I recently spent an afternoon at Cape Grace experiencing From London, With Love, the hotel’s collaboration with London's iconic The Savoy.
Now in its second year, the limited-time experience brings a little of The Savoy’s 137-year afternoon tea tradition to the V&A Waterfront, while giving it a distinctly Cape Town address.
And what an address it is.
Sitting at a table overlooking the harbour, I felt almost as though I had been placed directly on the water’s edge. Boats moved quietly outside, Table Mountain provided the backdrop and classical music played throughout the afternoon.
Inside Heirloom Restaurant, everything felt wonderfully calm. It is the sort of setting that makes you instinctively lower your voice, sit back and decide that whatever was on your to-do list can probably wait.
The collaboration brings together two Fairmont hotels with very different personalities. The Savoy contributes its considerable history and afternoon tea expertise, while Cape Grace brings its sense of place, local ingredients and waterfront setting.
Members of The Savoy team travelled to Cape Town to work alongside the Cape Grace team, creating a menu that nods to the London hotel's culinary heritage while making plenty of room for the Western Cape.
One of the most delicious pieces of history on the menu is the Peach Melba. Created by Auguste Escoffier during his time at The Savoy in honour of soprano Dame Nellie Melba, the dessert has become one of his most famous creations. Here, it gets a Cape Town reinterpretation, bringing a little bit of Savoy history south.
It is a clever approach to the collaboration. Rather than trying to recreate London in Cape Town, the experience borrows what works and lets the setting do the rest.
Then there is Scoff.
The Savoy's dedicated scone bakery has also made its way to South Africa. Scoff is known for taking the humble scone and giving it a rather extravagant makeover, with elaborate fillings and toppings ranging from strawberries and cream to exotic fruit punch and tiramisu.
For Cape Grace, the team created miniature versions, including its much-loved tiramisu scoff. It is exactly the sort of thing that makes you pause before eating it, admire it for a moment, and then immediately decide that yes, you will absolutely be eating it.
The rest of the sweet menu keeps the Cape connection going, with apple cake and lemon and lime cake celebrating seasonal local produce.
On the savoury side, things become a little more substantial, with smoked snoek pâté, free-range chicken roulade, braised leek tartlet and finger sandwiches.
The food is beautifully presented but thankfully doesn't fall into the trap of being all appearance and no substance. There is enough variety to keep every course interesting, with the menu gradually moving from savoury to sweet in that wonderfully leisurely afternoon tea fashion.
If the food is the main event, the tea is certainly not playing a supporting role.
The experience includes a curated tea pairing, with the option to a glass of bubbles if you feel like giving the afternoon a little more sparkle. The tea I tried was particularly memorable: the Cape Grace's signature blend, fragrant, spicy and rich, with the kind of luxurious warmth that makes you want to keep the pot within arm's reach.
There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about taking tea seriously. In a world of takeaway coffees and meetings squeezed into 30-minute slots, sitting down with a proper pot of tea feels almost rebellious.
What really brings the experience together is the atmosphere. Nothing feels hurried, and the staff were warm, attentive and genuinely lovely throughout, striking that sweet spot between polished service and making you feel completely at ease.
The contemporary plating also gives the experience its own identity, moving away from The Savoy’s traditional tiered stand while still retaining the elegance of afternoon tea.
The Savoy brings the history and London glamour, while Cape Grace gives the experience its own sense of place. Together, they create an afternoon tea that feels considered, indulgent and very easy to linger over.
From London, With Love runs at Heirloom, Cape Grace, until 13 September. The experience is priced at R750 per person. Bookings are recommended. Click here to book.
