Like most weekends, when we arrived Rafters was already in full swing. People upstairs. People downstairs. Drinks flowing. Conversations overflowing. Newcomers popping in. Day-oners stopping by. But last Saturday was different. Rafters was celebrating two years since first opening its doors on Phạm Viết Chánh Street. And if there’s anything I’ve learned in that time it’s this — all roads lead to Rafters.
While Aidan was at home sick, the other two thirds of District 0, Liam and I, dropped in at our favorite watering hole’s anniversary. Of course, first we said hi to the owners: Stephan and Etienne. Two big smiles were on their faces. Two big years now in their memories. Anyone could tell how proud the two were of themselves at how far they’ve come in building Rafters from the ground up into what it is today.
“Who’s the guy singing?” I asked, looking up at the dude on the terrace rocking a nón lá, guitar in hand and microphone at nose level. Etienne told me he wasn’t sure who he was, but he was sure that he loved the vibe he was bringing and so did the rest of the crowd. It wasn’t long before I grabbed my seat and looked back up at the terrace to see Stephan standing next to him singing along, keeping the vibes high. However, the music wasn’t the only thing putting people in good spirits.
Last weekend a special collaboration took place. East Borough Pizza founded by Dat Doan and located just across the street teamed up with Rafter’s house staple snack, Biltong Boets founded by Kyle Gibbons. Together, they cooked up some South African styled pizza with Biltong, a popular type of cured meat similar to beef jerky, fresh avocado, and feta cheese. Throughout the night, a steady current of delicious pizza came from East Borough's fiery ovens to Rafter's outdoor tables. James Green, co-founder of Nine Lives Vodka, assured me that the food was worth the hype. Or as they say in Afrikaans – “Lekker!”
People were enjoying their food, chatting, listening to music, but all of that changed when the clock struck 10:10. The South-African led crowd donning green and gold joined shoulder to shoulder to sing their country’s national anthem. The Springboks, South Africa’s rugby team was facing off against the Barbarians, a British-based invitational rugby club, for the Qatar Airways Cup back in Cape Town.
That said, music is still a big part of Rafters’ identity. They have live music almost every week. The downstairs part of the bar is covered in album covers such as Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, and Radiohead’s In Rainbows. And showcasing all major sports is also a big part of Rafter’s identity. The upstairs part of the bar where the pool table is, is surrounded by pool players every Thursday night for a weekly pool league. Rather than album covers, there’s images of great sports star icons on the walls: Muhammad Ali, Connor McGregor, and Francois Pienaar.
Both Steph and Etienne are from South Africa — Steph, Cape Town and Etienne, White River — and the seriousness on their faces and the rest of the crowd was apparent. The collective set of eyes were now glued to the large screens on both of the bar’s walls. The equally steady current of another South African staple, Milk Tart shots, a mixture of vodka, condensed milk, and cinnamon, halted for the first time in the night. Nobody was going to risk missing a second of the action.
Fast forward to the clock striking midnight—The Springboks had come out on top with a walloping victory. The crowd rejoiced, screaming “Bokke!” at the top of their lungs. A big win befitting a big night. Although the game was over, the celebration continued long after we left. And over the course of the following days, I reflected more on Rafters and its presence over the last two years.
There have been many nights spent at Rafters. Too many memories to count to be honest. Catching up with fellow English teachers on Sunday nights (our Friday nights). Meeting friend’s parents finally in town and friends of friends visiting the city. The meeting place for any and every major sporting event. Rugby, football, F1 — you name it. And birthdays, of course. So many birthdays. So many cakes smashed into so many friend’s faces. So many pictures of smiles covered in frosting to last a lifetime.
But if there’s one memory that sticks out above the rest, it has nothing to do with any late night shenanigans. It was an afternoon, at the end of November 2023. Steph was there, as well as our good friends Blaise and Molly. I sat at the table working on some writing. Molly was sitting on the stairs leading to the bottom of the bar. Blaise was sitting on the stairs leading to the top. Both were painting murals while all four of us were smiling, laughing, sweating and sharing a few beers. It was a special moment. It was one of those times where you sit back and think, “Wow, I have some really cool friends.”
There's a chance, even if you've been to Rafters more than once, that you've never properly stopped to take a look at the murals Blaise and Molly painted. There's even less of a chance you've discovered the easter egg planted in one of them. It's easy, I get it. When Rafters is in full swing, you're not paying attention to such things. There’s people upstairs. People downstairs. Drinks flowing. Conversations overflowing. Newcomers popping in. Day-oners stopping by. But I'll never forget — the memory of that afternoon in late November 2023 will always stay with me, when the four of us sat in the bar, enjoying each other's company and excited for what the future held. It’s what Rafters is all about. People coming together. Celebrating each other. Supporting each other. Sharing a beer or two when the good times are rolling and even when they’re not. So, in the end I suppose there’s no better way to show my appreciation and gratitude than by raising a glass to say — Cheers to Rafters on their two year anniversary. Here’s to twenty more. May all roads lead to Rafters and nowhere else.
