The marina and Table Mountain views easily position Heirloom Restaurant at Cape Grace Hotel as one of the quintessential Cape Town experiences. But, if you can, tear your eyes away from the vista and towards your plate for a moment. Heirloom’s sharp menu takes on an artful and delicious twist to Cape cuisine and seasonality. Benn Ndzoyiya visited and shared all you need to know.

What’s on the menu: Summer 2024/2025
For the restaurant’s first summer menu, the team at Heirloom Restaurant looked to home for inspiration. Highlights such as the venison tartare served with Amagwinya (vetkoek), or the slivers of earthy wild mushrooms all embrace a fresh and conscious appreciation for Cape Town’s diverse food culture and produce.
Seafood features heavily, whether it be grilled tiger prawns (driven by flavours of sorghum and umqombothi, a traditional isiXhosa beer), a smoked hake paté, South Coast Rock Lobster Tail, or a tuna tartare with watermelon konfyt (preserve).
We tried the pan-fried linefish which is a simple dish of wilted mustard greens layered with a fish cut cooked just right, and an elaborate courgette flower. For a theatrical finish, the dressing is served right at your table. Everything is designed for long dinners shared by the harbour.

The atmosphere at Heirloom Restaurant
The mood at Heirloom Restaurant is warm and modern while dialling up the romance factor for dinner service. Leading London design firm 1508 created the interiors and leaned towards stark natural influences such as greenery, artisanal textiles and other refined elements to reference the Cape botanicals and position the space locally.
The dining room’s central focus is a glass wall where spectacular scenes of the quiet bay at V&A Waterfront take centre stage while Table Mountain looms on the horizon.
Get there early and watch the mixologist whip up a cocktail at the centralised marble bar before heading to your table. There’s a sophisticated private dining space for small celebrations, cosy nooks and booths with plush seating, and an open servery that captures quiet elegance.

Need to know before you go
When: Breakfast – 6:30am to 10am | Dinner – 6:30pm to 9pm
Where: Cape Grace, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, W Quay Rd, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Website: capegrace.com
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 021 410 7068
Facebook: @capegracehotel1
Instagram: @heirloom_atcapegrace