Underneath the Harbour House restaurant, on the Kalk Bay pier, is a small ]]> Continuing on:Where to stop on a round-the-peninsular drive

Underneath the Harbour House restaurant, on the Kalk Bay pier, is a small space easily missed. It is light and airy, with huge windows overlooking the sea, and a view down the pier, it’s a remarkably pleasant place to have a bite.

The menu consists of the usual fare, mostly seafood. We tried the good old fish and chips, and the calamari. Both were excellent, the seafood still moist and delicious under a crisp crust. It reminded me of how often Cape Town restaurants get this wrong, a terrible crime in a seaboard city.

Prices are reasonable, and service a little slow. Wine list is good with a few gems.

Kalk Bay Harbour,
Kalk Bay, Cape Town
021 788 5755

Sister restaurant ]]> Meat, meat and more meat. Unsurprisingly that’s what Carne is all about. Vegans must be kept well clear.

Sister restaurant to 95 Keerom across the road, Giorgio Nava has a nice little money machine at the top of this legal road. We we taken to supper by a Senior Council, with just the deep pockets to cover the damage.

Carne certainly has the widest selection of Beef in the mother city. It is grilled just as you order it, so think carefully how well done you like your meat. When in doubt go for medium-rare. Starters are excellent, my carpaccio with rocket and Parmesan was amongst the best I’ve been privileged to eat,

But beware. We chose the chef’s special, prime rib, and we asked to choose from a plate. In the dim light we did not see the tiny tags on each piece, indicating the price. Mine cost R350! Then they charged extra for a small ration of chips on the side

The interior is industrial-modern, service is sharp.

The wine list is extensive, and very pricy.

I’d you love meat give this a try, but load up your credit card in advance. Otherwise rather go to Theo’s in Moulle Point.

0214243460
70 Keerom Street, City Bowl, Cape Town
6:30pm – 10:30pm, Monday to Saturday

Tripadvisor, by far the world’s biggest travel ]]> OK I’m a bit late on this one, but it needs to be noted.

Tripadvisor, by far the world’s biggest travel reference site, has just announced it’s 2012 Traveller’s Choice awards, and, yes, Cape Town has been recognised as the best destination in the world. Of course, we have been saying this for years, but it is wonderful to have it confirmed by actual travellers.

Sydney Australia came in second, with Machu Picchu third.

The Phoenix Resort, San Pedro, Belize was recognised as the world’s best hotel.

An ice ballet that offers all of the magical music and colourful characters of the well-known ballet ]]> From the Artscape site

An ice ballet that offers all of the magical music and colourful characters of the well-known ballet with the added breath-taking excitement of Olympic-standard ice-skating.

The Imperial Ice Stars return for their fourth season to Cape Town with a performance that will be as athletic, as astounding, as adept, as beautiful and as enchanting as all the previous shows. Come and experience the magic of one of the world’s best-love ballets performed on ice in the comfort of the Artscape Opera House.

19 January to 12 February 2012
Tuesday to Saturday 19:30
Saturday matinee @ 14:30
Sundays @ 14:00
R100 | R180 | R280 | R380
Tuesdays @ 19:30 & Sundays @ 18:00
R100 | R150 | R250 | R350

I thought it might be worth ]]> 2011 was a banner year for Cape Town, with a wide range of awards received.

I thought it might be worth a recap.

- TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Number 1 Destination of 2011.
- World Design Capital 2014.
- Table Mountain voted a New7Wonder of Nature.
- Cape Town was runner up in the Telegraph Travel Awards of 2011 (biggest selling daily in UK).
- One of Lonely Planet’s top ten beach cities.
- One of New York Times’ top ten hippest cities that think about how they work.
- Conde Naste’s Top City to visit in Africa and the Middle East in 2011.
- Huffington Post’s top ten most popular study abroad cities.

Onward to 2012.

The queen of luxury liners arrived amidst a controversy around where ]]> The Queen Mary II docked in Cape Town this morning.

The queen of luxury liners arrived amidst a controversy around where exactly liners will be allowed to berth in the Cape Town harbour.

She passed around the breakwater past Robben Island between 6.15am and 6.30am, and at 7.15am tugs welcomed her with a water display. Large Crowds gathered on the shoreline near the V&A Waterfront to watch her sail in, while being entertained by a Malay choir.

The Queen Mary II has 14 decks, 15 restaurants and bars, five swimming pools, a casino, a ballroom, a theatre, and the first planetarium at sea. The ship is 345m long, 72m high, uses four Rolls Royce 21.5mW electric propulsion pods and can reach 30 knots. It has the capacity to carry 3 056 passengers and 1 253 crew.