A new fine-dining destination for Cape Town. Cape Town needs little introduction as the culinary capital of Africa, with its array of world-class dining destinations tempting gourmet travellers from across the globe. And now, Ellerman House is thrilled to announce a new landmark fine-dining restaurant in South Africa’s Mother City, with the May 2025 opening of Curate.
Set within the hotel’s striking Wine Gallery space, Curate is helmed by Executive Chef Kieran Whyte. While the original Ellerman House restaurant – now re-named OneEighty – offers a relaxed yet refined à la carte dining experience for lunch and dinner, Curate will be open for dinner only, offering an eight-course degustation menu drawing on the multi-layered culinary heritage of South Africa.
Just as wine is uniquely expressive of its terroir, conveying a sense of place in every glass, so the menu at Curate will tell the story of South Africa’s soils and seas, taking diners on an unforgettable culinary adventure.
“Many restaurants incorporate South African ingredients into their menu, but not necessarily the dishes that are so integral to South African kitchens,” explains Whyte. “I wanted to change that by elevating the food we make at home, drawing on the diverse backgrounds of the talented chefs in our kitchens. I want diners to experience South Africa’s culinary heritage in an entirely new way.”
On the menu expect the likes of amagwinya steamed breads – a popular street snack – delicately plated with caviar and smoked snoek, a linefish integral to Cape coastal communities. Traditional Afrikaans melktert takes on savoury notes with mushrooms foraged from the slopes of Table Mountain. Fragrant bobotie comes thoroughly reinvented in shape and form, while classic maize meal pap is transformed from a staple starch into a playful dessert, the use of fermentation transforming the familiar into an exciting flavour journey.
“It’s about taking the foods we know and love, elevating them, and presenting them with the same respect and refinement as you’d find in top restaurants around the world,” adds Whyte. “Every dish tells a story, and we want our guests to leave with a deeper appreciation for the flavours and traditions of this region.”
In step with the food is an unforgettable wine experience, and diners can look forward to a memorable exploration of South Africa’s New World cellars. The Wine Gallery is home to the 10,000-bottle Ellerman House wine collection, and Curate will offer diners the unique opportunity to discover single-vineyard selections, vertical tastings, rare wines, and notable vintages drawn from the cellar. The Curate menu will offer a choice of wine pairings, with skilled wine stewards on hand to talk diners through the extensive wine list on request.
In fact, Curate is the conclusion of a months-long journey of artistic collaboration. To shape the transformation of the Wine Gallery into Curate, Ellerman House partnered with renowned artist and sculptor Angus Taylor, who was the original creative force behind the construction of the Wine Gallery in 2013.
Reinforcing the notion of curation, craft and refinement, Taylor has infused the reimagined dining space with raw and refined textural elements, further exploring the intersection of terroir across the worlds of wine and gastronomy.
“Every architectural and artistic element of the space embodies the philosophy that if it has been done before, the answer is no,” adds Taylor. With the launch of Curate, Ellerman House has reaffirmed its dedication to providing guests with a world-class culinary and cultural experience as unforgettable as its breathtaking location on Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard. We can’t wait to welcome you to our table.
Curate is open for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, with seatings at 18h00, 18h30 and 19h00. Patrons can make reservations to be invited to Curate via Dineplan. In-house guests are welcome to reserve their table through the Ellerman House concierge or reception desk.
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