Cape Town’s top concierges share their personal suggestions for the perfect day
Joey Michael
Start the day with a champagne breakfast at Mount Nelson’s Oasis Restaurant, overlooking our sparkling blue pool and lush, expansive gardens.
Then take a walking tour of the city center – from the main entrance of the hotel, walk down Government Avenue, perhaps popping into the National History Museum, the National Art Gallery, the National Planetarium and the Holocaust Museum.
Walk through the glorious Company Gardens and pass the Houses of Parliament, maybe buy some nuts and feed the wild squirrels. At the end of the Avenue, visit St George’s Cathedral where Archbishop Desmond Tutu was once resident. Then wander off to the flea market in Greenmarket Square and up to the Bo-Kaap (Cape Malay Quarter) where you can buy fresh, fragrant spices and admire the striking, brightly colored houses.
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Wind your way back to Long Street, which becomes Kloof Street, lined with independently owned boutique designer shops, second-hand clothing stores, antique shops, bead emporiums, old book shops, small restaurants and cafes, all the way up to the Kloof Street entrance to the Mount Nelson.
If the weather is good, take the hotel’s courtesy shuttle to Table Mountain. If you are feeling fit, walk to the top of the mountain via Platteklip Gorge. Otherwise, opt for what most visitors do and take the easy ride to the top via the cable car.
If you are a sun worshipper and would prefer to chill on the beach, the Mount Nelson offers a courtesy transfer to beautiful Camps Bay beach. Why not order an indulgent picnic from the hotel kitchens, a few beach towels and an umbrella from the concierge, and enjoy a long, languid, lazy day on Camps Bay beach with its powder white sand and crystal clear, if somewhat chilly, ocean waters. If you prefer dining in style to picnicking, you are spoilt for choice, with a myriad of fabulous restaurants, cafes and bars along the Camps Bay strip.
After a long day out and about, we suggest you return to the Mount Nelson for a relaxing Sundowner on the Planet Bar terrace, which should put you in the perfect mood to enjoy a delicious, locally inspired dish or two, with some excellent Cape wines, at the recently opened Planet Restaurant.
Best Restaurants
Planet Restaurant
Cuisine: Fine dining
Mount Nelson Hotel, 76, Orange Street
The Grand Café & Beach
Cuisine: Bistro
Granger Bay Road, off Beach Road, Granger Bay
Best Shopping
Long and Kloof Streets
Austen Mitch
Chief Concierge, Ellerm an House & Villa
Best to do
Ask us about the special ‘Ellerman Experiences’ which we can arrange for you, to make your time in Cape Town even more memorable. These include:
Helicopter flights: Take to the skies in style, whether you want to experience the breathtaking aerial views of Table Mountain and the Cape Peninsula, venture to the ‘real’ southernmost tip of South Africa, fly to a wine farm for lunch, land at an exclusive golf course for 18 holes, arrive at a conference refreshed, exhilarated and ready to go, or spoil yourself or a special loved one with a unique experience you will never forget.
Flight of the Giants: The ultimate whale-watching experience: an eagle-eye view of whales undisturbed and unaware of human presence, from the comfort of a dedicated whale-watching aircraft. You can watch calves touching their mothers for reassurance, 60-foot-long, 80-ton whales breaching and crashing in an explosion of spray, mating groups and more whales than you would believe possible. The record to date is 135 whales in a 30-minute flight over Walker Bay. Passengers of any age are welcome, and during whale season sightings are guaranteed. The aircraft is ideal for photographers, with a removable door offering an unobstructed view.
Best restaurants
The Roundhouse & Rumbullion
Cuisine: Fine dining
The Glen, Kloof Road, Camps Bay
Jardine
Cuisine: Fine dining
185 Bree Street
Aubergine
Cuisine: Fine dining
39 Barnet Street, Gardens
Best Shopping
The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, which is full of great shops for every possible occasion.
