Cape Town has long been shaped by the ocean.
When the city was first established, back in 1652, it was as a refreshment station for ships of the Dutch East India Company sailing the spice routes between Europe and the Far East. A century before, the wild shores of the Cape were already a vital waystation for explorers seeking fresh water and produce on their voyages of discovery around Africa.
But for millennia before that, the strandlopers – indigenous first people of the Cape who lived near the coast – relied on the ocean, combing the coastline for fish, shellfish, and sea plants, following the rhythms of the tides along the rocky shores of the Cape.
When Sir Francis Drake sailed past during his circumnavigation of the globe, he famously described it as “the fairest cape in all the circumference of the world” – a phrase as true today as it was in 1580.
Today, Cape Town remains deeply tied to the sea. Tourists flock to the idyllic beaches that fringe the city, while the world-famous Two Oceans Aquarium – a short drive from Ellerman House – is a global leader in marine conservation and education.
We are a city indelibly linked to the ocean. From the fishermen who cast their nets, to the kitesurfers who visit in search of summer’s southeasterly winds, Cape Town is a city where life moves in step with the sea.
That is especially true at Ellerman House, where World Oceans Day – 8 June each year – is celebrated against the backdrop of dramatic Atlantic Ocean views from the Ellerman House terrace and lawns.
Beyond the crystalline light and fresh sea air that wafts up to Ellerman House from the shores below, the ocean is a thread that runs throughout Ellerman House. From the saline tang infused into the craft gins offered at Bar Roc come sunset, to the unforgettable views that frame the private balconies in many of our suites, the ocean is an indelible part of the character of Ellerman House.
That extends to the culinary experience, and Executive Chef Kieran Whyte is a passionate champion of ocean-minded sustainability, from reducing the use of single-use plastics to collaborating with carefully selected local fishmongers and eco-conscious aquaculture producers.
When the weather allows you may also find him and his brigade of chefs foraging for wild seaweeds and edible treasures along the pristine shores of the southern peninsula, bringing a distinct sense of place to the menus of both Curate, the fine-dining destination restaurant that opened in the Wine Gallery in May 2025, and in-house restaurant OneEighty.
With dramatic ocean vistas from almost every table, OneEighty offers a relaxed yet refined à la carte menu of modern South African cuisine. And while a choice of sustainable seafood dishes is usually a highlight of the menu, for World Oceans Day this year Whyte has gone one step further. For one day only, he has removed all seafood from the OneEighty menu.
“For World Oceans Day this year, we want to shine a light on plant-based cuisine, and remind both guests and ourselves that with the oceans under threat, we might not always have access to the incredible marine resources that are available to us today,” explains Kieran.
Whyte’s ethos is also perfectly in line with a commitment by Relais & Châteaux, of which Ellerman House is a proud member, to the sustainable sourcing of seafood. Ellerman House has also recently partnered with Food Made Good, the world’s leading sustainability certification for the hospitality industry, which is guiding Ellerman House into the next phase of its ocean-minded sustainability journey.
