It's sunrise in Cape Town and I'm hanging off a mountain. This isn't artistic licence: both hands are gripping rock, my trainers are scrambling for a purchase, and an ill-timed sneeze will see me descending Lion's Head significantly faster than I went up. Somewhere above my head is Ryan Cole, one of South Africa's finest chefs, and his two Staffordshire terriers, Truffle and Rhino. This evening a small group of us will dine at Ryan’s celebrated restaurant, Salsify at the Roundhouse. The group will get even smaller if I don’t watch where I put my feet. (Would they cancel the meal? Let’s hope so.)
Spoiler: I get up there and Ryan gives me a high-five. The view is astounding: Cape Town spreads across the bay beneath me, cradled by lush green mountains and sparkling sunlit sea. I’ve been lucky enough to see some impressive geographic tableaus in my time – the Grand Canyon from helicopter (down), the Northern Lights from a midnight hot spring (up), a Caribbean sunset so vibrant it looked like God colouring in the sky (all around) – but Lion’s Head at sunrise will stay with me forever. And yes, I’m aware I sound like a teenager from Brighton on their gap year but, like, dude, don’t you know travel broadens your mind.
(Slight confession: we didn’t reach the very top but the last ascent was too steep for the dogs. Obviously I’d have done it otherwise, probably in record time – although I can’t say in which direction.)
Let’s talk about Ryan. The son of a fisherman, he presides over not one but two successful Cape Town restaurants; Salsify opened in 2018, Coy just last year. He’s 36 years old and could pass for a decade younger. He boxes three times a week, hikes regularly, fishes whenever possible, possesses two dogs, multiple tattoos and the soulful good-looks of someone about to release a critically acclaimed acoustic guitar album. Suffice to say, you don’t just swoon over the food.
Chef Ryan Cole
And his food is pretty damn swoonsome. Let us start with the headline act, Salsify at the Roundhouse, a restaurant which did no more or less than provide one of the most memorable dining experiences of my life. The building was built in 1786 and over the years found use as a guardhouse, a hunting lodge and even a dancehall before Salsify arrived in 2018. A regular visitor was 19th century doctor James Barry, notable for performing one of the first recorded Caesareans in which both mother and child survived, and also living her entire life as a man in order to pursue a career in medicine – her true sex was only discovered after her death.
The story of James Barry is celebrated through graffiti in Salsify’s preservation chamber, the small compact room where your evening begins. Here you enjoy a welcome cocktail and snack while one of the mixologists (we got George) swiftly explains the history of the Roundhouse and prepares a cocktail with equal efficiency. A black shelf displays jars of native ingredients ranging from num num spirit to dried abalone.
Dr Barry is also present in the bronze statue of a woman with a man's head that greets you in the entrance hall. The decor at Salsify is seeped in its own history. See the origami flowers hanging from the ceiling of the Seasonal Room? Those are former menus from years past. We dined in the Sea Room, overlooking the mountains and the ocean. It’s a timeless place, both in the lack of modern fripperies and the manner in which the evening seems to gradually expand in a mellifluous haze of conversation, courses and yet another glass of wine.
As the ceiling attests, the menu here changes constantly but here are a few highlights. Autumn Impressions is an exquisite dish containing mushrooms, gnocchi, chestnuts and multiple other ingredients that flow together like the sea. Pan fried linefish crumbles at the touch of your fork, white and pure as undriven snow. All the fish served at Salisfy is caught by Ryan or his brother Donovan, often that very morning.
Away from the sea, springbok tartare is a beautifully tart little creation. Steamed pork jowl is so soft you could carve the meat by blowing on it. A marble slab of fat topped with pork skin crumbs topped the meat; this is desert for carnivores. You count every bite and giggle occasionally at how much pleasure you're deriving from a single dish. I’ve not even mentioned the wagyu beef sirloin with jollof rice, which I can pay no better compliment than saying it lived up to everything that came before it.
Numerous glasses of local wines accompanied each course, some vintages – such as a 2016 Charles Fox – exclusive to the restaurant. Food and drink were supplied by the impeccable team Ryan has assembled here, including head chef Nina du Toit, restaurant manager Eden and our server Simba. Salisfy deserves every accolade that comes its way, which is good because it’s getting a lot of them: it was named the South African restaurant of the year at the 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards and placed 88th in the World’s Best Restaurants Top 100.
The wineland
View on Instagram
In terms of natural beauty, South African wine country stands alongside Caribbean beaches and Icelandic glaciers at the very top of the pile. Our first port (ha) of call was Babylonstoren, one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms situated in the Franschhoek wine valley. As well as vineyards and a winery, there are animals, a large vegetable garden, several restaurants, and even a hotel and spa. It’s a place of such breathtaking wholesomeness, you can actually feel your soul growing a little purer every moment you spend there.
Your head may grow a little lighter if you opt for a wine tasting, especially one that starts at eleven in the morning. The wine selection spans multiple regions from Stellenbosch to Constantia, ensuring a veritable tour for your tastebuds. My favourite was a 2024 Sauvignon Blanc from the wonderfully named Groot Phesantekraal, a lovely light wine containing melon, passion fruit and gooseberry among many other fruits. It was run close by a silky Steenberg Merlot from the legendary region of Constantia, the cradle of South African wine making.
We lunched in the gorgeous Greenhouse restaurant (literally beside a greenhouse, although we sat outdoors) and then headed off to Jordan Wine Estate in Stellenbosch for a wine safari. Similar to Babylonstoren, Jordan offers the tantalising option of never actually leaving in the form of luxury suites and even a villa to be hired. There’s also a restaurant, a cellar and a lake that makes a very nice place to recline post-safari.
The safari was pretty great. We hopped into an old-school Land Rover – very Jurassic Park – and went zipping round the estate, stopping at various extremely picturesque spots to sample some of the produce. At one point an airplane crossed the sky, a distant white speck in an expanse of boundless blue. I watched it for several minutes until it finally disappeared over the mountains; the whole experience was remarkably soothing.
The hotel
We stayed at the boutique hotel Palm House in the leafy suburb of Wynberg. It’s a great base to explore not only the city but also the surrounding areas, less than 20 minutes drive from the waterfront while avoiding that downtown traffic should you wish to head further afield. The main house is a grand affair, more than a century old and decorated with various paintings and furniture that looks sturdy enough to survive an earthquake. The verdant, immaculately maintained garden comes with an outdoor pool.
Rooms are named after wine varieties, naturally. I stayed in Shiraz, a deluxe king suite that opened onto a vast balcony overlooking the garden and the mountains beyond. Smart TV, aircon and coffee machine are just a few of the amenities I enjoyed. The bathroom is marble, the bathtub deep enough for scuba diving. You sleep like a marathon runner and awake to birdsong.
Palm House has a serious restaurant of its own in the form of de Tafel from executive chef Gregory Henderson. Only open for dinner, the restaurant offers anywhere from four to eight courses inspired by the landscape of the Cape. Many of the ingredients have been personally foraged by Gregory, resulting in some seriously creative dishes on your culinary journey. Yes, there are paired wines. Palm Terracem, the hotel’s other restaurant, lays on afternoon tea (which I didn’t try) and an extremely good breakfast (which I did).
The waterfront
The V&A waterfront should certainly be visited at some point. For starters it has Coy, Ryan Cole’s other restaurant. It’s slap bang in the middle of the harbour: the only passing traffic is the occasional yacht. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow diners to enjoy the unique location and the dark, gleaming interiors hit the sweet spot between ‘minimalist class’ and ‘I feel wealthy just sitting here’. It’s clearly one of those places that can swallow hours, afternoons, evenings in cocooned pleasure.
There’s only one menu for dinner, the Coy experience: seven courses although almost every course offers multiple choices, normally between meat and fish. (Vegan and vegetarian menus are available on request.) The only drawback is missing out on some tantalising options: so beef tartare and Cape Point octopus were sacrificed for tuna and ox tongue. (Both divine.) Such are the weighty decisions we must make.
So that’s dinner sorted. Drinks can be sampled at the award-winning Cause / Effect cocktail bar, serving cocktails inspired by the region (there’s a lot of that in Cape Town but then it’s a very inspirational place). Premium spirits and local ingredients combine for some delicious drinks; garrulous founder Kurt Schlechter will happily talk you through the menu. The food’s very solid as well. And if you’re looking for something a little more downmarket, there’s an Irish bar bang next door. (Plus a lesser-seen Scottish bar – the difference appears to be minimal.)
There are all manner of delightful shops to keep you occupied. Time Out Market is the most famous but I’d suggest walking along the seafront to Oranjezicht City Farm Market, a lovely spot where dozens of stalls sell fresh produce and delicious food overlooking the Atlantic. Featuring 40 local farmers and 80 food traders, you can get pretty much anything here. It’s lovely, it’s vibrant, it’s an adventure for the soul: rather like Cape Town itself.
View on Instagram
Roundhouse, Round House Rd, Camps Bay, Cape Town, 8040; Salsify at the Roundhouse
