Tag: V&A waterfront

On your marks, get set, Summer!

Cape Town,South Africa
4 comments
By Matthew Sterne on

Cape Town burst into life this weekend as the sun came out and temperatures hit 30 degrees. Summer is well on its way as Cape Town gets ready to welcome International visitors. Peak season in Cape Town runs from November until March when the Mother City really comes into its own. There can be few better cities in the World when the sun comes out. Saturday was Heritage Day so most South Africans wrestled for the tongs and celebrated with a traditional braai or BBQ.

Cape Town Summer

Cape grace hotel - Bascule Bar

Cape grace - exterior

It all began with sunset cocktails at the the Bascule Bar in the Cape Grace Hotel followed by the best lamb pizza in town at the Woodlands Eatery. With the World Cup starting to take shape, Saturday kicked off with bacon sarnies in front of the New Zealand v France match to fuel the afternoon hike up Lion’s Head where we set up this time lapse and enjoyed a couple of cold beers as the sun delved into the Atlantic.

An authentic Thai massage at En Masse made for a rather unique start to Sunday – an absolute must for anyone living in Cape Town to experience. Then it was time to hit the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay before taking a sunset cruise on the Peroni yacht from the V&A Waterfront. R200 will get you 90 mins on their slick catamaran with a couple of glasses of bubbly thrown in for good measure!

Cape Town Summer

Cheers to an excellent weekend and the start of Summer!

Cape Town Summer

Have you booked you booked your Cape Town summer holiday yet? If not, you’d better get cracking as the hotels and guest houses are filling up rapidly. Speak to one of our expert consultants today and let us tailor-make your Cape Town holiday of a lifetime!

Victoria & Alfred Waterfront: a place for all seasons

Cape Town
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By Tamlin Wightman on

Sure, it’s winter in Cape Town, but this is a city that’s great all year round. And one place you can’t miss when coming here is the world-class Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. There are fewer crowds this time of year, although still a good buzz, and the cold air outside makes you feel less guilty for dining and shopping indoors all day or night.

The beauty of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is that it has everything. Right there. Within walking distance of each other are some of the top restaurants in the city, from sushi bars (such as Willoughby & Co, which the Brumbies Australian rugby team earlier this year visited and, according to one waitress there, claim has the best sushi in the world) to steakhouses and more, old school diners to take out joints; clothing stores – the V&A Waterfront is a shopping Mecca with top brands; popular supermarkets; cinema houses – from Blockbusters to artier, Nouveau films; and various activities – from boat rides and the Two Oceans Aquarium to helicopter flights.

Here in the V&A Waterfront are some of the best beers from Germany (Paulaner Brauhaus) and Belgium (Den Anker); whiskeys, for example at the Cape Grace’s Bascule Whiskey Bar and Café, which is home to over 460 whiskeys from all over the world; and wines, from Belthazar for instance, which boasts an unbelievable selection from over 600 of Cape Town’s Finest wines.

The V&A Waterfront has romance. Wrap up warm and take a night time stroll over the bridge to the Clock Tower; watch the boats coming in and the starry sky mirrored on the ocean. It has enthusiasm and character. Tap your foot to the local street side entertainment – from marimbas to mimes – or shows and music in the open-air amphitheater. It has everything you could want.

It’s family-friendly too, so don’t be afraid to take Junior along. The Two Ocean’s Aquarium is a favourite, with a children’s play centre, touch pool and more. There are also several clothing stores and restaurants – such as the Aquarium’s Shoreline Café – that cater for children.

Cape Town's V&A Waterfront

FIND ME A PLACE TO STAY AT THE V&A:

For places to stay in the V&A Waterfront, browse our list of top hotels, or, visit the V&A Waterfront as part of a tailor made tour that explores the rest of this beautiful city and its surrounds too, by speaking to one of Rhino Africa’s travel experts. They offer free expert advice and guarantee cheaper rates than if you booked direct. Tel: +27 21 469 2600, e-mail enquiries@rhinoafrica.com.

TOURS THAT INCLUDE THE V&A:

Try travel consultant, Niki’s favourite tour or Cathrine’s favourite for an already-compiled collection of experiences, destinations and efficient routes that include stop-offs at the V&A Waterfront.

Cape Town's hottest destination the V&A Waterfront

WHEN TO VISIT:

Winter in Cape Town is colder and less windy than summer; definitely a good time to visit if you’re a surfer or enjoy wintry nights by hotel/ restaurant fireplaces. There’s never a wrong time to visit Cape Town, but for more information about when might suit you most, click here.

SHOPPING HOURS:

All stores, other than the V&A Craft Market & Wellness Centre, are open from 09h00 – 21h00 daily. (Excluding Sundays)

Sundays and Public Holidays: open from 10h00am till 21h00pm

V&A Craft Market & Wellness Centre: open from 09h30am till 18h00pm daily

Optional Trading Days: Christmas Day and Good Friday are the only optional trading days at the V&A Waterfront

The V&A Waterfront - Cape Town

The Rhino, The City and Perfect Martini…

Cape Town
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By Matthew Sterne on

While the Horny Grazer concerns himself with serving you the best in gastronomy, I will take care of the liquid side of things from aperitif to digestif and beyond.

As you might have guessed, I enjoy more than a Bit of Varietal; living 20 minutes from the Cape Winelands does have certain benefits. Although, you can’t chug Pinot and you can’t shake up a Chardonnay. This is why the slow sipping pace of Cape Town’s sophisticated roof top watering holes and seaside speakeasies is where you can find me at any given sunset.

Now, I am not of the opinion that I am worthy of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, nevertheless, my drink of choice is without doubt, the Martini. This “King of Cocktails” has had quite the famous following and I can’t help but fantasise that my proximity to greatness is narrowed somewhat thanks to my cocktail preference.  Don’t only take my word for this marvel’s shining review though; H. L. Mencken once called the martini “the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet”, E B White called it “the elixir of quietude” and in a more militant opinion, Nikita Krushchev supposedly called it “America’s lethal weapon”. Either way, I call it perfection!

Thanks to the efforts of everybody’s favourite spy and his love of shaking things up, the Martini has evolved a great deal from the original drink made with two ounces of Italian Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth, one ounce Old Tom sweet gin, two dashes maraschino cherry liquid, one dash bitters, shaken, and served with a twist of lemon. It is largely thanks to 007 that the drink rose to popularity and in the 1990s, the vodka martini supplanted the traditional gin-based martini in popularity. This version is strictly called a ‘kangaroo.’ The naming of this beauty and its variations is as unique as the drinker’s preference. From The Dickens, which has no garnish to the Gibson, which replaces olives for cocktail onions and the Churchill, made with dry gin, stirred, with an unopened bottle of vermouth waved above the shaker.

While researching, and by researching I mean drinking, I discovered something fascinating: a Martini is made with wine! While you compose yourself, let me explain. Vermouth is a fortified wine, flavoured with aromatic herbs and spices.

When it comes to the basics here is the only guide you will ever need:

Basic ingredients:

  • 2½ ounces gin or vodka of choice (I enjoy Skyy)
  • ½ ounce dry vermouth (A guideline is 8 parts gin or vodka, to 1 part vermouth.)
  • Garnish with twist, olives, onions or capers.

The only terms you need to know.

  • Dry: A Dry Martini will have a small amount of Vermouth. When more Vermouth is added, the martini becomes “wetter.”
  • Dirty: A Dirty Martini will have olive juice added to the cocktail, slightly clouding it.
  • Twist: A garnish made from the rind of a lemon, lime or orange.
  • Shaken or Stirred – Martinis that are shaken have slivers of ice floating in them.  Conversely, stirred martinis are chilled but should have no ice floating in the drink.

I’m sure you’ve heard that Martinis are foul, bitter drinks, even so, I suggest you start with the Imperial Martini mixed with maraschino liqueur and take it from there. As for the best place to enjoy one, the best Martini in Cape Town can be found at the Vista Bar at the One&Only. Alternatively try Savruga restaurant at the V&A Waterfront or Skybar at the Cape Royale.

As for a personal variation, I will soon be introducing the Rhinotini. In the mean time, would you like another round?

Reuben’s at the One & Only Hotel, Cape Town

Cape Town,General
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By Matthew Sterne on

The Horny Grazer Review

Chesney Hawke’s lyrics are the first thing that enter my head whenever I walk through the doors at the One&Only. It’s empowering. The Horny Grazy – nobody I’d rather be.

This time I was visiting Reuben’s, which recently replaced Gordon Ramsay’s Maze restaurant. A stalwart of Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands, this is chef Reuben Riffel’s first venture into the big city.

Horney Grazer review Rhino Africa Reuben's

Reuben Riffel, having been Executive Chef at another Franschhoek restaurant, Monneaux, left South Africa to gain experience in Europe. He returned, to open the eponymously named restaurant, in 2003. Reuben’s partners in Francshhoek are Marc Kent and Tim Rands of Boekenhoutskloof so these guys know a thing or two about wine as well.

With high hopes and expectations and an empty stomach I made my way through the remnants of Maze toward my table. The setting is in stark contrast to Reuben’s home base in Franschhoek. In true One&Only style everything is on a grand scale. We’re not in Kansas anymore.

Horney Grazer review Rhino Africa Reuben's

The service was excellent from the start. I was surprised to find the menu similar to the flagship restaurant but with one or two new flavours making an appearance and, as I gave it the once over, I couldn’t help but think, I’m the best man for this job!

Reuben’s is a welcome addition to the One & Only, offering a more relaxed and rustic dining experience in contrast to Nobu. Whether it’s the right restaurant for the space however is a different story. It’s a big, bold, modern space with dubious carpeting. Reuben’s is more homely.

Anyhow, to start I had the Patagonian chilli salted baby squid (R75). Tasty, although it could have been crispier and it culminated in a rather watery pool at the bottom of the bowl.

Horney Grazer review Rhino Africa Reuben's

When the recommended main arrived, I couldn’t help but consider the wise words of health fanatic Gillian McKeith – you are what you eat. I had the pork belly. It was served with chilli and caramel sauce, gingered greens, potato, apple and mustard crème and it was indeed excellent! It was R135 compared with R120 in Franschhoek. We’d asked for a red wine that would compliment the pork belly and the Sommelier suggested a 2008 Muratie Pino Noir. Perfection. And one of the best wines I have had in a while.

Realising that I can’t wear this uniform without some compromises (slightly forced reference there), the Methode cap classique and summer berry jelly added a wonderfully light and refreshing, sweet note to the evening of indulgence.

The evening was certainly enjoyable. Combined with one of the One & Only’s popular drinks specials, you’ll surely not be disappointed, but I do think Reuben’s is far more at home in the Cape Winelands than in the slick V&A Waterfront.

Horney Grazer review Rhino Africa Reuben'sReuben’s
One&Only
V&A Waterfront
Cape Town

Tel: +27 21 431 5222
E-mail: restaurantreservations@oneandonlycapetown.com

Sevruga Restaurant in Cape Town

Accommodation,Cape Town,South Africa
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By Matthew Sterne on

The Horny Grazer Review
Five Rhino Rating
“Sleeping with prostitutes is like making your cat dance with you on its hind legs. You know it’s wrong, but you try to convince yourself that they’re enjoying it as well.” Jimmy Carr

Richard and I, dapper gentlemen that we are, arrived at the V&A Waterfront on a balmy winter’s evening. Terrific, warm sunshine has been the order of this winter. If it wasn’t for our guts we’d have certainly had a spring in our steps. Richard is the GM at MannaBay and is on the hunt for restaurants to recommend to guests. He’s going to be hard pushed to find something better to recommend to a first time visitor to Cape Town…

 

The setting is sublime – vivid colours, yachty totty, sea air and Table Mountain looming in the background. It’s a big restaurant – part of the Caviar Group which includes Blonde and Beluga, but it certainly beats its brethren for location, especially if you get a table in the ample outdoor area which is a must at lunch time. White umbrellas and matching table cloths, elegantly dressed waiters and polished cutlery, there’s a lot of sex appeal here. Inside, dark and opulent browns compliment the magnificent glass ‘wine wall’ which houses over 3000 bottles of wine. Because it’s in the V&A Waterfront however, I think a lot of people tend to assume that it’s bound to be a tourist trap – they worry that it’s going to be a triumph of style over substance – ordinary food at extraordinary prices. Sevruga has a similar allure to a Soho sex shop. People want to go in, but they know it’s not a good idea…

Well let the Horny Grazer be your green light in the red light district. Leave your scepticism at the door – the food is good, the service is polished and the portions are generous.

Sevruga Restaurant

I began with the wild mushroom tortellini served with wilted rocket, a tomato concassé and white truffle foam. Sounds fussy, but it was delicious – tasty and perfectly cooked. GM had the crayfish tian which was light and refreshing if a little heavy on the mayonnaise.

Sevruga specialises in seafood – for main course, you need look no further than the salmon wellington which is hearty and delicious. It’s a large portion and slightly clumsily presented on a bed of mash, but the pastry was cooked to perfection while the salmon was succulent. We ordered a few cheeky prawns and langoustines on the side – a selection of Queens, Langoustines and Tiger Giants. You have to order a Tiger Giant for the sheer novelty – these enormous sea critters have a much firmer meat than regular prawns while the langoustines offer (well they don’t really offer it, we kind of just kill them and take it) a much sweeter meat. Unlike prawns, langoustines are not segmented, so you get meat all the way from the head to the tail. As ever watching his waistline, GM opted for the Lindt chocolate Springbok served with pommes cocottes, wild mushrooms and a chocolate & port jus. Please consult your physician before ordering this devilishly delicious dish.

Sevruga Restaurant

Unsated, we shared the chocolate fondant. It’s hard to get a fondant wrong and really all comes down to the quality of the chocolate – this one was good, but curiously presented at one end of a chocolate skid mark on a rectangular plate.

Prices are on the steep side, but the menu is nicely varied with something to suit every wallet – they also have a fantastic sushi menu and offer half price sushi daily between 14pm and 17pm.

Sevruga is a great restaurant in a fab location and there is no reason why locals shouldn’t enjoy it as much as our overseas visitors. Just remember to book if you want to sit outside.

Sevruga Restaurant

Sevruga
Shop 4, Quay 5, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
info@sevruga.co.za

+27 (0)21 421 5134

Grand by Name, Grand by Nature

Cape Town,South Africa
1 comment
By Matthew Sterne on

 

“The downside of being better than everyone else is that people tend to assume you’re pretentious” Larry Kersten

A leopard has changed its spots. Or rather a cougar. The Grand Café is officially the sexy Grand Dame of the Cape Town restaurant scene.

If you’re looking for the ultimate spot for a beach sundowner, your search ends here. The Grand Café and Beach, Granger Bay is hidden off a slip road between the V&A Waterfront and the Raddison Hotel in Mouille Point. It reminded me instantly of Cinquante-Cinq in St Tropez. Rather like that comment, it’s a bit pretentious – but a little pretension and style every now and again can be just what the Doctor ordered.

Set on the lip of the Atlantic, The Grand is elegant and breathtaking. Relax on a white sofa on the equally white sand while a dapper waiter trudges along the beach with an ice-bucket. He’ll set up your umbrella and keep you brimful of bubbly until your credit card is declined.

The main restaurant itself is in a large converted warehouse with wooden, palm fronded walkways across the sand. Inside there’s a 15m long pure white bar with cherub detail, backed by an exhibition kitchen centred on a brick pizza oven. The decor is eclectic and romantic with enticing champagne bottles aplenty. Oversized chandeliers, antique Indian rugs, Parisian café chairs, open windows to the deck and exposed timber beams complete the picture – a great, natural setting for the lifestyle gallery and private VIP dining room. There’s a chic, bistro-styled menu for both lunch and dinner – it’s billed as beach café cuisine.

On a blustery evening (heaters and blankets included), we braved the 46m deck to watch the campari coloured sun plunge below the horizon. There’s a very cool outside beach bar where sun-worshippers can laze on Indian day beds or just kick back on the rocks.

We’ve heard reports of terrible service, but credit where it’s due – Richard was slick and professional and he knew the menu backwards with some great recommendations – it was though a quiet evening. The pricing on the menu is terrifying. R200 for a fairly nondescript pizza, R500 for a seafood one. What you don’t realise however, is that one pizza is easily enough for three people.

I had the tempura prawns to start – served with a teriyaki sauce. They were perfect – light, juicy and crisp and the teriyaki sauce was deliciously moreish – bursting with soy, ginger and chilli flavours. Now Tubby number Two and I are never ones to shy away from a generous helping. But these portions are bordering on the absurd. There were at least 10 large prawns in my starter portion, while the fishcakes were also substantial (watch out for the fiery kick in the fishcake dipping sauce).

The Grand Beach Cafe

A main of kingclip tagliatta was delicious, albeit with the same teriyaki sauce as the tempura prawns (so don’t order both of these). I had the crayfish pasta which had a generous helping of crayfish and a couple of rogue clams. It was really good – hearty and decadent comfort food.

Puddings were a little disappointing. I had a chocolate mousse cake and Tubby Deux had a cheesecake. Gargantuan slices enough for three. For the record, I finished all of mine. Why they don’t make the portions smaller, served with a little more finesse and more reasonably priced is slightly beyond me, but perhaps that’s what beach café cuisine is all about.

It’s not cheap at all – our bill for a three course meal with coffees and wine came to R1,400. But I really don’t mind paying a premium for a location like this – the food was good and we most definitely didn’t go hungry. Order wisely and your bill needn’t be extortionate. If money is an object however, there’s actually no reason to eat here – just come for drinks. It’s certainly come a long way from when it first opened and it’s worth giving another try if you were one of those left disappointed.

So if you’re after a little slice of beach front glamour and a healthy dose of style and pretention, then don your pradas and your panamas – the Grand Café and Beach is just the ticket.

THE GRAND CAFÉ & BEACH
 Haul Road, off Beach Road, Granger Bay,
Cape Town, South Africa
+27 (0)21 425 0551
Email: beach@thegrand.co.za

The Horny Grazer dines at Signal at The Cape Grace

Cape Town,General,South Africa
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By Matthew Sterne on

The Horny Grazer Review

“Burgundy makes you think of silly things; Bordeaux makes you talk about them, and Champagne makes you do them.” – Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

 

At Midday you will hear an almighty bang from the Cannon on Signal Hill. This tradition dates back to the days of the Dutch East India Company when the Cape was used as a stopping point on the trade route between Europe and the East. The firing of the cannon would signal to farmers that ships were approaching the harbour so that they could bring their wares to market.

Signal Restaurant at the Cape GraceLunch was not on the cards however as we arrived for an early dinner reservation at the multi award winning Signal Restaurant presided over by executive chef Malika van Reenen. What I love about the Cape Grace is that it is so proudly South African – you will not feel like you are in a generic five star hotel that could be in any major city – you will know that you are right in the heart of Cape Town.

Service at Signal is a slick and effortless affair – my coat was taken, chair was pushed in and my napkin strewn across my lap in one practised movement. Menus arrived, aperitifs were offered as was an array of mouth watering breads – onion, red pepper, parmesan and garlic, focaccia to name but a few – and a choice of butters – plain salted or harrissa. We had no single waiter, but rather a whole squadron fawning over us. The atmosphere is calm but vibey – with just a week to go until the world cup, things were starting to hot up. The aptly named ‘Medicine’ introduced himself as the assistant sommelier and suggested a rather fine Bordeaux blend from the Raats Estate – be sure to take advantage of the expert knowledge of the sommeliers who will pair the perfect vintage with your sumptuous feast. And don’t forget to take a post-prandial digestive in the Bascule Bar with a selection of over 400 whiskies from every corner of the globe.

Signal Restaurant at the Cape GraceThe dining room itself is elegant, but doesn’t quite shake off that slightly multi-purpose and slightly stilted hotel feel. On Thursdays and Saturdays however you’ll be treated to the perfect side dish which goes a long way to assuaging that complaint – a little light jazz with more than a hint of Mozambiquan/Portuguese. A glass of Steenberg 1682 brut was the ideal accompaniment to a kingclip and sweet cucumber amuse bouche as well as my exquisite starter of seared scallops with a white bean puree, chorizo, toasted almond and saffron butter. Yum. My dining partner opted for the equally delicious but rather meatier oxtail ravioli & three bean cassoulet with parmesan pangritata. Rich and delicious. Both starters were plated on a conjoined series of three bowls – visually appealing but tricky to eat from unless you’re using a spoon.

Mains were not as a good as the starters, but there was nevertheless a fantastic selection of locally sourced meats and flavours – a malay-spiced springbok loin or cumin-crusted ostrich for instance. We opted for the fillet of chalmar beef, wild mushroom compote, Boulanger potato, sautéed asparagus and pine-needle hollandaise, as well as the smoked pork belly on lemon-scented mash, broccoli florets & cranberry & rooibos gastrique. The use of rooibos in the menu is fantastic and a uniquely South African flavour even if the gastrique was slightly on the salty side. My only real criticism is that the mains could have been plated with a little more finesse.

I rounded things off with what for me was the highlight of the meal, a rooibos crème brulee with homemade white chocolate & honeycomb ice cream. Enough said.

Signal should be applauded for its uniquely South African menu with contemporary flare –  I could go back ten times and still find dishes I wanted to try, so I suggest you get cracking!

Signal Restaurant at the Cape Grace

Giant Vuvuzellas and a Wheel of Excellence

Cape Town,South Africa
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By Matthew Sterne on

 

South Africa is the stage and The World Cup is the game show. In Cape Town, a giant vuvuzela has been erected on the unfinished high way at Green Point and The Wheel of Excellence is up and in good spinning order at the nearby Waterfront. A poor man’s London Eye if ever there was, but it is rather sparkling and exciting all the same. ..

If by any chance you’ve been living in a cave for the last few years and don’t yet know what a vuvuzela is, well the (not really a joke) joke goes something like this, “What’s plastic, a metre long, brightly coloured and sounds like an elephant? A vuvuzela of course.” It’s the noise-making trumpet of South African football fans and trust me, if you don’t want to go insane then you‘ll need to adopt the “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” approach. The giant vuvuzela will be blown every time a goal is scored much to the delight of local residents. Listen to it’s sound on the video below.

The desperately named Wheel of Excellence meanwhile is a fully illuminated giant Ferris wheel with 36 fully enclosed, luxury cabins which will treat visitors to a unique sightseeing opportunity – providing an eagle eye view of the V&A Waterfront, Green Point Stadium, Robben Island, Table Mountain, the City and the Paarl mountains.

Excitement across South Africa is reaching fever pitch as we welcome the World (apart from Theo Walcott)…

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