Publications
Partners
Gorgeous George Hotel
118 St Georges Mall, Cape Town City Centre
Studio rooms from R2 450, breakfast included
Book at gorgeousgeorge.co.za, 087 898 6000 or hello@gorgeousgeorge.co.za
. . . . .
Gorgeous George in Cape Town has the air of a place where people are really happy. Sure, patrons at its top-floor restaurant and bar – Gigi Rooftop – are cheerful, but so are its front of house staff, its waiters and a design team huddled over plans for final touches to the hotel. Folks enjoy working here, and it shows.
Gorgeous George is housed in a tall heritage building at St George’s Mall – its sixth-floor deck offers fine views over the inner city, with narrow streets bustling below.
Watch the sun set from up here, with an added tinge of salty breeze. The deck has a heated corner pool and loungers, and a glass-covered section for warding off the winter cold.
In the restaurant we got a table in the library-style lounge next to shelves packed with leather-bound books and a mix-match of oddities – a tortoise shell, ceramic parrots, a bum-shaped coco de mer nut from the Seychelles.
The ambience is eclectic, compounded by a ceiling mirror. Perhaps a good place to gauge the naughty sensibilities of a new date?
A book on Cape Town “then and now” piqued my interest, and I spent a while just flipping through it. This really is a great space to spend languid hours, reading and relaxing. However, our mission was dinner.
The cocktail list is extensive. There are the old favourites like the Negroni (R85) plus signature mixes like the Bacardi-infused Rabbit in the Mist (R120), which turned out to be a sizzling dry ice spectacle, served with a porcelain rabbit on a moss-covered tray.
Starters of potato and charred squid with a mustard vinaigrette (R95), and a burrata and artichoke salad (R120) were fresh and delicious.
For mains, my recommended duck leg confit – “slow-cooked with honey braised cabbage, fondant potato, beetroot and walnut” (R200) – was a tasty blend of textures, while my companion’s slow-braised lamb flatrib, with creamed kale and lentils (R190) went down a treat. For dessert, we shared Gigi Churros – cloudy pastries with chocolate dipping sauce (R60).
The wine list brims with favourites and some lesser-known gems, but this is where things get expensive. We opted for a bottle of old faithful Springfield Wholeberry Cabernet Sauvignon (R370) and Usana The Fox Cabernet Sauvignon per glass (R90).
Don’t expect a quick meal here; service is friendly and unrushed. Our meal took hours, with a bill of R1 530 – substantial but fair.
I spent the night in one of the boutique hotel’s big studio rooms overlooking the pedestrianised St Georges Mall.
Beautiful aesthetic touches abound – bright floral-motif carpet, set against concrete walls. A king-size black grid bed covered in white cotton, with a brown leather headboard.
Three different types of pillows are offered. The in-room kettle is Smeg, of course. And the sound system is Marshall.
The signature Gorgeous George bathroom toiletries smell dreamy. Even the toilet is brightened by a protea in a glass vase. I didn’t use the earplugs provided, preferring to wake up to sounds of the city stirring outside. Breakfast was upstairs at Gigi Rooftop. I opted for eggs Benedict with a buttery hollandaise sauce (R85) and a kick-ass flat white coffee.
Gorgeous George is a fun and welcome injection of fresh life into Cape Town’s CBD. While romantic, it would also work well for the adventurous business traveller. Or simply swing by for a memorable dinner, or breakfast with a view.
