The Crypt

The Crypt sits below St George’s Cathedral, with gothic windows looking out onto pavement level. The bare stone pillars, vaulted ceilings, plush drapery and soft lighting creates the ambience, and from almost every table there is a clear view of the small stage where jazz is played every night from Tuesdays to Saturdays.

The Crypt is a dinner and music venue although latecomers don’t have to have a meal. Drinks and light bar snacks are also available but you may have to squeeze into a corner or sit on the steps because Fridays and Saturday are always fully booked. Adjoining The Crypt is the wine cellar and private dining/wine tasting room and an exhibition space, so you can get history, culture, food, wine, and music all in one place.

The birth of The Crypt Jazz Restaurant is the realisation of a dream shared by five people, all of whose love of jazz and good food drove them to open a jazz club in Cape Town. The team is led by entrepreneur Derk Blaisse, along with jazz musicians Mike Rossi, double bass player Wesley Rustin and bassist Spencer Mbadu, as well as Diane Rossi, who brings with her extensive experience in arts and culture administration, both in South Africa and the United States .Their dream is shared by the Dean of the St George’s Cathedral, Michael Weeder, a jazz enthusiast himself, who has a vision for Cape Town’s Cathedral as the ‘people’s church’ reaching out to diverse communities through The Crypt - and the universal language of jazz music.