The Constantia Valley ticks every criterion of a bucolic Cape Town tableau. Table Mountain looms over the landscape of vineyards and small farms, while a network of walking paths, woodlands of ancient oaks, and natural streams frame perfectly the valley’s tony mansions and 18th-century Cape Dutch homes.
Taking full advantage of this vista is the newly opened Blanko. Located on the ground floor of the Alphen Boutique Hotel, the restaurant is headed by Amber-May Deetlef who delivers a light Italian menu speckled with imaginative crowd-pleasers like wild mushroom orzo, wild rocket gnocchi, and slabs of sirloin brushed with Shiraz butter and seasoned with black olive sea salt, though, apparently, the grilled local fish splashed with nothing more than olive oil and lemon is a best-seller.
Soda Creative’s Gregor Bremer sidesteps the potential monotony of an all-white interior by layering warm colours and textures. The handsome stain of the brown-bordered sash windows is mirrored in the broad-planked floors and exposed ceiling beams, while the Italian marble dining tables and a floating backlit bar are smartly paired with a collection of contemporary South African pieces.
And when the sun’s shining – which, in this part of the world, seems to be all year – the all-white outdoor terrace more than makes the mark.
ADDRESS
Alphen Drive
Constantia 7806
-
A local’s guide to AtlantaDrawn by the city’s diversity and queer community, life coach and writer Cator Sparks returned to Atlanta after 25 years away. He shares his favourite haunts
-
Wael Shawky explores a theatrical moment in history in EdinburghPull strings to get there if you can, as the Egyptian artist presents the third film in his ‘The Crusades Cabaret’ trilogy, at Talbot Rice Gallery
-
All the best bits from Goodwood Festival of Speed 2025As car makers switch their allegiance to the sunny West Sussex countryside as a place to showcase their wares, a new generation of sports cars were sent running up that famous hill
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Few & Far Luvhondo: an intimate South African eco-lodgeWith just six cliffside suites, Few & Far Luvhondo offers front-row seats to the untamed wilderness of South Africa’s Limpopo
-
The world’s best new hotels to love without reservationExplore the best new openings in the world, from Aman’s exclusive mountain retreat in the Dolomites to Pak Hyatt’s debut in Johannesburg
-
Singita Ebony Lodge celebrates 30 years of wild beautySingita Ebony Lodge in Hazyview, South Africa, begins a new chapter with a refresh by Cécile & Boyd
-
A refreshed Cape Grace hotel embraces the best of South African heritageCape Town’s Cape Grace hotel reopens its doors following an extensive and playful renovation by international interior design studio, 1508 London
-
Cape Town: 8 things to do and see for the design-minded travellerCape Town is a capital of art, design, food and wellness; local resident Sean O’Toole on the best things to do and see, from a Bree Street meander to a Constantia wine route
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland -
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia
