NightLife: Mingle with the tourists

Hotel bars have a specific sort of appeal. They're places where solo travellers feel comfortable sipping tall drinks, and where weary, map-toting couples in sturdy shoes catch a breather between activities.

Locals frequent hotel bars, too. On a recent "thirsty Thursday" evening at the Taj Cape Town's Twankey Bar, I caught up with a friend. The crowd was an older one.

To a background of familiar cover songs by a small live band, we went for mojito madness, cocktails that were R30 (discounted from R50) each. Chilli mojito sounded dangerous, so we chose kiwi and apple mojitos respectively. They slipped down all right.

Gold-pressed ceilings, low-hanging lamps and large windows made Twankey feel old-fashioned, even gentlemanly. Dark staircases lead to more tables upstairs or down to stylish bathrooms.

There's a good craft beer selection, bottled or on tap, from R29 . Beers are discounted between 4pm and 6pm.

Key wine and beer brands are listed across one wall, as part of the decor. Warwick Professor Black Sauvignon costs R70 a glass (R290 a bottle), and people-pleasing Brampton Cabernet is R50 (R180 a bottle).

I popped in to Twankey again on "wine down Wednesday" to try the advertised wine special. It was a bottle of Leopard's Leap Sauvignon Blanc (R120) or Shiraz (R140). There was no wine special by the glass. As a solo customer, I settled on Truth coffee.

There is free Wi-Fi so I tried to plug in my laptop, but poor carpentry design frustrated my efforts. I called for the bill.

• Twankey Bar, corner Adderley and Wale streets, Cape Town. 021-819-2000, www.tajcapetown.co.za