(which always draws a crowd) as well as the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, a major event on the industry calendar. “It felt like it attracted more serious foreign collectors than ever before,” she adds. With such a robust art scene and so many art-savvy entrepreneurs and collectors, Elana Brundyn, an art entrepreneur and former CEO of the Norval Foundation, saw a space in the market to launch Art House Collection, a portfolio of unique luxury-home rentals that appeal to art-minded travellers. The homes range from a property on the edge of Table Mountain National Park, which displays paintings by Nelson Makamo, to a farmhouse in Franschhoek owned by two creatives and filled with tapestries and botanical installations. Better still, Brundyn – who is one of the country’s most connected people in the art world – offers exclusive art experiences for renters, such as private studio visits with artists like emerging painter and printmaker Bonolo Kavula and legendary visual artist Wim Botha. “I’m trying to give a different insight, such as walkthroughs with artists who wouldn’t usually allow access,” says Brundyn. So how do people that live in a city that faces crime, economic struggles and blackouts multiple times a day find a way to continuously make it so alluring? “Economic and infrastructural challenges like load-shedding [electricity cuts] are nothing new for us,” says Trevyn McGowan. “If anything, they have made us more creative and resilient in finding ways to work around them.” It’s precisely this attitude that makes the city shine. No matter how many challenges its inhabitants face on a daily basis, there’s no denying Cape Town’s exceptional charm, resilient spirit and, of course, that incomparable natural beauty. Table Mountain is still beautiful even when the lights are out. My suggestion? Visit on a full moon. Cape Town, Curated A citywide primer to the city’s most appealing offerings Bedding Down As the influx of travellers has increased, naturally hotel options have too. Ellerman House (ellerman.co.za), a magnificent hotel set on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Belmond Mount Nelson (belmond.com), a grand rosy-pink hotel with sprawling gardens in the city centre, have forever been favourites. But new offerings are now enticing, too. Dorp (dorp.co.za), located on the slopes of Signal Hill, is made up of bright-white buildings staggered on various levels with rooms that open onto magical gardens and, for some, turquoise dipping pools. Most impressive, though, is the view, which sweeps from Table Mountain across to the Atlantic Ocean. Further afield in Hout Bay is Future Found Sanctuary (futurefoundsanctuary.com), two villas at the foot of the back of Table Mountain, which were recently acquired by local hospitality brand Time + Tide. Expect a host of spa offerings like sound-bath yoga, custom healthy meals as well as mountain hikes and a freshwater pool. Private villas are becoming more in demand and this is thanks in part to In Residence (inresidence.villas), a portfolio of the most luxurious houses in Cape Town – the kind of places one would only dream of having access to. The team organises everything for guests from private chefs to helicopter rides and curated experiences. The same goes for Arthouse Collection (arthouse-collection.com), which links aesthetes to art-filled homes. Eating Out Fine-dining establishments like Fyn (fynrestaurant.com), Edge (edgerestaurant.africa), Pier (pier.restaurant) and Emazulwini (@ emazulwini_restaurant) will excite the most hardcore foodies. Add to the list: Salsify at the Roundhouse (salsify.co.za), where a multicourse menu is served in an historic building overlooking Camps Bay, as well as Chefs Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic (chefswarehouse.co.za), where small seafood-focused plates are served a few metres from the crashing waves near Chapman’s Peak. But Cape Town also has an excellent array of relaxed restaurants and all-day cafes. On Bree Street, local star chef Liam Tomlin opened The Bailey (thebailey.co.za), a three-storey building with three restaurant concepts offering everything from morning pastries and overnight oats to hearty dinnertime meals. Nearby is Ouzeri (ouzeri.co.za), a glassfronted, white-washed Greek and Cypriot spot, where diners can share plates of halloumi drizzled with honey and fried mussels. Old favourites like Bao Down (baodowncapetown.com), where pillowy baos filled with fried chicken are served in a retro pink-and-green space, as well as Arthur’s Mini Super (arthursminisuper.co.za), a casual all-day cafe that’s loved by locals, and where egg sandwiches and flat whites are the order of the day. Nosing Around The Zeitz MOCAA (zeitzmocaa.museum), set in an old silo redesigned by Heatherwick Studio, is the country’s most prestigious art museum with exhibitions by artists like William Kentridge. But don’t miss out on smaller, independent establishments, too: Southern Guild Gallery (southernguild.co.za), which showcases contemporary designers, ceramicists and makers, as well as Stevenson (stevenson. info), which has a solid roster of African painters and artists, are worth a visit. For design, Always Welcome (alwayswelcome.store) will keep you stocked up with plenty of local homeware, from glass vases to couches. Mami Wata (mamiwatasurf.com) also stocks a vibrant collection of T-shirts and surfboards, all designed and made in Africa. The city’s favourite high-design store is Merchants on Long (merchantsonlong.co.za), where you can shop fashion collections from designers like Thebe Magugu, who is one of the hottest designers in Africa right now. CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 57
