Max Bagels — Cape Town, South Africa

What started out as a humble paella stand in Cape Town's food market, The Old Biscuit Mill, has resulted in the beginnings of a gastronomic empire for Andrew Kai and Matthew Freemantle, whose Spanish catering business Gusto has flourished to include a series of high profile events, a pizza food truck and a string of successful supper club nights. Their latest venture sees the pair embarking on a more permanent set up with the launch of New York-style bagel bar, Max Bagels. Located on Bree Street, surrounded by other hip culinary joints, the pocketsize shop has been outfitted by local designer Jakob Basson who maximised the space with sleek wood counters, monochrome geometric floor tiles, bespoke pieces by Xandre Kriel and colourful plasticine artworks by Dale Lawrence and Ben Johnson. Expect a variety of fillings from classics such as salt beef, pickle and mustard to smoked trout, capers and pickled red onion for the more local palate. Coming soon is a breakfast bagel and for the sweet-toothed among us, cinnamon and raisin with salted butter. As for the bagels themselves, they are freshly made using the traditional method of boiling in malt syrup before baking.
ADDRESS
Shop 28
De Oude Schuur
120 Bree Street
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Lauren Ho is the Travel Director of Wallpaper*, roaming the globe, writing extensively about luxury travel, architecture and design for both the magazine and the website. Lauren serves as the European Academy Chair for the World's 50 Best Hotels.
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