One of the new sensations on Beach Road, Camps Bay, the Grand is an elegant restaurant, unapologetically chic and impractical looking, in comparison to its somewhat utilitarian neighbours.
The terrace is popular in summer, but it is inside this historic old seaside villa, one of the few remaining, that you feel transported to yesteryear, safely away from the tourist-trap development of this frenetic strip.
The interior is secluded, relaxing and comfortable; the view elegantly framed by wooden shutters and some heavy-fabric curtaining. The furnishings are in the eclectic, nouveau Cuban, bric-a-brac style: crystal chandeliers, large wooden carvers sprayed silver, red shades, a print of Tretchikoff’s Chinese Girl, painted cement floors with scattered kilims. On the walls in coloured chalk are drawn standing lamps and frames around the art. The clientele is a happy mix of tourists, locals, and the well-heeled. The upstairs bar is popular in the evenings. In summer, its standing room only.
Chef Seelan Sundoo has created a special set menu for the Spring Art Tour with dishes named after famous local artists. For starters, there is the Beezie Bailey mixed salad with olives, avocado, rocket, radishes, tomato, cucumber and iceberg lettuce, tossed in a pungent vinaigrette dressing. Zwelethu’s soup of the day, named after painter and photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa, is a rich, beef stock, lentil broth with spring onion and diced carrots.
Portions are large. The soup of the day will alternate with a pea and chicken soup. For mains the choice is between Roberto’s kingklip (perfectly cooked, slightly browned on the outside, but the flesh kept firm) or the vegetarian option, a pasta primavera (tagliatelle with vegetables in a tomato-based sauce). For desserts there is a choice between bite sized jammy, mixed berry tarts or a selection of cakes. I can recommend the baked cheesecake.
The Grand, 35 Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town. Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner from noon until late. Tel 021 438 4253