Opium, situated in what used to be the stables of the Old Castle, not only boasts some of the finest funk, deep house and Old Skool dj’s in town, but also one of the most impressive interiors of any club in Cape Town.

The main entrance features a large, open dance area and lengthy bar with subdued red lighting along the front. A large submarine couch adorns the side of the dance floor, where up to 20 revellers can relax between songs. Behind the dj box is a large, ornate door, reminiscent of what one would find inside a medieval castle. For the less physical partygoers there’s a lounge area adjacent to the dance floor where one can comfortably sit and casually drink cocktails while watching the throngs of dancers.

Behind the lounge lies the bathrooms, and the ladies will love this: A full-length mirror for preening and bright red basins for washing up. The walls outside the bathrooms are covered with textured wood, echoing the African theme of the venue. Walk past the bathrooms and you discover O-Two, the smaller subsection of Opium (soon to become a separate venue), with another lovely bar and comfortable custom made chairs and couches, some richly covered in Springbok skins. Another dj box is set up in the corner where dj’s play progressive house music. Behind that, again marked by one of their foreboding doors, is a more intimate bar area with textured black tiles along one wall and red fur against the other.

Opium is open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 9:00pm to 4:00am. There is no cover charge on Wednesdays or Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays it’s R40, Sundays R30 and R50 for special events. No u/23’s are allowed and patrons are expected to dress smart casual.

Editors Note: Opium has subsequently closed down.This article remains for historical purposes