Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2024 i Cape Etc

Winter was brutal, but it is behind us. Spring calls for your re-emergence. Go. YOU GAIN A NEW APPRECIATION FOR YOUR HOME CITY WHEN TELLING STORIES ABOUT YOUR HOME IS YOUR JOB. This was certainly the case for me as I strapped into the driver’s seat of this publication. The ride has been wild from the outset, but what was gained dwarfs the lost hours of sleep (and hair). The process gave me a deeper appreciation for the magnificence, vibrancy, diversity, talent, dreams and world-class products, places and people of and in Cape Town and, indeed, the broader Western Cape. As a Capetonian, you have an acute awareness that you live in a unique place. But this awareness grew in scope when I was confronted with generational talents like Ryan…

ONLY THE BRAVE Starting a luxury streetwear label in the heart of a pandemic that is crippling global economies is on brand for Ryan Brussow. Growing it to become a marquee brand in the space is a testament to what happens when reckless belief, impossible talent, an astute entrepreneurial instinct and an unrelenting work ethic converge. Just four years ago, Cultish was preparing small shipments from Ryan’s garage. The product catalogue was tiny: a minimal run of T-shirts, shorts, hoodies, crew necks and, as a sign of the times, face masks. The brand had two distribution channels: an online store and a tiny section in a retail department store. The first brick-and-mortar store followed in 2021, in Bo Kaap. Today the flagship store sits in prime Bree Street real estate,…

CHURNING IT OUT Tucked away on Cape Town’s bustling Loop Street. Butter has fast become a beloved spot among locals and visitors alike, says Maegan-Leigh Jacobs. This restaurant’s concept is simple yet irresistibly nostalgic: butter and all-day breakfast The idea for Butter was born out of a love for the comforting ingredient and a desire to create a space that feels just like home. ‘Butter is our happy place. We want others to feel that way when they visit, too. We wanted to create something people could relate to, and its simplicity achieves that. It’s cosy, comfy, and the food tastes like home,’ says Aninke van Antwerpen, the co-owner of Butter All-day Breakfast & Bistro Bar. Butter opened in May 2021 on Loop Street and opened a second location in Sea…

‘Denise, we don’t really have a plan, but …’ And so began the Thokozani journey, with Diemersfontein Wine & Country Estate Owner David Sonnenberg, who wanted to change the lives of the farm’s community, and Denise Stubbs, the managing director of Thokozani Wines and Hospitality. That was in 2005; in 2020, Thokozani bought a 55% shareholding in Diemersfontein Wines in Wellington, makers of the beloved coffee-chocolate Original Pinotage. Take particular note that Thokozani is owned by 38 of Diemersfontein’s staff, who are all workers on the farm. In April 2024, Denise was named the inaugural Leader of the Year at the first FEDHASA (Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa) Hospitality Awards. That’s a lot of growth in less than 20 years - and particularly a lot of growth for a…

My oupa was born in Berlin in 1940, at the beginning of the Second World War. Almost 62 years later, I would visit a very different city as a toddler. At 21 years old, I returned voluntarily to spend four days partying in Berlin as part of a European summer holiday. Enamoured by the sleepless, anarchic city, I decided I must try to live there eventually. At the end of April 2024, I said goodbye to Cape Town and set off for the Berlin summer, unsure when I would return. Now, I am back in South Africa, with a lot to digest from four months spent in a city that is a very different place to visit than it is to live in. Berlin holds such conflicting pieces of sociopolitical…

Kalk Bay pier is pockmarked with rust and erosion. Clouds threatening rain have painted the sky gun-metal grey. A burly seal has lumbered ashore to rest. I can almost taste the briny seawater. The red-and-white-striped lighthouse and vibrant fishing boats bobbing in one of the Cape Peninsula’s last working fishing harbours brighten an otherwise gloomy day. ‘My mother named me Ausi, which means older sister and the keeper of stories,’ Traci Kwaai introduces herself. ‘All South African stories should make white people feel uncomfortable. How can you not feel uneasy when you learn about what happened here? ‘It’s easier for white South Africans not to acknowledge their privilege, the jobs and better housing the apartheid government gave them. Everything people of colour have, they must work a million times harder…

NOURISH / Trending You you’re in for some old-school glamour A TIMELY RETREAT Sit and eat, and be serenaded by the piano man Dash is something of a hidden gem: it’s tucked away in the swish Queen Victoria Hotel at the V&A Waterfront. And the hotel itself is tucked away on Portswood Ridge, which has less foot traffic than some other districts. But once up the ramp and past the historic Time Ball Tower, follow the music. For a piano man is tinkling the ivories in the hotel’s lounge. It’s a clue; you know you’re in for some old-school glamour with the kind of attention to detail that Dash takes very seriously. The restaurant is a cool open space, understated décor with touches of luxury in the fabrics and textures,…

IF IT AIN’T BROKE New ventures (and a classic reinvented) at 91 Bree People generally know when they’re on to a good thing. They may not be able to put their finger on it exactly, but they just know. Liam Tomlin’s OG Chefs Warehouse & Canteen was just such a thing. It closed in 2022, and Liam turned his attentions elsewhere. But the people want what the people want. Ask, and you shall receive. Liam has now opened Chefs Warehouse & Canteen on the ground floor of his restored heritage building at 91 Bree Street. The three floors each offer something different. On the first floor is the outstanding Merchant Bar & Grill, with Chef David Schneider’s The Larder taking pride of place, and the top floor holds Room 91,…

There’s something special about a night out in Cape Town, whose energy seems to follow your day of soaking up the sun at one of the city’s beautiful beaches or taking in one of its numerous hiking trails. It doesn’t just come alive but affords you a different experience of this multifaceted city. While there are many spots where you can experience the city’s finest culinary and musical offerings - often where you can hit the dance floor and lose yourself to a rhythmic beat - the question of where to start your after-dark adventure may be one you find yourself asking. The answer is Harrington Street. Once an industrial-commercial section on the outskirts of the Cape Town CBD, the area has, in recent years, become home to various vintage…

Sometimes, you need to disappear for your sake and those around you. Where you disappear to is critical. It has to be a place that promotes restoration, whatever that means in your personal context, so you come back as a version of yourself that you like, and others don’t want to put a rear naked chokehold on. That meant finding a balance of seclusion in breathtaking surroundings and easy access to various activities if and when I felt like coming out of hibernation. Cue a trip to Hemel-en-Aarde. Directly translated as ‘Heaven and Earth’, dramatic mountain landscapes meet rolling vineyards in this valley, creating a perfect backdrop for an unforgettable getaway. Whether you’re a wine enthusiast, nature lover, or adventure seeker, this hidden gem in the Walker Bay wine region…