WhaleTales Blog

The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, referred to as Zeitz MOCAA, is a public not-for-profit contemporary art museum in the Silo district of the V&AWaterfront, which collects, preserves, researches, and exhibits 21st century art from our continent of Africa. This exciting art project is set to catapult Cape Town into the centre of the African art world, when it opens to the public on Friday! It is the largest museum of African art in the world! (more…)

I was very excited to sit with Chef Darren Badenhorst yesterday morning, to hear more about his new restaurant Le coin Français By Darren Badenhorst, which will open in Franschhoek on 11 October.  (more…)

Yesterday I attended the Media Launch of the Leeu Estates new Afternoon Tea, which had been created by Leeu Collection Executive Chef South Africa Oliver Cattermole, and brand new Group Pastry Chef Martin Senekal.  (more…)

As I was traveling in the first week of September, I was unable to attend the Blaauwklippen Blending  Competition, having attended many of the competition events over the years, always a fun and educational lunch at the Stellenbosch wine estate. (more…)

The Sweet Service Award goes to Farber Coachworks in Montague Gardens, and its driver Daniel Steyn, for his kindness in driving me between my home and his employer. He is an amazing service ambassador, compared to his colleagues, not one of the persons I dealt with other than him having any redeeming features or service orientation.  (more…)

After a quiet August as far as restaurant openings in Cape Town and the Winelands are concerned, September is seeing a number of new restaurants opening between now and the end of the month. 

We update information about newly opened and closed restaurants continuously, and welcome such news.

Restaurant Openings

#   Roast & Co has opened alongside HQ, in the former Bizerca Bistro space, in Heritage Square (photograph) (more…)

A three-week writing focus at Apricale in Italy saw me complete the writing of a book within the time period I had allocated to this first-ever writing challenge. As the catalyst for The Book was Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen, in that I met a special man at his book launch in March last year, and that The Book tells the story of the transformational effect of the meeting, there was no better restaurant to eat at on Saturday, to celebrate the completion of The Book, than at JAN Restaurant in Nice! It felt like Christmas, it being exciting to experience JAN Restaurant again, my third visit in two years!  (more…)

Nitida Coronata Integration 2016, a Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend, was named as the best overall Blend in this category, in the Winemag Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend & Wooded Sauvignon Blanc Report 2017, presented earlier this week. 

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For a number of years I have attended the Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge, sponsored by Standard Bank, but had to decline the awards earlier this week, held at Delaire Graff, due to travel. I received the media release, announcing the Top 10 Chenin Blanc wines.   (more…)

The Sweet Service Award goes to the Traffic Department in the Civic Centre, and staff member Tamlyn Spielman, who assisted me in getting a replacement Motor Vehicle Registration form for a scooter, which I had sold, and for which I needed the form to hand over to the purchaser. Despite having recently replaced my driver’s license due to theft, and having been issued with a new license for my car, there was no record of my FICA-registration on the system. It was also not good enough to show my driver’s license as identification! I was so annoyed that I threw a Charlize Theron fit at the counter. When I calmed down, I realized that I had a proof of residence in my phone. A Manager was called, and she must have taken pity on me, allowing me to get the form without the ID Book and the proof of residence!

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