New Offerings For 2022 In Cape Town, South Africa

From city to global city, crisis begets opportunity: New business openings continue to transform economic loss into urban rebirth. Nowhere is this more true than in Cape Town, South Africa, hard-hit by the pandemic but now revelling in a full-on reopening. During my six weeks there I witnessed locals returning to restaurants in droves and tourists arriving in multiplying numbers—no doubt boosted by the newly launched United Airlines nonstop service from Newark, making the Mother City more accessible to Americans than ever (maybe a little too accessible, worries this New Yorker, protective of her second home). 

To that end, and with thoughtful travellers in mind—it’s forever critical to support businesses run by people of color, especially in South Africa—a few ideas about the spending of your Rands in Cape Town this year.

The Manor House at Brookdale Estate What’s in a name? In this case, very little. This stunning new boutique property in the Paarl region of the Cape Winelands feels like neither “manor” nor “estate”—it’s far too welcoming and cozy for such terminology. Instead, a stay here feels like checking into someone’s exquisite 12-bedroom home, situated on a vast slice of vineyard, nestled in some of the most majestic mountains you’ve ever seen the sun dance upon. The “someone” into whose home you’ve checked, is, thankfully, a trio of good-souled people: Your gracious, wise local host Julian, the genial General Manager Yvonne Coetzee, and her husband Gary—who also happens to be a master chef. 

I spent all day revelling in the serene silence of the 67-hectare property, swimming in the pool, sniffing spinach in the gardens, admiring the fynbos on the nature trails—and, of course, sipping delicious Brookdale chenin blanc as I did all the above. I quite literally applauded Chef Gary’s delectable creations: lamb three ways, prawn and scallop in curry sauce, and, for breakfast, homemade shakshuka and fresh-baked health bread. The property plans to open an 80-seater restaurant, cellar and wine tasting experience later this year. Make your booking with haste.

Chef’s Warehouse at Tintswalo Atlantic You don’t have to ask me twice to pop by Tintswalo Atlantic, a boutique property set in one of the most picture-perfect locales in an absurdly picture-perfect city. There’s jaw-dropping cliffs, mountains with abundant personality, a frothing sea, dramatic boulders and a sunset serving up a shade of gold you swear you’ve never seen before. Now there’s legendary cuisine to complement the mystical scene: iconic Cape Town brand Chef’s Warehouse has an outpost here, boasting the kind of locally sourced, food-as-art tasting menus that people reserve months in advance for. The flawless four-course tapas menus specializes in local seafood, and there are always oysters and risotto on the heavenly menu—which you’ll talk about for weeks after digestion.

The Castle Hotel Bar Order a beer, burger and biltong platter with a side of history and a slice of homage at one of the oldest bars in Cape Town. More than old, it was one-of-a-kind—that rare haunt where people of all races could share a drink together during the Apartheid years, thanks to its location in District Six: a neighborhood that was, before its destruction under Apartheid, an incredibly diverse community of freed enslaved people, merchants, artisans, laborers and immigrants. To honor this legacy, owners Michael Anthony and his wife Lynrae October—whose family was displaced from District Six—have brilliantly erected a Wall of Remembrance, on which people can affix photos of family members and loved ones who once called this area home.  

Yobo Wine & Whiskey Bar This peripatetic yet perpetually homesick New Yorker is always looking for a NYC vibe in the cities I cheat on my city with. I found it at Yobo, in Cape Town’s CBD. The walls are covered in graffiti—think legendary NYC punk bar CBGBs—the music is eclectic and just loud enough; the overall feel is part speakeasy, part hole-in-the-wall. Owner Sivu and bartender Taz are happy to talk everything from local politics to local jokes (sometimes one and the same). Order the pap balls with an Inveroche gin to remind yourself exactly which country you’re in.

Gavin Rajah Yes, his clothes are fabulous. And now, thanks to a capsule collection with local chain Pick n Pay, they’re accessible to the rest of us. But even more magnificent than the garish, eclectic creations of this iconic South African designer—visit his studio at 63 Rose Street in Bo Kaap to see the genius at work—are his efforts at systemic change, for South Africans and migrants. Via his organization the White Light Movement, he empowers mothers who have confronted domestic violence and sex abuse by offering them sustainable training, employment and financial mentorship. He also works with Harvard University on scholarship programs and DEI initiatives, and collaborates with local artists to ensure that African art gets its due, from one end of the world to another.

Makers Landing Makers Landing is so much more than a food hall—it’s a self-dubbed “food community” in the tourist-heavy V&A Waterfront, celebrating all things South Africa. It does so deliciously, offering a kitchen incubator program for food entrepreneurs and selling everything from Cape Malay curry dishes and reimagined Zulu cuisine to homemade cheese and chocolate, locally sourced meats on the braai and fresh koeksisters (consider them the South African version of cinnamon buns—but way better).