As the afternoons slowly turn nippier beckoning us to go indoors, Mount Nelson Hotel is embracing scarf weather with elegant dining, timeless interiors, and gorgeous surrounds. From comforting afternoon tea and a lavish self-serve Sunday brunch to haute eats courtesy of Executive Chef George Jardine, we break down a few good excuses to pop into The Nellie this winter.
DECADENT AFTERNOON TEA WITH CONFECTIONERY AND GOURMET TEAS, COFFEES & DIGESTIFS
Afternoon tea at Mount Nelson Hotel is a timeless Cape Town institution. After all, who can say no to a selection of picture-perfect cakes, pastries, and sandwiches served at one of the city’s iconic destinations?
Their afternoon tea celebrates a wide range of teas, curated by their tea sommelier, Craig Cupido while celebrated pâtissier, Vicky Gurovich packs a range flavours into melt-in-the-mouth surprises. Accompanied by Chef George Jardine’s savoury delights, it’s a sumptuous three-course feast.
‘Tea is about connection, especially when served during a traditional tea ceremony,’ Cupido says. Stroll beneath the arches and take a seat inside or on the balcony as you make a tea selection. Take your pick from over 60 different teas. End off the experience with a walk in the garden, typified by the flawless lawns and rows of roses.
Booking is essential for the afternoon tea and there are two seating times.
Cost: R495 per adult and R350 per child (ages 4 to 11)
When: Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm & 3pm
COME IN FROM THE COLD WITH A PAMPERING SPA SPOIL
This winter, Librisa Spa’s expert therapists are offering the Bliss Package which includes some pampering treatments followed by the hotel’s popular afternoon tea.
Start with your welcoming cup of herbal tea and a 60-minute Swedish massage with light, gentle strokes to transport you into a calm state. The treatment uses potent African aromatics and organic, beautifully scented essential oils from Theranaka and Sothys to help reduce anxiety.
End off Mount Nelson Hotel’s famous Afternoon Tea experience that comes newly updated for the winter season and a welcome glass of sparkling wine or iced tea. Expect new favourites such as Raspberry, litchi, rose eclair, chocolate roulade, Frangipane tartlets, and many more taking the art of pastry and gourmet sandwiches to new heights. READ MORE
Cost: R1350pp (includes 60-minute Swedish massage and Afternoon Tea)
When: Running until 31 August 2023. Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm
SUNDAY BRUNCH WITH LIVE JAZZ TUNES AND ALL THE TRIMMINGS
Mount Nelson’s Jazzy Sunday Brunch continues to build up a rep for its buffet offering with an elegant edge. Table service will give you a run-down of what’s on offer while a live jazz band carries you into a carefree Sunday mood. Start off with a glass of bubbly and oysters before browsing the salad, sushi, charcuterie, and mezze to make your own gourmet platter. For mains, take your pick from a hearty curry or freshly roasted carvery options.
Those with a sweet tooth will love what’s on the cards for desserts. The classics are covered with mille-feuille, pavlova, and chocolate mousse to name a few.
Oh, and did we mention they’ve got a dedicated station for crepes, waffles, or comforting flapjacks? The menu also offers an option for unlimited bubbly to keep the weekend feels flowing. This is one that you definitely have to book in advance.
Cost: R650 per adult | R325 per child | Additional R225pp for unlimited bubbly
When: Every Sunday, from 11.30am
DINE ON CHEF GEORGE JARDINE’S VERANDAH EXPERIENCE FOR DINNER
‘Everything tastes better when it’s in season,’ says Chef George Jardine. This ethos is driving all facets of Mount Nelson’s new offering. The Verandah Experience, for example, will be renewed every two weeks with George Jardine and his team focusing on a curated menu of four delicious starters, mains, and desserts.
Chef George Jardine is paving the way for a new culinary experience at the Nellie by incorporating a contemporary touch to its menus and focusing on the seasonality of ingredients, resulting in a magical culinary journey. An a la carte menu is available for all dinner servings. READ MORE
When: Monday to Sunday, from 6:30pm
ASIAN-FUSION CUISINE AT CAPE TOWN’S STYLISH, SECRET HIDEAWAY
The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse is a bold and dramatic new restaurant that opens at Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel under the guidance of top chefs Liam Tomlin and David Schneider.
This new restaurant in Cape Town is tucked away in a captivating underground den that used to be the Nellie’s iconic 70s Grill Room. Today you’ll find a dimly lit lacquered staircase leading you down to cosy booths and design flashes of velvet and potent red for intimate dining meetups.
‘Rather than a menu that mashes up cultures, The Red Room by Chefs Warehouse will represent the entire food footprint of Pan-Asia, all the way from Myanmar and Indonesia to India and China. We want to avoid reinventing these flavours, and instead present our interpretation of what Asian food is in South Africa, with a unique focus on the experience itself,’ explains Chef David. READ MORE
When: Restaurant – Monday to Saturday, 6pm to 9.15pm | Bar – Monday to Saturday, 4pm until late
A GROUP ART EXHIBITION THAT EXPLORES THE COMFORTS OF EVERYDAY EXISTENCE
Investec Cape Town Art Fair is rethinking the synergy between art and landmark spaces with their second capsule showcase. ‘An Endless Night’ is a group exhibition curated by Anelisa Mangcu, and displayed in different areas of the hotel.
The collection circles in on the pressures of ordinary existence with commentary on geographic, gender and historical specificities of the now. Works on show include sculptor and conceptualist Mary Sibande, photographer and multimedia stylist Trevor Stuurman, social realist painter Mongezi Gum, multidisciplinary artist Kimathi Mafafo as well as other significant artists to be announced.
‘We fill up our time with tasks, purpose, duty and creating memories, in hopes of taking our subjective existence seriously with intrinsic value. This way, we create value by affirming time and living it, and not simply obsessing over its passing,’ says Mangcu. READ MORE
When: Running until 28 August 2023
Where: 76 Orange Street, Gardens, Cape Town
Tel: 021 483 1000
Email: reservations.mnh@belmond.com
Website: belmond.com
Instagram: @belmondmountnelsonhotel
Facebook: @MountNelsonHotel
