Tag Archives: Spiegelpaleis

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 11 May

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*  South Africa’s 2015 wine harvest commenced two weeks earlier than usual, and was 1% smaller than in 2014, according to VinPro, representing 3000 grape growers and wine cellars. ‘The 2015 harvest had the earliest start in decades. Warm weather in August resulted in earlier bud break, after which a warm, dry and windy summer kept vineyard growth under control and accelerated ripening by approximately two weeks’, said Francois Viljoen, manager of VinPro’s Consultation Service. It has also been described as one of the ‘healthiest in years’, with almost no disease or rot. Record crops were achieved in Worcester.

*   In addition to major roadworks in Camps Bay, and on the intersection between Adderley and Strand Streets, Continue reading →

Madame Zingara creates a circus in the UK

Madame Zingara, Cape Town’s “eccentric dinner theatre circus”,  is on her way to London, and will set up her Spiegelpaleis at the Battersea Power Station from 10 December.   From March the Theatre of Dreams will move to Dublin and Edinburgh, reports the Cape Argus.

Given that many of the Madame Zingara staff could not get work permits to join the Madame on her journey to London, owner Richard Griffin decided to obtain a second dinner circus venue, which will stay behind in Cape Town.  Its name is Mojolena, in honour of two top staff members Mojo and Sweetlana, and opens on 22 November.

Madame Zingara’s creative visionary Griffin, who imported the Spiegelpaleis from Belgium when his Loop Street restaurant burnt down two years ago, believes in giving back to the community, and a percentage of the proceeds goes to the Reach for a Dream and Ikamva Labantu charities.  

Griffin’s team will be serving South African wines and springbok to the 400 UK patrons every night, and says: “We are going as the greatest South African product.”