The Sweet Service Award goes to Audi Century City, and its Service Manager Darryl Robertson, for the amazing service I received in replacing the faulty headlamp of my Audi, by fetching my car, even offering a replacement car which I didn’t need, for returning it in three hours, for cleaning my car inside and outside, and for sending my car back with a gift of an Audi key ring, all at NO charge, Christmas having come early!
New restaurants are still opening, or planning to open, in Cape Town and the Winelands, despite it being Winter.
The biggest recent restaurant opening has been by Chef Liam Tomlin, who opened The Bailey, a three storey Brasserie, Bakery, and two Bars across the road from Heritage Square. He has closed down his Chefs Warehouse on Bree Street. Ouzeri also opened last month.
Restaurant Artizian will open on Bree Street in August. Chef Peter Tempelhoff is said to open a Japanese Street Food restaurant on the ground floor of Speakers Corner, the building in which FYN operates, in September. TANG will create a big stir when it opens in the Waterfront in Spring, Continue reading →
Tuesday 15 March 2022, Day 166 of Level 1 😷
Corona Lockdown Gratitude 🙏
#grateful for getting home safely, after 12 hours on the road from Plett to Cape Town; for a last breakfast at The Grand, granola with fruit and yoghurt, and scrambled egg and Avo; for filling up the car and testing tyres and oil at Shell Plett; for the morning drive until Swellendam going smoothly with little traffic, and roadworks only just before the town; for a much better lunch at Grace & Merci in Swellendam today compared to the one at Old Gaol five days ago, closed as we drove past today, I suspecting that ‘In die Sop’ may be doing an image and menu overhaul for the restaurant; for our Continue reading →
The Sweet Service Award goes to Bernard Coppez optometrists, for assisting me in getting an appointment today, to test my script for a new pair of glasses, written by my ophthalmologist, following two eye operations. I was checking the prices of two optometrists, and the waiting time for the checking of the script, apparently a standard procedure, was one week at Riaan King Camps Bay optometrist, its prices going up each time I spoke to them. The receptionist at Bernard Copper tried her best to find me a 15 minute slot, squeezing me in for today. Continue reading →
The winners of the South African leg of the 2022 Great Wine Capitals have just been announced by Wesgro. Two wine estates won in two categories each.
Added to the local Awards are Tourism Ambassador Awards, not an official category in the Great Wine Capitals Global Network annual awards, but added to the South African awards only.
South Africa is one of 11 wine-producing regions of the Great Wine Capitals network. The regions are Adelaide in Australia, Bilbao and Rioja in Spain, Bordeaux in France, Cape Town and Cape Winelands in South Africa, Lausanne in Switzerland, Mainz and Rheinhessen in Germany, Mendoza in Argentina, Porto in Portugal, San Francisco and Napa Valley in the USA, Valparaiso and Casablanca Valley in Chile, and Verona in Italy. Awards are presented annually in a number of categories pertaining to Best of Wine Tourism.
The 2022 winners of the South African Great Wine Capitals Global Network Best of Wine Tourism Awards are the following:
# Accommodation: Delaire Graff in Stellenbosch – the accommodation offers opulence, views of the Banhoek Valley, a relaxing stay, a private patio, and a pillow menu.
#. Wine Tourism Restaurants : Creation in Hermanus – wine is paired to food, instead of the other way around at Creation, its latest pairing being a Canapé Pairing Menu. It also offers a Brunch Pairing, a Wine and Chocolate Pairing as well as an aromatic tea and food pairing.
#. Architecture & Landscape: Vergelegen in Somerset West – recognised for its Octagonal
Garden, the Camphor Forest, the Reflection Garden, the Sundial Garden, and the Fynbos Garden.
#. Arts & Culture : La Motte in Franschhoek – recognised for its history and curated art shows, and Cape Dutch architecture.
# Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences : Babylonstoren in Franschhoek – recognised for its wine tasting offered to visitors arriving with the Franschhoek Wine Tram, going on a cellar tour, and visit the new wine tunnel, representing centuries of wine making and storage.
#. Wine Tourism Services : Creation in Hermanus – recognised for their Voormanhuis accommodation, local art, commitment to sustainability, and sourcing locally.
# Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices : Vergelegen in Somerset West – recognised for the 20 year journey of its commitment to sustainability and rehabilitation, presented as an Environmental Tour to visitors. It is self-sufficient in water, and the meat and seafood used in its restaurants are locally sourced and ethically raised.
# Ambassador Awards, celebrating ongoing Transformation: AA Badenhorst, Paardenkloof Estate, and Dewetshof Estate.
Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide
Last week I was spoilt with a two day stay at 185 on Beach, a four star guest house as well as self-catering accommodation establishment located on Beach Road in Gordon’s Bay, a few steps from the town’s famous Bikini Beach.
What was intended as an Instagram training trade exchange became two days of spoiling by owners Richard and Jeanette Loring, and added to my portfolio of sunset photographs, given the fantastic location of 185 on Beach. Continue reading →
Thursday 5 August 2021, Day 10 of Level 3 😷
Corona Gratitude 🙏
#grateful for a wonderful day, with more abundance 🙏; for an early breakfast, having to leave 185 on Beach after 2 days of generous spoiling by Jeanette and Richard Loring; for a coffee/tea stop at Fancy Franks in Somerset West, owned by Michael Townsend, meeting GM Duncan Bruce, not having seen each other in years, since we met at Hartford House; for getting to my Harvest Culture Eaterie in the Tyger Waterfront spot on at 11h00, despite a traffic jam on the N2, as a result of a police van having done a somersault and landing on its roof 😱; for being appointed by Harvest Culture to continue with their Social Media after a probationary period 🙏🙏🙏; for having such a Continue reading →
I have great admiration for what Restaurateur Michael Townsend has achieved in more than twenty years of restauranting in Cape Town, always creative in the restaurant concepts.
At a time when most restaurant owners would not dream of opening a restaurant, Michael has boldly opened the grand Grand Pavilion on Beach Road in Sea Point, opposite the landmark Pavilion, two Sea Point icons now facing each other. Continue reading →
I looooove ‘Das Traumschiff’, a German TV series that has been broadcast regularly in the past 20 years or so, so I was doubly excited when our city ‘Kapstadt’ was the focus of the Boxing Day 2020 edition of this series.
The edition could not have come at a better time, when our city’s Tourism industry is sorely missing its German tourists, and the Germans are missing not being able to travel to our city. But a subplot of the Cape Town edition has some political sensitivities, not good for our country’s image and tourism future. Continue reading →
It was a surprise message from Chef Gregory Czarnecki this morning that his Restaurant at Waterkloof will close down on 22 November, a Covid casualty. His future plans nor those of the restaurant space at the Waterkloof Winery are not yet known. Chef Gregory opened the restaurant eleven years ago, and he soon became known for his magnificent food presentation, and for his desserts in particular.
Restaurant at Waterkloof was named the number one restaurant in our country in the Eat Out Top 10 Awards in 2018. Last year it was ranked third on the list. Continue reading →