The party hasn’t stopped, the
champagne still ows, everyone
who’s anyone in the city continues
to see and be seen at the glitziest
waterfront address.
aunted
modernity and vitality, established
itself emphatically as precisely
what it is- the One & Only!
s arina ise rooms are
palatial and boast walk-in wardrobes
bigger than a London apartment.
Mattresses so right royally rich that
no princess, however pernickety,
could feel a pea ensconced under it.
Princesses will adore O&O’s island
spa, a city spa on a private island!
Ask for Ntombi, who does fantastic
ESPA facials. You’ve got fancy
French Bastien Gonzalez mani/pedi
too. Or immerse yourself in the
two-hour Essence of the Earth &
Ocean ritual incorporating local sea
salts and seaweed wraps customised
by ESPA, exclusively for this spa.
O&O’s exclusivities include famous
Japanese restaurant Nobu, where
wasabi ice cream pairs with the best
South African dessert wine from the
city’s best selection. Wine galas are
conducted by sommelier Luovo, who
is only
but is mature like a fine
old wine. He’s internationally-known,
won South Africa’s Best Sommelier
award in 2008 and hasn’t stopped
winning since.
all-inclusive mini-bar, and this is
what you’ll get; an enchantment of
the senses, Liz Biden’s pet creation
is sumptuous, overwhelmingly so.
Individually designed suites have
themes as varied as Tibetan, deeply
orange and exotic, to rench and fine
Huguenot. Armani didn’t quite stay
in the rmani suite, but obert
edford did. owever, Elt on ohn
naturally has a preference for the
Queen of all suites, the Indian
Maharani Suite. All suites have
astonishing views, some over
vineyards, all over luxurious
lawns climbing into hilled verdure.
Staff distinguish themselves
with wit, vim and warmth -- not
altogether usual in Cape Town,
sometimes so brutally businesslike.
owhere else would staff wrap into
little bon-bons breakfast cereal bars
you’ve especially liked. This was for
me to take along when I was when
departing for Franchoek, where I was
sent in a Mercedes Benz limo (only
standard at O&O).
O&O also has the savviest concierge,
who can get you into restaurants
with apparently eternal waiting lists
like est itchen, whose
declared
it the “best restaurant in Africa.”
It rather wows the uninitiated by
an overwhelming assemblage of
disparate items not necessarily
consonant, and a painfully long
sampling aggravated by monotony.
If you re vegetarian, you d find
beetroot on half your menu and
celeriac on the other half.
La esidence lives in the rench
quarter, whose many dining options
include new Foliage just down the
road. But feed the senses over
lunches on the hotel’s terraces, set
on emerald lawns where sapphire
peacocks strut -- wonder whence
this Indian exotica came. Perhaps
some Indian Maharaja forgot his pets
on holiday. Liz Biden didn’t return
them, for they clearly enhance her
hotel. Suppers are under stunning
chandeliers and paired with wines
from the estate. There’s a tasting
menu too, that can be cancelled as
per the GM’s whims -- he can be
uite a drama ueen, befittingly
amid this dramatic decor.
But try 95 Keerom, where
internationally-renowned Milanese
chef Giogio Nava makes pasta,
awarded the world’s best. His
ravioli won’t disappoint, nor will
this disarming chef with a subtle
sense of humour.
La Residence (Franchoek): Throw in
an Italian villa, Marie-Antoinette’s
favourite toys and a heck of a lot of
lavish tissues, chandeliers, marble,
artwork, period furniture and an
Don’t irk the General Manager
before your massage with masseuse
Athena, who does the best massages
One & Only Cape Town
LEFT
One & Only Spa
32
in these parts. She’s so good that
obert edford wanted to run away
with her!
Birkenhead House (Hermanus):
Corinne, the manageress, says
Hermanus, a serene seaside town
about 90 minutes from Cape Town,
has “champagne air,” and is the only
place in the world where you can
breathe and drink champagne. You
certainly can from the champagnestocked, all-inclusive mini-bar at
Birkenhead House, another Liz
Biden creation.
Set on rocks verging over the water,
here’s the best address for whalewatching, from daybeds by the
infinity pool that seems to meld into
the ocean. In ghastly weather, repair
to a glass-encased salon, where you
can stretch on massive white sofas
by a fire place, warmly wrapped and
copiously supplied with the best Earl
Grey in South Africa, freshly brewed
and served with the cake of the day.
ake is generously offered, and you
keep gorging until you fear you’ll
acquire a whale of a waistline. But
Corinne says they have decided to
curtail those leviathan South African
portions, and are considering
healthier cuisine, served in an
all-glass dining room where you
can keep whale-watching.
There’s a spa for those whose whalewatching trips bad weather thwarts.