Cape Town in Bloom Never
Cape Town in Bloom Never before has the South African metropolis been quite so alluring, thanks to a heady mix of innovative chefs, art-forward spaces and a fresh infusion of hotels and private villas. By Mary Holland 52 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
It’s a sunny Friday afternoon in Cape Town, and Kloof Nek – the steep road that winds between Lion’s Head and Table Mountain – is clogged with cars. Every now and then, passengers catch a whiff of a burnt-out clutch. s one of the main roads that A leads from the city bowl to the Atlantic Seaboard, lined with glimmering beaches, it’s not uncommon for cars to be crawling up this hill on a warm evening. Summer traffic is hardly new to Cape Town, a place that’s now seeing an influx of Joburgers moving here full time, as well a steady stream of travellers who have been lured from around the globe for years. Even as the city faces challenges – such as increased electricity cuts (for between two to six hours every day because of nationwide shortages) and a slight incline in crime – it’s still in insatiable demand. Even during the city’s major drought and water crisis, which lasted from 2016 for around three years, visitors were hardly deterred. Arrive in Cape Town on a blue-sky day and you’ll quickly see why. Known for its staggering beauty, the city has striking mountains blanketed with vibrant fynbos (local shrubland), tufts of proteas and indigenous forests – perfect for hikers. At the foot of these mountains lies the icy Atlantic Ocean, buffered by sandy white beaches, which rival the Algarve. And then there’s the food and wine scene, which is one of the most pioneering and prolific on the continent, if not the globe. The restaurants, dominated by independent entrepreneurs and chefs, have grown from strength to strength, thanks to the constant influx of eager diners always scouring for something new. For chefs, there’s also no shortage of inspiration and good local produce. “When you’re surrounded by mountains and vineyards there’s so much to work with,” says Peter Tempelhoff, chef and co-owner of Fyn, which serves Japanese-style plates with homegrown ingredients and was recently listed on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list (the only eatery in South Africa to have made the list). Tempelhoff also attributes the scene’s success to the powerful tourism season. “It’s a major driving factor,” he says. “The city almost doubles in size during the high season [December through February]. A lot of these tourists are used to dining out in foreign countries, so it’s a challenge for restaurateurs to up their game.” Despite many of these restaurants now having to run on generators for large chunks of the day, the food scene is arguably better than ever before, with a host of buzzy new spots, including Tempelhoff ’s new Baked oatmeal tart with springbok tataki and porcini-mushroom mousse at Pier restaurant; opposite: the iconic Zeitz MOCAA museum at dusk
