Lonely Planet local Lucy Corn fell in love with Cape Town after sailing across the continent. She was inspired by the beauty of its beach meets mountains, its laid-back attitude to life and its vibrant food scene. She moved there in 2010 and every time she glimpses the majestic Table Mountain, she considers herself a very lucky woman.
For the best view of the city… You just need to open your eyes. Sure, it sounds like a cheesy thing to say, but in my opinion, there are very few places as stunningly beautiful as Cape Town. Whether you’re stuck in city-bound traffic on the M3, climbing to the top of Lion’s Head or taking the train to Simonstown, the mountain is always in sight and a glimpse of it will make you smile. It does, of course the time has come. Proceed
My favorite places in the city… Tend to make the most of Cape Town’s best asset – Table Mountain. I love the Twelve Apostles Hotel, whether it’s for high tea, sundowners or a massage at the hotel’s spa. I also love the V&A Waterfront, although most locals avoid it. I enjoy the holiday atmosphere and when you sit down for a Belgian beer at Den Anker, you get a postcard view of Table Mountain.
I have a young son… Who likes to go to Clay Café in Hout Bay. Families sit with artsy 20-somethings and paint their chosen piece of pottery while sipping tea or munching on slabs of fresh salad and carrot cake. I’m never sure what’s more exciting for the kids, painting porcelain, hanging out in an outdoor jungle gym, or coming back three weeks later to pick up their finished products.
On a sunny day… I love going to Muisenberg. It tends to be quite windy, but it’s the closest coast to me and the coastline has undergone a major change over the last few years. There is now a selection of decent restaurants and cool places to grab a beer or coffee. And of course, there are plenty of surf schools out there. Every couple of years I take a lesson and swear I’m going to surf, when in reality I prefer watching the waves from the safety of the beach.
For cheap eats… I head downtown to the Eastern Food Bazaar. Hidden in a covered corridor between Long Market and Darling Streets, it’s a row of Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern takeaways. Join the lunching locals and grab a curry or kebab for around R50, then enjoy some people-watching and an ice cream as you return to your business on the streets of Cape Town.
What I love most about Cape Town… That no matter how long I live here, I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface of what there is to see, do and eat. There are beaches I haven’t visited yet, hikes I’ve probably never even heard of, and the downtown food scene is so explosive that it’s hard to keep up with the latest restaurants and food trends. . I can’t remember the last time I sat at home complaining of boredom on the weekend.
When I need to relax… I go for a walk alone in the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden – or at least, I should. Every time I go there, I marvel at how lucky we are to have this amazingly beautiful garden on our doorstep and promise myself to take advantage of it and visit as often as possible. . You can often find a quiet corner to relax and take gentle walks in the woods. Plus there’s a great tea room that serves fluffy scones topped with jam and cream!
to sprinkle… I never think about booking a table at La Colombe, one of the top restaurants in the country. The food is fantastic, the experience is unparalleled and I have never had a bad course there, let alone a bad meal. It’s quite expensive by local standards, but for visitors to Cape Town, it’s actually a very affordable dining experience.
One thing I hate about Cape Town is… Minibus taxis, with their constant honking of horns, constantly call out to potential passengers and, they say, an alternative approach to the basic rules of the road. They are a cheap and colorful way to get around, but as a pedestrian or driver on the streets of Cape Town, they quickly become very tiring.
When I want to go out of town… I head to Winelands for a lazy lunch. One of my favorite places is the Warwick Estate, where you can spend hours relaxing on the lawn working your way through one of their picnics. For a great sit-down meal with a view of the fair, try Glencarlow between Paarl and Franschhoek. When I’m feeling a little less fancy, I swap booze for beer and grab a biltong and cheese platter at Barley and Bilton on Spice Route just outside Paarl. Their microbrewery is one of the best in the country.
You know you’ve been in Cape Town too long… When you understand – and use – the concept of ‘now-now’. Capetonians aren’t exactly known for their punctuality, and when someone promises to do something ‘right now’, it can mean anything from ‘within the next five minutes’ to ‘sometime during the day’. can This frustrates some newcomers, but Cape Town’s relaxed attitude to time is one of the reasons I love the place. I’ve been late to everything my whole life and in Cape Town, I think I’ve finally found where I’m meant to be.