Design director and aesthete, Jaco Janse van Rensburg’s favourite day trips
It’s always a good idea to plan your day around a meal, so choose an excellent restaurant and make the journey there an adventure.
Take a drive to Noordhoek along Chapman’s Peak Drive (check with tourism offices to see whether it’s open). Stop at the Food Barn at Noordhoek Farm Village for Eggs Benedict before a long beach walk from Noordhoek to Kommetjie and back. I recommend this if you’re looking for a quiet way to spend your day as you won’t bump into a lot of people and you can even take your dogs or go horse riding. On the way back, stop in Hout Bay for fish and chips at Fish on the Rocks. Follow the signs to the harbour on Victoria Avenue. Pass Mariner’s Wharf on your left and keep driving to the end of the road until you see Fish on the Rocks. Order a takeaway then drive to Llandudno beach for a late lunch. We usually pack a picnic basket and a bottle of rosé to enjoy while the sun goes down.
There are some lovely things to do in the Kloof Street area, starting at the top of Kloof Street with breakfast at Manna Epicure. There are always interesting people. A little poke inside Kloof Street Antiques usually turns up something special. On the way down Kloof towards Long Street, stop in at decor shops Lim, Klooftique and o.live and specialist bookshop Biblioteq. I often make a detour to Royale for a Bar One and Romany Cream milkshake before retracing my footsteps past the Long Street Baths to the Company’s Gardens.
If you have time, the Planetarium has a great show for adults on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 pm called ‘The Sky Tonight’. Afterwards, turn immediately right on to Government Avenue and weave through the Michaelis School of Fine Art – it is a gorgeous cluster of buildings. You come out at the pedestrian crossing at the entrance to the Mount Nelson. When in Cape Town, do high tea at the Mount Nelson! Place a request with the pianist, a lovely lady who is always willing to oblige.
If you’re in the mood for a drive, Mariana’s Home Deli and Bistro is one of the best restaurants in South Africa so it’s definitely worth going to Stanford to experience it. I suggest arriving early so you can do some shopping for your pantry – try the home-made pasta and jams, but they sell out quickly. It is also essential to book as there are only about five tables. Next, pop into Domaine du Cap, a cool little decor store. On the way back to Cape Town stop at the Marine Hotel in Hermanus for (depending on your mood) either tea and scones or a Martini at the bar.
Die Muisbosskerm up the West Coast is a unique Cape experience. You eat right on the beach – real kontrei kos (regional food), they serve things like moskonfyt (thick syrup) and home-made bread and the seafood is caught that same day. There’s no cutlery; you eat with mussel shells. It’s about a three-hour drive from the city but take it slow and enjoy the scenery on the West Coast road.