Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2025 i Cape Etc

LATE JANUARY INTO FEBRUARY AND MARCH ARE MY FAVOURITE MONTHS OF THE YEAR IN CAPE TOWN. As Capetonians, we don't like to admit it, but we're like New Yorkers because we're pretty precious about our city. We don't cope well with the madness of late November, December and early January. Make no mistake, we're still outside with local and international tourists, but privately irritated when they halt mid-stride to take a picture of something we see every day or scream, ‘Daaaarlllllling, another bottle of Cab Sauv,’ at sommeliers, have parties that last deep into the night at Airbnbs in our apartment complexes, and drunkenly spill onto Bree Street after spending $5 on an entire day's drinking. I concede that I'm a grumpy Capetonian, but I'm not alone in feeling this…

‘I got to live and die in one day and see death as a possibility’ ‘Since having chemotherapy, I leave words out of sentences when speaking. I'm aware of it, and it's super-frustrating, but a lot of weird shit happened to me when I went through chemo. I can think in long, beautiful sentences, but the words don't come out of my mouth.’ Holding court on her porch in Swellendam, where she lives with her husband, Pete, and dogs, Monty and Ozzy, Tamar Thorn Murray sips water, then adds, ‘I feel okay now. Everybody should feel how I do about life. I got to die twice. The only people who'll understand that are those who've lived and died in a day and see death as a possibility. I've gone through…

AROUND THE WORLD One menu, many countries at Salon We're still at the World Travel Awards 2024, and celebrating Salon, the Luke Dale Roberts restaurant that was named Best New Restaurant in Africa. It opened in April 2023, with the menu created to follow Luke's career from his homeland to Australia, the East and South Africa. But the chef-patron is nothing if not innovative and his menu, in collaboration with Executive Chef Carla Schulze, has changed and adapted to a broader range of influences. Seasonality is at its core, incorporating global influences drawn from the flavours and ingredients that inspire the two chefs, yet still with more than a passing nod to Luke's travels in Europe and Latin America. A bit of background: Luke was born in Britain and trained…

Some time ago, perhaps two decades, a revolution came to town. Well, not to town exactly; but to a bucolic farming region just 50 or so kilometres outside Cape Town. We're talking about the Swartland, an area known for its wheat farms and rolling hills. It was originally named Het Zwarte Land (the black land) by Dutch settlers because of the renosterbos covering the region, which looks black when it is wet and seen from a distance. Or so it is said. The Swartland is about 3 707km² in size, with Malmesbury to the south, Piketberg to the north, Darling to the west, and Riebeek West, Riebeek-Kasteel and the Olifants Mountains to the east. It's recognised as a distinct wine district in the South African Wine of Origin scheme, which…

Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, had a big year in 2024, celebrating its 125th birthday and being named Africa's Best Hotel by The World's 50 Best. Much like The Bear‘s Carmen Berzatto left fine dining to take over his family's restaurant, Chef Luke Lawrence Barry had a shake-up of his own, from studying the complex art of ingredient-driven Chinese cooking to taking the helm as The Nellie's executive chef in May last year, a massive responsibility given her storied history. Is that where the similarities end? If we shine a light on the inner workings of Chef Luke's kitchen, will we see chefs from different walks of life hustling hard, disciplined, passionate, mentoring and pursuing perfection? FADE IN: INT. MOUNT NELSON KITCHEN – NIGHT We open on an empty kitchen…

The menu is small, but simplicity done right is sublime Sinking my teeth into Cape Town's juiciest burgers wasn't the worst assignment the editor could've given me, considering my penchant for cheeseburgers and the knowledge that some of the best spots were available within metres of each other in Sea Point and Gardens. I skipped breakfast and got stuck in. There's no need to wax lyrical on what makes a good burger: here's where you can find them. ONLY FOOLS This Sea Point staple is hard to beat ‘When I moved to Sea Point, I wanted to grab a beer and chow with my mates at a nice bar, not a dive, but that didn't seem to exist then,’ says Jonathan Halliday, the owner of Only Fools, a bar that…

WHAT TO DO IN THE SWARTLAND For all the innovation in the wine industry, the region still clings to old-fashioned values like hospitality, friendliness and community EAT HERE Aardvark Eats Cook, smoke, bake and create with fire. 079 506 8196; aardvarkrk@gmail.com aardvarkeats.riebeekkasteel aardvarkeatsbest Au Bouchon Rouge Brasserie The brasserie serves French comfort food made with fresh, local, seasonal and organic produce. 33 Main Street, Riebeek-Kasteel 071 009 2141; info@royalinriebeek.com aubouchonrouge.co.za brasserieaubouchonrouge Monday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm; Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 10 pm Eight Feet @ Kloovenburg Wine and Olive Estate It's a whole village, with loads to keep you full and entertained. Three restaurants: Kringe Inni Bos is family-friendly, and has an open view and even pizzas. Friday to Sunday and public holidays, 9 am…

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SIMPLICITY Terrarium joins a glittering list of fine Waterfront restaurants, writes Lorraine Kearney A tip of the hat to The Lovin’ Spoonful: ‘Cool town, evenin’ in the city Dressin’ so fine and lookin’ so pretty’ And where are we looking so pretty? At Terrarium, the new dining space at the Queen Victoria, that handsome hotel on the top of Portswood Ridge looking across the Time Out Market and into the bay. The understated restaurant has freshly opened, adding another delicious choice to the many and varied eateries in the V&A Waterfront. The V&A needs them all: almost 24 million people visit the Waterfront every year. Terrarium is the newest project of Chef Chris Erasmus, the famed forager from Foliage in Franschhoek. His focus at Terrarium is…

South Africa has about 2 850 km of coastline, from Mozambique to Namibia, with two great oceanic systems – the Benguela and Agulhas currents – flowing around it. The Agulhas is the warm one, running south along the east coast of southern Africa. And it's this one that keeps the waters so pleasant for swimming along the golden KwaZulu-Natal shores down to the Garden Route. And it's the reason for the myriad small coastal towns. The Benguela, flowing north along the West Coast, brings cold water up from the south, meaning there is lots of marine life and long, wild stretches of untouched white sand. WESTERN CAPE PLATBOOM BEACH, CAPE POINT NATURE RESERVE // Flanked by coastal fynbos, this remote playground is about an hour's drive from Cape Town. Here,…

Everyone has heard of the wildly popular Otter Trail, a world-famous Southern Cape multi-day trek along one of the most stunning stretches of coastal scenery in the world. It's a top-tier bucket-list activity. But try as I might to secure a slot for the family, that damn SANParks online reservation portal always comes back at me with a resounding, ‘Nope! Don't be silly. We're fully booked, of course.’ The waiting list can be years… ‘But I want to hike in Tsitsikamma!’ whined my 15-year-old daughter when I told her for the umpteenth time that the Otter Trail was fully booked again. However, this year, I made a backup plan by signing us up for the criminally underrated Tsitsikamma Trail, a 64 km, six-day journey into the picturesque coastal mountains between…

Within a two-hour radius beyond the city, you have access to surreal mountain ranges As 2024 wound down and the familiar Cape Town sun went from strength to strength, I was lucky to receive one of Ford’ s latest Ranger models, the Tremor, to drive for the summer. While we spent a lot of time navigating the chaotic city and busy beachfront in December, we could also take the bakkie where it is most at home: on national roads and gravel pathways and coasting through rock and brush packed full of camping gear. The Tremor is an off-road-oriented, higher-specced double-cab within Ford's range and a great companion in a place like Cape Town, where, within a two-hour radius beyond the immediate wonder of the city, you have access to surreal…