Laura Robinson directs the all-important work of the Cape Town Heritage Trust from an idyllic cottage on the edge of the Company’s Garden in the heart of the Central City. Here she divulges her 10 favourite urban spaces and places, all must-visit CBD destinations.
1. THE COMPANY’S GARDEN
I love the Company’s Garden, especially the view of the lawns and the fishpond from the terrace of the Visitors’ Centre, the headquarters of the Cape Town Heritage Trust, where I am based. It’s a privilege to work here and be able to enjoy this iconic Cape Town garden every day.
The Company’s Garden, Government Ave
2. THE HERITAGE SHOP
The Heritage Shop in the Company’s Garden is one of the Cape Town Heritage Trust’s* initiatives. We sell a range of ethically produced products all inspired by the Cape’s cultural and natural heritage, including homeware, cards, prints and publications. Visitors can also experience the Cape’s botanical heritage through the Cape Fynbos Tasting where flavours of this ancient vegetation are explored in the form of tea, infusions, oils, vinegars, cordials, salts and digestives. There is also a delightful coffee shop attached to the shop.
The Heritage Shop, Company’s Garden, 021 426 2157
* The Cape Town Heritage Trust is an independent, private NPO set up to conserve the natural, cultural and architectural heritage of Cape Town and its environs. It welcomes donations, especially at this time, to continue its work.
3. DELUXE COFFEEWORKS
It’s like a hole in the wall, but Deluxe Coffeeworks is my favourite coffee shop in the Central City. It is the original Deluxe Coffeeworks. I love their flat whites, and I also go there for the retro music, which hits all the right notes.
Deluxe Coffeeworks, 25 Church St, 076 832 6208
The Company's Garden and the iconic Cape Town City Hall.
4. CAPE TOWN CITY HALL
The concert hall in the Cape Town City Hall, which was recently beautifully and carefully restored, is simply magnificent. I can’t wait for it to open again, and to hear the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra in concert. I am a regular, I attend most of the orchestra’s Thursday evening concerts. The City Hall, an iconic Edwardian building in Cape Town that was built in 1905, is very special.
City Hall, Darling St
5. THE DRINKERY
With its eclectic furniture and artworks, The Drinkery on the Mezzanine level at Heritage Square is one of my favourite places to go for an after-work drink. I love this atmospheric contemporary bar that is known for its splendid cocktails. I often meet friends here for a glass of champagne or a gin martini.
The Drinkery, 100 Shortmarket St, 071 191 5034
6. DISTRICT SIX MUSEUM
Another special cultural institution, and a must for visitors to Cape Town and the Central City, is the District Six Museum. The stories told here are incredible, as are the displays. The current permanent exhibition, Digging Deeper, was launched 20 years ago and it documents myriad aspects of the lives of the people of District Six. It is a rich and moving visual experience.
15 & 25A Buitenkant St, 021 466 7200
* Please consider supporting this Cape Town institution which is struggling financially due to the lockdown restrictions. The museum covers its operational costs through income generated by visitors. You can help by donating R110 (the value of a guided visit) or making a monthly donation of R50 (the cost of an entrance fee). Once-off donations are also welcome.
The Earth Fair Food Market enlivens St Georges Mall every Thursday and Kirsten Goss and Missibaba in Bree Street.
7. KIRSTEN GOSS, MISSIBABA & SKINNY LAMINX
I love the top end of Bree Street. It is very walkable and has a nice scale. These three retail venues are all splendid, and a celebration of local design and female entrepreneurship. Two of them co-exist cleverly in one building, namely the eponymous jewellery store of jewellery designer par excellence, Kirsten Goss, and accessory haven, Missibaba. Close by is Skinny laMinx, a home décor shop cut from the same cloth. I love supporting women business owners and Kirsten Goss, Chloe Townsend (Missibaba) and Heather Moore (Skinny laMinx) certainly fit the bill.
Kirsten Goss (021 424 3453) & Missibaba (021 447 2045), 229 Bree St; Skinny laMinx, 201 Bree St, 021 424 6290
8. EARTH FAIR FOOD MARKET
Now called the St Georges Food Market, it’s lovely to see the food market in St Georges Mall starting up again. I am so impressed with the way owner Jacqui Simpson has turned this into a thriving concern, addressing people’s need to eat ethically sourced food and culinary delights. There is such an interesting array of traders and their individuality shines through. It makes the mall come alive every Thursday.
St Georges Food Market, every Thursday from 11h00 to 15h00
9. MUTUAL HEIGHTS
As an architect by training, I appreciate the Mutual Building with its extraordinary, renowned art deco features and design. It is quite glorious. When you look up and see the triangular windows and the bas-reliefs … it is world-class and quite superb. It opened in 1940 as the offices of Old Mutual (then South African Mutual Life Assurance Society) but is now a residential building. It’s well worth a visit.
Mutual Heights, 14 Darling St
10. DORRANCE WINES
Owned by Christophe and Sabrina Durand, this urban winery is housed in Heritage Square, which is steeped in history. The Cape Town Heritage Trust restored Heritage Square in the 1990s. The Heritage Hotel is home to the oldest fruit-bearing vine in the country, which grows in the hotel’s courtyard. It is therefore apt to have a winery here! Dorrance produces wines in the French tradition. The wine cellar and tasting room need to be experienced!
Dorrance Wines, 95 Hout St, 021 422 069
Paul du Toit's bronze sculpture provides interest near Riebeeck Square; the cut-out panels in the foyer of CTICC 1.
11. PUBLIC ART IN THE CBD
My favourite public artworks in the Central City are:
* The bronze sculpture “Into Tomorrow” by Paul du Toit on the corner of Bree and Shortmarket streets, near Riebeeck Square;
* The three enormous cut-out panels in the main foyer of the Cape Town International Convention Centre 1 building. They are called “Baobabs, Stormclouds, Animals and People” and are a collaboration by Brett Murray and TuoiStefaansSamcuia;
* The ghost shark sculptures by Ralph Borland that swim three metres above the ground on Jetty Square on the Foreshore. The land was reclaimed from the sea. The Cape Town Heritage Trust has developed a new heritage route, The Original Shoreline, that traces the city’s original shoreline from the Castle of Good Hope to the V&A Waterfront. We have uncovered stories about the people and places that shaped out history and will launch this fascinating route in the near future.
IMAGES: CCID, Morne van Heerden