Guinness.\u2019 If you don\u2019t know what I\u2019m talking about, ask for one the next time you\u2019re there and thank me through the airwaves.<\/p>\n
Forester’s Arms (Forries)
\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udccd52 Newlands Ave, Newlands, Cape Town
\n\u2197 Reserve A Table<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nAdmittedly, I don\u2019t frequent Forries much, but I recently went for their Sunday Carvery (highly recommend, a classic) and their pint was very decent. Just be wary of the burly men trying to steal Castle Lites off the pass if you do happen to sit at the bar. Yes, this happened.<\/p>\n
Woodcutter’s Arms
\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udccd7 Main Rd, Hout Bay, Cape Town<\/p>\nA quick stop after a South Yeaster visit one Saturday turned into one of the best pints I\u2019ve had in Cape Town. Also ten out of ten for the classic pub feel and the old man in the corner with his book and bottle of white wine. Love.<\/p>\n
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Keep reading with Robyn<\/h3>\n
Discover more of her stories on food, wine and life in Cape Town on her Substack, CHOMP.<\/p>\n
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About Robyn Paterson<\/h5>\n
\nRobyn Paterson is a writer from Cape Town. She writes about food and the people who eat it \u2013 mostly in her Substack newsletter, CHOMP<\/a>. She\u2019s also been published in the Irish journal GUZZLE and UK-based Potluck Zine. Her current writing project, SIPS, is a collection of observational essays about working in a wine bar in Cape Town and can be read by subscribing to her newsletter.<\/p>\n