Our spring hotlist
Shrug off winter’s hibernation with the best of what’s new in the Western Cape. We’ve got you covered on where to eat and drink, what to read, and the dates to diarise now.
DRINK AND DINE
Mere steps apart, a newly-opened bar and restaurant in Cape Town’s Waterfront precinct make for the perfect drinks-then-dinner combo. Following a lengthy revamp, the much-anticipated relaunch of Cape Grace hotel’s Bascule Bar & Lounge doesn’t disappoint. Long a cornerstone of the whisky lover’s bar scene, Bascule Bar & Lounge’s reimagining pairs sophisticated speakeasy interiors (think sultry lighting, velvets and leather perfect for pre-dinner selfies) with an arresting collection of contemporary South African art that’ll stop you in your tracks. Passionate about art, Lezanne van Heerden, formerly of Southern Guild, has curated an assortment of wall-mounted works – paintings, prints and collages, mostly figurative – by young artists including Banele Khoza, Lady Skollie and Jody Paulsen, ensuring that the views inside (when you’re not people watching) are as captivating as those outside.
www.capegrace.com
Break eye contact with the beautifully plated dishes at nearby Coy (an act more easily said than done), and you’ll realise that views of Alfred Basin, the adjacent yacht marina and Table Mountain are, second to award-winning chef Ryan Cole’s fine-dining offering, what Coy is all about. And, like Bascule Bar & Lounge, those views are both indoor and out, for Coy’s seriously sexy interiors – conceptualised by KT Interior Architectural Studio – are a dark and moody exploration of tactile surfaces including steel, sheepskin, marble and solid oak (we love the spherical wood detailing at the bottom of the dining tables, and the ultra-stylish private dining room!). Cole, along with kitchen-side partners Teenola Govender and Geoffrey Abrahams, present diners with a seven-course tasting menu that explores African ingredients and under-appreciated species. Additional to this is a two-course power lunch option, as well as ‘monDAZE’, an offering of concept dishes in the making (as well as favourites from Cole’s repertoire). Our top menu picks include a tuna tartare starter paired with caramelised coconut and sugarcane, ox tongue with Ras el hanout and black rice, and a burnt banana crème, milk stout and malt dessert (pictured, bottom right) that you’ll want on repeat.
www.coyrestaurant.com
Fans of chef Liam Tomlin will be delighted by the recent opening of Merchant Bar & Grill (pictured) and Chef’s Warehouse & Canteen, both at 91 Bree Street, Cape Town. Formerly The Bailey, the multi-storey property has been reimagined not only by way of the restaurants it houses, but aesthetically too, and patrons can expect a contemporary industrial space with old-school charm. Partnering with Tomlin at Merchant Bar & Grill are chefs David Schneider and Adrian Hadlow, and together they’re serving up both an à la carte menu of charcuterie, cheeses and other snacks (think Scotched eggs, sausages with mustard and gherkins, and sourdough with pork lard), as well as the Merchant Feast, a five-course menu. The inspiration behind their culinary offering is top quality, locally-sourced produce, much of which will be on display in The Larder, a temperature-controlled glass room. “We do the merchant’s work of sourcing the best local ingredients, then turn our skills to maximising those products,” explains Schneider. “Getting the very most out of these special products is how we pay homage to them, and we’re excited to share this.”
www.chefswarehouse.co.za/merchant
Further afield, in Plettenberg Bay, the Plettenberg Hotel has unveiled its ‘new-look’ restaurant, Amelia’s. We’ve come to expect delicious meals from Tronette Dippenaar, The Liz McGrath Collection’s executive chef, and Amelia’s’ updated menu boasts wonderful new dishes alongside many seafood favourites. The ocean was also inspiration for the interior design team at Hot Cocoa Interiors & Design. They’ve drawn a colour palette of deep and iridescent blues, teals and turquoises from the adjacent Indian Ocean, and a material palette in sand and terracotta tones from its shoreline. The terrace is where you’ll want languid lunches come summer – and likely where you’ll find us!
www.theplettenberghotel.com
READ
For fans of fiction, a wealth of new books by some of our favourite authors will soon be hitting our shelves, including Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst, The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe, and Gabriel’s Moon by William Boyd. But while we wait, you’ll find us reading three much-anticipated novels from our tried-and-tested favourites:
Long Island Compromise, Taffy Brodesser-Akner
“Do you want to hear a story with a terrible ending?” asks Brodesser-Akner in the opening sentence of her second novel. It sets the tone for what’s to follow in the newest work from the author of Fleishman Is In Trouble (if you’ve not already read it, do so, and get watching the hit TV series, starring Jessie Eisenberg and Claire Danes, too). Set in the 1980s, the novel begins with the kidnapping of Carl Fletcher, the patriarch of a suburban New York Jewish family, and delves into how this, and his return, impact future family dynamics. Oprah Daily describes it as ‘the funniest book ever about generational family trauma’.
The Gentleman From Peru, André Aciman
‘Another masterful tale of longing and desire’ – so describes Glamour magazine of the latest novel by the author of Call Me By Your Name. If Elio’s coming-of-age story was anything to go by, we’re in for a treat in another of Aciman’s works set in Italy, this one exploring the life-changing story told by an eccentric guest at an Amalfi Coast hotel to a group of unexpectedly marooned college friends.
Intermezzo, Sally Rooney
Often referred to as the most talked-about author of her generation, Rooney follows the global successes of Conversations With Friends, Normal People, and Beautiful World, Where Are You (the first two both adapted into TV series) with a story about familial and romantic relationships, love and loss. Brothers Ivan and Peter Koubek struggle to cope with the women in their lives following the death of their father. Kirkus Reviews describes Rooney’s characters as ‘reach-out-and-touch-them real.”
All novels available from leading bookstores.
DON’T MISS
Hazendal Wine Estate will host its inaugural Hazendal Festival, with this year’s theme being the Soil Edition. Curated by Khanyisile Mbongwa, curator of both the Liverpool Biennial 2023 and next year’s Stellenbosch Triennale 2025, the festival will run for three days and include a two-day symposium (bringing together scientists, cultural practitioners and artists), art installations, choreographed dance events and live music, wine tastings, great food and children’s workshops. Highlights are set to be a sculptural piece by artist Thania Petersen, a weaving and natural dyes workshop by Tinyiko Mawakwa, a sensuality self-discovery workshop by Tapiwa Guzha, and a fine-dining collaboration between Zulu chef Vusi Ndlovu and Hazendal’s Head Chef Michelle Theron. Dates: 4 to 6 October.
www.hazendal.co.za
Design lovers and aesthetes rejoice; October sees the launch of Design Week South Africa, powered by Yoco, in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. A curated calendar of events in each city will offer immersive experiences, open studios, workshops, engaging discussions and other happenings across disciplines as diverse as architecture and interior design, industrial and furniture design, jewellery, fashion and urban planning. Dates: Johannesburg 10 to 13 October; Cape Town 24 to 27 October.
www.designweeksouthafrica.com
An ensemble cast of dancers, musicians, actors and clowns returns to Spier Wine Farm this summer for a restaging of A Summer Dream, an enchanting and fantastical tale that’s previously delighted audiences of all ages, and is set to do so again. Staged outdoors, the production has as its backdrop Spier’s verdant estate. The evening begins with a meal on the Werf (tickets include food choices from the Picnickery). Dates: 13, 14 and 15 December.
www.spier.co.za
