If you are planning to be anywhere near South Africa this summer, it will probably appear to you that soccer is the country's – nay the world's – singular obsession. Indeed, as World Cup approaches, even those unmoved by the sport are brushing up on the rules.
Amazing though it may sound, however, not everyone is into soccer – at least not in Cape Town where, it is alleged, life goes on after a loss on the pitch. So if you're feeling trapped at Green Point Stadium with a zealous fan, take heart: De Waterkant Village is just blocks away, yet miles in spirit.
Stepped up the side of Signal Hill with a view to the stadium and the sea beyond (the name is Afrikaans for “water's edge”), De Waterkant was colonized by some of the Cape's first settlers in the mid-18th century. Their pretty Cape Malay cottages (think Greenwich Village meets Miami) line what are still some of the most exclusive streets in town. A decade ago, artists and designers – black and white alike – started moving in and opening shop, hastening a renaissance that brought with it fine restaurants, fashion boutiques, high-end crafts, even a men's hammam.
It has become somewhat of a gay hub, but you'll find everyone here: couples sofa hunting; hipsters taking granny to tea; models on shoots. And come noon they'll all be brunching like it's, well, Greenwich Village or Miami. Only here you've got wilderness, beaches and two oceans on your doorstep… plus World Cup football, if you change your mind.
NEWSPAPER CHAIRS, AND MORE
The city's newest shopping plaza is also its poshest, built around a courtyard for outdoor dining, the grandest food court on the Cape. Inside, bakeries stack French macaroons, boutiques stock flowing white cotton dresses and interior designers trade in driftwood furniture and hammocks. At the Green Shop, local artisans come together with solutions for enviro-living: eco-jewellery, recycled textiles, solar toys and furniture made from newspaper. Shop 30, piazza level, Cape Quarter, 72 Waterkant St.; 011-27-21-419-9605; www.thegreenshop.co.za
Local painters and photographers display their work at the affordable 3rd i Gallery.
AFRICAN ART ATTACK
Few city galleries offer the chance for serious shopping (whether you’re willing to foot the shipping costs is another matter). But even in this neck of the woods, the art is affordable. In a warehouse dating to the neighbourhood’s genesis, 3rd i Gallery exhibits a rotating display of local painters and photographers. The artists focus on all things Africa, so you could pick up a souvenir evocative of your travels. 95 Waterkant St.; 011-27-21-425-2266
Tastemakers shop for art at Africa Nova.
TAKE HOME SOMETHING TRULY UNIQUE
It’s hard to avoid the “same old” when shopping for souvenirs in Cape Town – whether it’s at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, the Greenmarket or the airport. Africa Nova is the exception. This is where the style-makers featured in South African Homes and Gardens shop for indigenous art, wood carvings, taxidermy, ceramics and “tribal design.” You can spend a fortune on a Zulu chair or a mask from Mali, or settle for a bracelet handmade by artisans working in an atelier up the street. Cape Quarter, 72 Waterkant St.; 011-27-21-425-5123; www.africanova.co.za
A LOUNGE FOR LINGERING A LITTLE LONGER
The aforementioned café culture starts here at the Loading Bay, Cape Town’s version of the “concept store” and a sign of the times in De Waterkant. The place sucks you in with its mix of fashion, food and frappuccino… segueing into milkshakes and finally wine as the day wears lazily on. Settle into a Panton chair and watch the sun arc over Signal Hill. 30 Hudson St.; 011-27-21-425-6321
FOR LADIES WHO LUNCH
South Africa isn’t renowned for its coffee culture, but De Waterkant’s mix of black and white, art and commerce and big incomes makes it the epicentre of café society. The ladies-who-lunch like their lattes in the sunny atrium of Cape Quarter: specifically at Daniela’s, where homemade Parisian macaroons and delicate tea cakes enhance the local colour. Cape Quarter; 27 Somerset Rd.; 011-27-86-026-6266; www.danielas.co.za
Café Manhattan helped revive De Waterkant. — Almay
A NEIGHBOURHOOD MAINSTAY WITH A KILLER MENU
Sixteen years is long in the tooth for businesses in De Waterkant, but Café Manhattan hasn’t jumped the shark just yet. Perhaps its warm welcome and constant bustle are a draw, or maybe its role as a fixture on the gay scene – it’s nicknamed the Gay Spur, after all. Certainly Manhattan helped spur gentrification in the neighbourhood, and now all types rendezvous here for the carnivorous delights (steak cooked to perfection) and selection of obscure local wines. 74 Waterkant St.; 011-27-21-421-6666; www.manhattan.co.za
Special to The Globe and Mail
WHERE TO STAY
The Village Lodge 49 Napier St.; 27-21-421-6613; www.thevillagelodge.com. Much of the fun in De Waterkant comes from property porn: gawking at sexy little houses, dressed up in jewel tones and shiny nickel-plated knockers, that you’ll never be able to afford… unless you pay by the night. Browse the holiday-rental portfolios at www.dewaterkantcottages.com and www.african-eliteproperties.com. Or rent a stylish room at the Village Lodge. It’s one of the few bed and breakfasts in the area – and that’s no small thing, since its restaurant, Soho, is known throughout the Cape for its excellent breakfasts. Rates from $165.
17 On Loader Guesthouse 17 Loader St.; 27-21-418-3417; www.17loader.za.net. A true neighbourhood joint that hosts barbecues and exhibitions by local artists. The traditional Cape Dutch townhouse combines period furnishings with the odd mod con (Wi-Fi, cellphone rentals) and a roof deck with 360-degree views. Doubles start at about $30 a night, breakfast included.
E. H.
