The club has a reasonably priced restaurant and a pub where members can meet in a relaxed environment. The pub is a popular meeting place after work where staff and students can meet on a less formal footing. Staff are also encouraged to bring along groups of students to have a drink and chat off the record.
History
The UCT Club developed from the informal gatherings that were held on Friday afternoons in the Physics Department. In 1988 the old Bat and Cat premises in the Sports Centre were secured and the club was formally established to cater for the social and less formal academic needs of the staff of UCT.
The club underwent a major revamp in 1995, at which time the management was taken over by Rondebosch Caterers CC, who have managed the club ever since.
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Facilities
The club offers:
- a large restaurant with a seating capacity of up to 180 people
- a cosy pub with capacity for a further 80 people
- a games section with dart board and pool table.
The bar counter, bulkheads and back shelving were constructed from solid teak laboratory benches that were removed from the Chemistry Department. Apart from looking good and solid, this lends the club a bit of history.
The chairs in the restaurant are solid oak with riempies, so the decor can swing from informal to pretty formal as the need arises.
The club is fully licensed, and provides a variety of catering services. These range from lunches every day, early evening meals, cocktail parties and various snack menus, to a full dinner service for departmental functions. Private weddings and parties can also be arranged.
The club caters cocktail parties at other venues on the campus. In addition, full conferences can be arranged, including lunches, teas and cocktail parties for up to 400 people at various campus venues or at the club itself.
The popular buffet table offers a large variety of dishes leaning towards traditional Cape Malay food, but not restricted to that. To keep prices reasonable there are 2 options for the buffet:
- "eat as much as you like"
- "one reasonable plate".
This enables patrons to use the club regularly without breaking the bank, and in fact it is possible to eat every day for a week off the table without repeating your meal.
The many nooks and crannies are as a result of the club being part of the unorthodox architecture of the Sports Centre. This means that corners can be cordoned off here and there for use by informal seminars, small class meetings or other gatherings, in an informal atmosphere.
All members, including alumni, are entitled to bring guests to the club whether it is for a casual drink or a private function.