Review Van Hunks - Cape Town Central

Great local spot for sports games and drinks or lunch and dinner with mates. Delicious food. Great vibe. Awesome staff. Van Hunks never disappoints. Always a fun time. Super atmosphere, best place in the city to have drinks, food and a great time. Delicious meals, especially pork schnitzel, sirloin steak, pizzas, beef burgers and even the red curry. Great affordable lunch specials too.

Was really nice - not so much a place for more mature audience but was a nice late afternoon meal. The waiters were really nice and funny.

Great food, friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere. For a Brit visiting Cape Town for the first time and probably looking like a rabbit in headlights (startled) Van Hunks was very, very welcoming. Definitely recommend 👌

Very nice bar, was great to sit have a few beers. Definitely a local hot spot, has a good vibe to it and will try the food next time we here.

An great spot with an open veranda and mountain views. Good lunchtime meal deals.

Van hunks has always impressed me, from their service, atmosphere, music, to their food, however, they wowed me on the night of the Rugby World Cup finals. It was busy, with many demanding customers, however, their staff was so efficient, & handled orders so professionally & well. There were no long waits for our orders, & we were served with a smile at all times. I was in awe of how calm & efficient the staff was amongst the chaos of the cheering rugby supporters. The vibe was FANtastic! A special mention to the manager Jaun, & to Trevor… a job well done on running the place so well & for always being such excellent hosts. Definitely my favourite watering-hole!

Great bar and restaurant that is an institution in the city bowl. Plenty of seating in the restaurant area or outside on the deck and in the actual bar. Great for sports and always packed with an electric vibe. Good selection of beers on tap and lots of drink options and wines etc. Good is easy eating and something for everyone,like pizza ,burgers, fish n chips, chicken wings, steak and even the odd salad or healthier wrap. Can get quite rowdy and stays open till late! Great spot!

Van Hunks TUES special on ribs platters are are the an absolutely delicious and well priced for the special. The meat just falls off the bone and the sauce is unbelievably tasty. Hand down the best ribs I've ever had. Highly recommend Van Hunks Tuesday Ribs Special!

VERY Good pub menu. Food on point- nice surprise 😉 Emmanuel, our waiter, also fantastic 👏 👌🏽 thx guys👍🏽 The Drinks are really good! Especially the RedBull cocktails😉😋 keep it up!

Had the grilled fish, and beer battered fried fish & chips here over lunch, for the lunch special. Both were delicious, and great value for money. Awesome place to come for drinks with friends. Minus a star cause service was a little low.

Hello, I’m Muffin. I make the joys of Cape Town’s incredible food and locations possible for my person to share. I am a seizure alert support dog and I’m also a foodie 🐾<br/>#muffin4mayor<br/>#holdsknifelikesqueaktoy<br/><br/>I thrive on this establishment because of it’s architecture, if feels like we are at my person’s family house, only more vibrant and with far better cooking (her parents are english )<br/><br/>My person spent her heydays socializing and indulging at Van Hunks, here is a hub for a beer and the game at the bar with strangers or a gratifying birthday banquet on the terrace with mates. <br/><br/>I love the beer garden feel of outside and it’s the leading example of a family home transformed into an established restaurant inside while the piano , fireplaces, books and artwork keep all the character . <br/><br/>In summer my person takes me for the rib special every Sunday evening and in winter she mostly works inside on her laptop by the fireside , but still orders the ribs. <br/><br/>Btw Van Hunks has the best ribs in Cape Town! They fall off the bone! And I eat the bones afterwards too!<br/><br/>The best thing about Van Hunks is that they allow my brother to join us inside. He is only a pet. Unlike me. Unlike me also, he devours carbs and recommends that the pizza ‘s here are of authentic Italian caliber, but with many more hearty toppings . (He should know , his name is Martini) <br/><br/>We are treated like royalty, in the sense that everyone is friendly and attentive but I am also given my privacy to do my job looking after my person. My brother however loves attention and can usually be found at the bar, falling victim to lad culture and being fed scraps by other patrons. <br/><br/>Thank you to everyone who makes Van Hunks. We’ve missed a couple of weeks but will be back soon . <br/><br/>⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very well priced for the location!! Great specials, pizza, cocktails and beer. An awesome experience anytime of the day, be it morning or evening for drinks.

Have always enjoyed going there, this time around went with a friend for their lunch special. We both had the beef prego roll, and it was very disappointing the steak was tough could barely chew it, and the roll was stale. Needless to say we were not happy on this visit.

My friend had her birthday here, great food and even better vibe! This place was really cool, will go back :) <br/>Rating: Awesome<br/>Will recommend: definitely

Go there for one of their specials like the 90 rands for 2 breakfasts and you will gonna have a great meal for a really cheap price. Very friendly workers and chilled atmosphere, nice view!

Good spot for after work drinks; however the menu was a bit average. On a good note: it had just turned one minute past the lunch special, but the chef let us order it anyways. So big thumbs up for service. Quirky couches inside.

Update: returned for one of their weekday specials. Had the ribs which were very meaty and basted well. Chips were bland but the onion rings were amazing! Then I saw a bunch of burgers being served to surrounding tables and instantly got food envy. Need to return for that!<br/><br/>Review 1: Came here on a quiet Sunday afternoon and had the bobotie. It was a solid dish and liked that it was served with traditional accompaniments like banana and chutney. Most tables were having the burgers. Turns out they have a deal on the burgers on Sundays. Will have to come back for that.

Food: Simple. Tasty. Reasonably priced. Service: Good. Friendly. Ambiance: Nice. vibey. Can get quite festive! Overall, an enjoyable meal and a great spot to have drinks with friends.

The place has a great vibe and I would suggest that one goes there with friends on a Friday evening. Its location is ideal as Kloof street has a very cool vibe, especially in the evenings during the weekend. The service was good but the food was average!

We're always here for drinks and to watch sport and we tried the food for the first time the other night. <br/><br/>Definitely have the spare rib pizza, we loved it so much! Was so tasty - it's slightly oily but really delicious with some baby tomatoes that bursts in your mouth when you bite in. We also tried the snack basket; certain things were delicious and others not so much. The chicken wings were awful; had no flavour and tasted like it just been par boiled and the poppers were equally not that impressive. <br/>The calamari was tasty although slightly stringy and then definitely my favourite was the spring rolls and samosa's. <br/><br/>It's a normal pub vibe, with service dependent on who's working your section.

The side of the restaurant set in the Victorian position of the building is nice albeit a bit bland in terms of decor. I think the building itself has so much character and a refresh of the interior could make it a lot more appealing. Due to the warm breeze I decided to sit outside and enjoy the weather. For a pub/restaurant I was a bit bleak they didn't stock hunters gold but I settled for something else and proceeded to orders pizza which I was told was decent. My choice for the evening was the rib pizza and besides the thin crispy base the rest wasn't anything special. Very oily and lacked flavor. I sampled some of the calamari and the batter was delightful and crisp but the dipping sauce had zero flavor. A nice punch of flavors is need to elevate the food here from meh to great. Service was spot on though. Snapscan/Zapper would be nice too as I don't like walking around with cash or cards around town especially late at night.

My friends and I went to Van Hunks for some food and drinks on a Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, we were quite disappointed with the service and food. <br/><br/>The waiters were very friendly, but they were all over the place and took very long to bring anything we ordered. <br/><br/>I had a calamari starter which I struggled to finish because it was rich and oily. The prawns were difficult to peal and did not taste great.<br/><br/>Besides that, Van Hunks is a great spot with a good vibe for watching sport. So I suggest you try it out for that reason. I have heard good things about their pizzas, in case you are hungry.

This spot positively emanates good vibes. We popped in on Friday night and the atmosphere was one of cheer and excitement. We sipped on some wine and ordered three pizzas to share between our table. They took quite a while to arrive but the place was absolutely packed and they were so tasty that we didn't care too much about the wait in the end.

Relaxed, local spot to watch the football or rugby and staff are interactive and friendly. I would recommend their pizzas and margaritas, but unfortunately the long Island ice teas were overly icy and they didn't have a variation of gins when we were there. Comfortable, chilled and a good after work drinks option.

The salads and pastas are pretty average so I would only really recommend this place for drinks and a drunken pizza. <br/><br/>This is more of a late night spot then dining experience. Nothing wrong with grabbing a couple beers with mates here though.

The specials are great. It's a relaxed and really nice place to eat. BUT the cost of some of the simplest items will destroy your budget. For a Dom Pedro of less than 200ml you will pay a solid R35. Other than specials you are wasting your time.

Great burgers, great price and great milkshakes! It makes for a great end to the week on a Sunday. There's also a nice outside area and friendly staff.

Wife and I popped in here after 10pm on Saturday evening. Unfortunately the kitchen closes at 10 except for pizza till 11pm. We orders a margaritas and a long island ice tea. Both of which were good but the long island had way too much ice in it. I ordered a bacon pizza which tasted really good and left us wanting more.<br/><br/>Something I never usually comment about is the bathrooms. Not a fan of theirs, I couldn't seem to find the basin to wash my hands.<br/><br/>Will return again as the place seems nice and I'd like to try the other menu options.

Love the chilled back vibe of this place. Situated on Kloof Street I always come for their delicious Margarita's and they have peanut butter shots it truly is amazing and a must try! They offered good service and a great atmosphere for a chilled off time after work or at the weekend! Perfect for these summer days ...

Great great great pizzas ! Everyone needs to go for their R40 monday night pizza special and add all the toppings. It is so worthit. I tried the chicken pizza with extra bacon and the rib pizza with extra feta and peppadew. Yumminess. Literally only left 3 slices it was that good. As my mom said 'im full but i can keep on eating'. Dawid is an excellent waiter and no he didnt mention the special to us, but I guess that is because it's literally on the first page. People just need to read. Otherwise top notch evening ! Fires were going strong. We were seated at the couch in the nook and the door is broken so the banging was really annoying as people came in and out, otherwise this place would have received a 5 from me. I've been here before in the summer too. Its marvelous to sit in the outside area and watch over kloof street. 👍 very happy eater.<br/><br/>*update* 1 month later<br/>What a big let-down! I was super excited to get back here for more of the delicious pizzas! however this time around the pizzas were slightly burnt and there were barely any toppings on. And mind you, we just so happened to ADD ON extra toppings like we did the last time. It didn't taste at all like the expectation that was set before. Service wasn't as great either. Girl seemed rushed and all over the place. Disappointed is an understatement.

Went to Van Hunks for dinner last night. We walked in and were seated outside on the deck, which was closed off on account of chilly weather. To be honest I found it bizarre to have been placed literally next to the smoking area (our table was separated by a plastic windbreaker to the smoking area) when there was so many other options of non smoking seating, particularly inside. (To answer the "why didn't you just move" question, I only established on our way out that it wasn't fully booked inside, and we could have, in fact, enjoyed a warmer, more comfortable evening in the nicely decorated inside). <br/>The food. <br/>We ordered our drinks. Apparently they don't stock Sprite. And no, lemonade as a substitute was not suggested. Whatevs. I ordered the beetroot and pumpkin salad and added chicken. My partner had the chicken burger with chips. The food came really quickly which was great. My salad was meant to have peppadews and feta within the mix. I probably had a single peppadew perhaps 2, which I could overlook but had to request more feta because it was virtually 3 crumbs. On a positive, the salad itself was good. I would have done just fine without the misplaced addition of orange slices though?!? Peppadews, pumpkin, beetroot and balsamic reduction are all sweet enough. Some nuts and feta offset that well. I took a chip from my partner. Real chips are always welcomed. His feedback. "It was a chicken burger", so ya. If I return I would probably try something more substantial. And be sure to ask about their specials when you arrive, our waiter didn't let us know about the Thursday special. <br/>There's definitely a vibe (part sports bar part pre drink hang out part intimate restaurant).

It's a great place to hang out on a sunny day meeting some friends. But not really my vibe, food is nothing special, really liked the pumpkin ale and service is good. I think the problem was that most of the people around us was on cocaine at 4pm on Saturday... come on guys, keep that for Shack.

Awesome vibey place to come to with some mates for a drink. Can come for pres before the proper jol starts or can just come chill here to watch the game with a few beers. <br/><br/>Probably has the most diverse range of setting options I've seen in a restaurant, from the bar to couches to sitting outside on the patio. <br/><br/>I have had nothing but great service. Unfortunately I can't judge the food as I haven't had any, therefore THIS REVIEW IS BASED SOLELY ON THE VIBE AND ATMOSPHERE. :p

A really vibey place. The balcony is really spacious and sheltered so isn't too cold in winter. The staff are always great and the service is good. The menu is quite large and offers a wide variety of different foods. Their wine selection isn't too great.

Huge outside section - which I love. <br/><br/>Amazing bar snacks.  Love the chili poppers and ribs.  The steaks are really good.<br/>They have a nice range of specials and a really impressive drinks menu.  <br/><br/>Very chilled atmosphere and a great place for dinner with a group of friends.

Reasonably priced. Decent food - unfortunately minimal flavour punch for your penny. The joint mainly caters for volume over flavour, so if you're looking for a place to catch the rugger, race down here, grab a chicken pizza, a Striped Horse and ENJOY!

Great place with a very nice patio. Even though the patio is right on the busy street, they managed to separate it enough for customers not to feel disturbed with people passing by. Great burger and beer, of course!

Hub and i were looking for a place to walk Fridays rugby game and grab dinner at the same time. We'd have gone to Arnolds as our usual spot but unfortunately their TV was out of commission 😢 this gave us the chance to try out another 'sports barish' venue close to home so we chose Van Hunks. Ive always been aware of the tons of specials and always wondered what the hype was about. We started off with a snack basket which we really enjoyed...its more for one person and not for 2 though. The chilli poppers in particular were impressive. We'd also asked the waiter for recommendations on specialities so went with the ribs and a burger. Neither of us finished the burger and the ribs weren't great. The ribs were overdone and the marinade overpowered the meat. The burger patty didnt taste like much and there was a sour smell eminating from the cheese used. 😷 Unfortunately the price asked for the quality of food is massively disappointing...or at least it was to us. It just wasnt worth it....literally would rather go to the Spur for ribs and a burger which is sad. So i guess the hype is about the drinks specials? The availability of a tv?i dont know...but Hub did say something eye opening: he said you have to wonder when a place has this many specials running everyday.. lesson learned. Jaenadams

Now this is a Kiff spot! Awesome selection of craft beers and great specials every day. And let me take a moment to mention their ribs: WOWZA! Soft, fall off the bone, perfectly cooked, delicious ribs. If anything, go there for that.

I went to Van Hunks in Gardens today with a girlfriend, took her there as a treat after work. She had the chicken and feta wrap and myself the beef burger with a cheddar cheese sauce as an extra. Her wrap was good as it was not filled up with greens, we could actually taste the fillings. The downfall was the burger. It never had a fresh taste and the inside looked like old, compressed meet. Please see photo attached as I am very disappointed. Issues afterwards with the bill just made matters worse with the staff needing to void certain items etc. Will go back, as watching sport at the venue is awsum, other than that, will go elsewhere.

I always imagine Van hunks as that bar you see in the movies, where successful, young, single business folks go to try and chat up the opposite sex. Nice vibe, good food and over priced drinks. So if you are in your late 20's or living of your parents trust fund go have fun. We'll be at home drinking box wine.

Superb. Best steak in Cape Town I've eaten. Great service and nice friendly relaxed atmosphere. Well priced food inexpensive. Value. Under rated

I really enjoy Van Hunks – I love that they have a huge outside section that looks onto the hustle and bustle of Kloof Street. Good vibe, food and drinks. Great for big groups of friends or early evening drinks spot. Service is a little on the slow side but the chilled out atmosphere makes up for it. Definitely the place to go to be seen.

I have been there a few times, the place has a great vibe to it especially if you and a few mates want to drink a few beers after work. Nice selection of craft beers. I have ordered pizza there but was disappointed at the quality, the toppings was too few.

It’s always good times at Van Hunks, and I love the homage to Cape Town folklore, but it can get super busy – and when it’s super busy the service does go downhill fast. That said, I’ve never had a bad time or a bad meal here.

Really good selection of craft beers and a different menu special every day - Wednesday special gives you a beer and a burger for R70! We had burgers that were delicious and very reasonably priced. If eating there, go on a quiet night - Thursday to Saturday will be overcrowded and very noisy. Waiters are full of manic energy; take that as you will.

Really good place to go out for drinks in Gardens.. I've never eaten here yet but I definitely will. I really enjoy the house Merlot. Other than that I really like the vibe and the place.

Great place, had the biggest plate of prawns and it was absolutely delicious.. probably the friendliest waiters I've ever come across too!!! Getting a big thumbs up and will definitely be back soon!

A good place to meet up with friends for some drinks and a pizza. The atmosphere is awesome and it is always pumping on a good day. Their food isn't top top quality but you will have a good time and it is really well priced. 

Great weekend spot for a couple of beers, as they have quite a nice selection. The service has always been relaxed & friendly. The times we've eaten here, has also been pretty good for the price you pay. Chilled atmosphere too.

This is a social hub for drinking with friends. I wouldn't recommend the cocktails or the food. You don't go here for quality, you go here for the atmosphere. I would use this location more as a nice bar.

Went to Van Hunks for a late dinner on Wednesday night with 2 friends. Nice enough atmosphere and a fireplace make it cosy in winter and daily menu specials on the menu won't disappoint with a burger and draught for R70. The wood fired pizza wasn't spectacular but went down well. <br/>Not a bad spot for casual dining in town.

Great spot to have a nice pizza and a few drinks and get the evening started. More of a pre-going out dinner/drinks spot that is guaranteed to be packed over weekends with a great energy of people enjoying a good night out. The food is simple but wonderful tasty - more of a pub food approach but perfect for a relaxed dinner with friends. It is a great spot to book out big tables for birthdays.

Nice vibe, good service, had a fun night.

I would not recommend coming here when load shedding is scheduled on a Monday (they have two for one pizza). As always it was very busy and this resulted in our food taking 2 hours to arrive after being told it would take 45 min to an hour. When the pizza finally did arrive toppings were sparse. Van Hunks is definitely more a place for drinks and a good vibe than great food.

Only ever been here for drinks, but it's a fantastic environment! We had great service even though it was full to the brim! I would absolutely recommend making a reservation to avoid disappointment as it is always busy!

Great spot for a casual drink or pub crawl... Great ciders, beers, easy-eating pizzas, general booze absorbing edibles with side fries. I do like the general vibe and recommend as a quick stop off or after stop on a casual drinking night out... Peanut butter vodka is great, get a table outside under the stars (and in view of the street and pretty fairy lights)

I often find myself here for a drink or three.<br/>Drink wise I will give it 4 stars.<br/>Food wise I will give it 2.5.  <br/>service wise I wil give it 4 too.<br/>The pizza is just not worth the effort of chewing. However I have had a decent steak or three before. But the quality of food is aways varying.  What I do like is their beers, house wine and tequila....The service can be really quite good too considering how much they need to run about bringing drinks etc.

good vibe nice and cosy, and good value for money... Especially when there specials, which are amazing.

What a fabulous place, devine food, amazing selection of Craft beer & great vibe! Definitely going back soon... just want Aces Lager on tap! Then it would be 100% perfect!

Great bar set up, great food (burger and steak me up!).  Lovely atmosphere and wonderful beers on tap.  <br/><br/>The waiters are super friendly and you walk out basically with new friends!<br/><br/>Things to try on their menu: slow cooked ribs, jalapeño poppers, and their fish platter is amazing. They have great wines and cocktails too, and it's just one of those places you can keep coming to when you're in Cape Town, any day of the week (specially as they have different daily specials too).

What a fabulous place. Food was well priced, and even better prepared. The service was very good. We would definitely come back to try the rest of the menu!

I was surprised to see such a low rating for this place. The service was fantastic. The pizzas were delicious and it was just all around enjoyable.

Van Hunks has a good menu with a lotnof variety, and specials every day of the week which is cool. The service here is always quite random... either a quirky waiter or one that goes MIA. Had the tropicana pizza last night which was good - tasty and nice thin base. I've also been for the Sunday burger special, which isnt too bad either. The house wines are super reasonable and taste decent :) they need to improve on seating, and maybe a bit of an update in general

Went for the Monday pizza special and drinks with friends. Pizza was lovely and fresh, really enjoyable. Decor is a bit drab, but that's fine. Nothing special, but would visit again.

I had tried to get in to Van Hunks a few times before, but was always turned away because it was too full. Now that I have been there I can't understand why. The drinks were reasonably priced and the decor was decent, but the service was terribly slow. <br/><br/>We were there for the Monday pizza special. When talking our order the waitress warned that we would wait a while for our food. I thought that was reasonable, given that we were a table of 16. A wait of more than an hour is unreasonable though! <br/><br/>What compounded our frustrations is that the venue was far from full. Knowing that people are coming in for pizza means that you have to jack up your service and prep.

Sundays have ever been the same since half price tequila and 2 burgers for R75, this is my new favorite place to eat at on a Sunday, so rad and the atmosphere is insane. Highly recommended

Great burger, little slow service...otherwise ?

Great pizza, goo vibes.<br/><br/>had an awesome time with friends, the bar area was awesome. the TVS were all on and showing good sport.<br/><br/>only downside is the wind effects the whole balcony in the front section. other than that... i will defintely be back when i am in CT

Cheap food, well priced drinks and usually pretty crowded with what seem to be students. Pub vibes, nothing much else to say about the place. Service is pretty great though..

A burger that works, service that doesn't. Beers are cold. Reasonable meal specials. Expect a little wait from the kitchen, a manager could have helped.

Not really much to say about the place. Its a pub vibe. Nothing wrong with it but nothing special about it either.

Nothing mind blowing or special about this place. Typical pub to go drinking or for a carb heavy meal. Nothing about it that sets it aside from any other pub. Drinks were well priced, food was average - chips were stale. I've been to better.

Popular place for drinks and a socializing. Drinks are fairly priced and the service was ok. The food unfortunately was average but it's your typical pub food menu.

One of our regular spots, Van Hunks offers pretty much the same experience each time. It's relaxed and fun, there are always other customers, indicating that it's popular spot to grab a drink. The deck in the sun is great in summer, especially when they spray mist on a hot afternoon. The half price pizzas are decent, and they have specials for every day of the week. The staff are friendly and accommodating.

<br/>The strange thing is, it's a great place. The service is happy and fairly efficient. A seriously not frills type place. <br/><br/>The food is just awful! The selection is basically pub fare but with that said, it seems to play second fiddle to the drinking aspect. <br/><br/>... But I keep going back. Just for a drink, of course.

Great for drinking but wouldn't eat pizza here.

Great vibe with good food. Service is average.

On the odd occasion we'll venture out of Table View for an evening out which will then turn in to a night out which is how we stumbled across this Mr, However.... unfortunately this is not the place for me and the only reason for that is that they seem to be so popular and get so busy and unable to accommodate for all the people that look to go for that ONE LAAAST drink for the evening, we waited a while before we got served at the bar and once I got my drink finding a place to stand was the next mission which just isn't my cupa tea, so ended up playing down down and decided to call it a night! I would not kick this place to the curb just yet and will be going back but this time try the late afternoon drinks and snacks thing or even to watch a game of Rugga... Will be back...

I recently visited Van Hunks with some friends who liked the chilled vibe. As soon as I arrived, I was instantly reminded of my last experience at Jekyll and Hyde, which was not a pleasant experience. It's one of those places all the cool kids hang out at, you know the one where you go to be seen, the kind of pretentious one, but not in an expensive and exclusive way but rather in a popular group kind of way.<br/><br/>The food was average, the drink variety quite impressive especially with regards to craft beer but my first two choices were not in stock on the day. The decor is average but relaxed and the service below average. <br/><br/>We just ordered some snacks for the table, which were cold and one of my well mannered friends had to keep fetching orders for our waiter who seemed quite distracted by a group of his friends. <br/><br/>I failed to understand the hype about Van Hunks unless you're the kind of person who wants to hang out where the cool kids hang out.