Old Biscuit Mill

The Old Biscuit Mill occupies a nineteenth-century mill and biscuit factory on Albert Road in Woodstock, a formerly industrial suburb east of central Cape Town, and it was the development that started the area's reinvention from about 2006. On Saturday mornings the yard and sheds fill with a food market - some hundred or so stalls of street food, bread, cheese, charcuterie, coffee and drink - eaten standing at long communal tables in a covered shed, which is loud, cramped and the point. Through the week the site is design studios, galleries, furniture makers and restaurants including some of the city's best known. The market operator has changed over the years and the format with it, so check what is running before making a special trip. Woodstock's transformation is also a live argument about displacement, and the streets around the mill change character quickly.

What you actually see

• A converted mill - a nineteenth-century biscuit factory and its yard.
• The Saturday market - around a hundred food stalls under a covered shed.
• Communal tables - eating standing, shoulder to shoulder, by design.
• Weekday studios - design, furniture and galleries when the market is not on.

When to go

Saturday morning, arriving early. Half a day. Weekdays for the studios only.

Honest expectations

It is extremely crowded from about ten on Saturdays and parking is a serious problem. Prices are high for market food. The operator and stall mix have changed repeatedly - confirm before travelling. The surrounding streets need ordinary care.

Nearby

Woodstock's street art walks are around it; the city centre is west.