Here’s where to stay, eat and shop in Cape Town

19 July 2018

By Fashion Quarterly

Revealing the city’s hot spots, with the help of some in-the-know locals.

Cape Town has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Places like Camp’s Bay, Clifton and Llandudno draw visitors from around the globe. The attention is well deserved, as is the attraction of Table Mountain, which dominates the skyline with its distinctive flat top. Both are high on our list of places to visit in the Mother City but there is much more to do, a lot of which is only just being discovered by visitors who, once enlightened, vow to return. Urban renewal programmes have led to creatives setting up shop to make and sell their wares, from jewellery and bags to ceramics and fashion.

The suburb of Woodstock has been transformed and well worth a visit. Places of note are Woodstock Foundry, where Casamento and Vogel make beautiful furniture, Woodstock Exchange and the Saturday Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill. Top food spots include The Kitchen and Superette, while Test Kitchen and the Pot Luck Club are legendary. You’ll also find key art galleries Stevenson, Whatiftheworld and the Goodman Gallery.

South Africa is renowned for its wine and the Cape Winelands is at the heart of the industry. Delaire Graff Estate, Tokara and Vergelegen are just three on our list, while Babylonstoren on one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms is not to be missed. It has been completely made-over into a destination on its own with magnificent gardens, designer accommodation, a spa, restaurants, bakery and winery.

To learn more of Cape Town’s hotspots scroll below:

Mt Nelson
Affectionately known as ‘The Nellie’, this pink-painted hotel is a Cape Town institution. Built in 1899, the addition of surrounding buildings and various revamps have meant it has grown in size and fabulousness to become a five-star establishment. Its 198 rooms and suites offer views of Signal Hill, Table Mountain, the hotel’s glorious gardens and two swimming pools. An award-winning spa completes this epitome of true luxury. The Planet Restaurant is all about fine dining and the Planet Bar remains one of the most glamorous meeting places in the Mother City. The hotel’s location in the central Gardens suburb makes it the perfect base for tourists and business travellers. A martini on a summer’s day in the garden under a flowering hibiscus tree is one of life’s greatest joys.

12Hofmeyr
Tucked away in Cape Town’s leafy suburb of Gardens, this guest house in a revamped Victorian home is the perfect bolthole. The house’s historic exterior belies the stylish contemporary interior. Each of the four ensuite rooms is named after a colour, with that hue then dominating the décor. The quirky touches in the Yellow Room, for example, include an embroidered headboard, the Play Play cupboard, bathroom mirror, and side tables all produced by South African designers. Chances are you’ll want to take a number of the pieces home. Breakfast is available on request. 12Hofmeyr can also be rented for longer stays.