Cape Town has never been short on superlatives; best city, best hotels, best views, so it was only natural that Chef Wesli Jacobs would rise to the occasion with the reveal of his summer menu. The newly unveiled summer offering at Heirloom, the signature restaurant at Cape Grace, is a celebration of everything that makes the Mother City a globally respected hub of good taste.
Jacobs, who took over the kitchen in May this year, has spent months refining a culinary philosophy that feels refreshingly grounded. There are no tricks, no foams, no tweezers, just confident, ingredient-led cooking that honours South Africa’s layered culinary heritage. “This new menu weaves a narrative of South Africa through its flavours,” he says. “It’s cooking from the heart, with deep respect for where we come from.”
That philosophy is evident from the first bite. The Abalobi sashimi, linefish caught just hours before, served with candied chili, avocado emulsion, and grapefruit, is as bright and briny as the Atlantic itself. The one-kilogram Mozambican lobster arrives in triumphant fashion with biryani rice, hand-cut chips, and house peri-peri sauce, a dish that delivers extravagance without the ego.
And then there is the Karoo pap and vleis, cloaked under a cloche that releases the smoky nostalgia of a proper braai, culinary theatre in its most soulful form. Dessert is a milk tart mille feuille that turns a South African classic into a French flirtation, and somehow, it works. Brilliantly.
Beyond the plate, the Cape Grace experience continues its quiet evolution. This month, the poolside terrace reopens as a Riviera-style retreat, all Mediterranean ease and wind-sheltered charm, complete with a dedicated cocktail list that respects both gin and gravity. Inside, The Library now pours prestige Champagne and the Cape’s finest MCCs by the glass, proof that true luxury is measured in detail, not decimals.
In the end, Heirloom feels like a love letter to Cape Town itself, elegant but unpretentious, worldly yet rooted, familiar but surprising. If you are planning a summer of good living in the city, start here. Order the lobster. Stay for the cheese trolley. This is Cape Town at its most deliciously self-assured.
