Lucie de Moyencourt’s Little Black Book of Cape Town

Lucie de Moyencourt, 41, is a wellspring of creativity. Her uniquely painted ceramic shells grace the walls of many homes, and her diverse body of work includes 300 black-and-white paintings of Cape Town’s suburbs and landmarks (sketched over the course of four years). Originally an architect, Lucie grew up in a creative home – her father was an artist and her mother a ballerina – and she sold her first painting when she was just 18. Her work has been extensively exhibited both locally and internationally – but Lucie remains as proudly South African as ever. We sat down with her to find out what she loves about the Cape, and whose creative work holds pride of place in her home…

On artists, galleries and inspiration

My favourite gallery is Chandler House. It belongs to my best friend and favourite artist, Michael Chandler. It’s situated in the Bo-Kaap and is a teeny-tiny studio-slash-shop, where everything is hyper-local and you’ll find a mix of old and new. When I broke away from architecture and became a full-time artist, my first studio was a tiny little room above Michael’s gallery, so our work is sort of intertwined. Michael shows a lot of different artists, but the focus is on Cape art and it’s more traditional than the contemporary stuff you would see at a larger, more commercial gallery. Insider tip: Look out for the cute little wooden dassies by Lameck Tayengwa; they make amazing gifts – no-one else sells or promotes these distinctively Capetonian creatures.

When Michael and I did a commission together, I could see how strong he is as a painter. He can paint all day and doesn’t take breaks; he just carries on and creativity pours out of him. All of Michael’s designs are really beautiful; the highlight of going to Chandler House is seeing his own work. He doesn’t do much wholesale or anything like that – you have to go to Chandler House to get his stuff, which I think is really special. I have Michael’s work in my home, because I’ve swapped lots of pieces with him.

I’ve always followed Whatiftheworld, a bigger gallery on Buiten Street in the CBD. I love many of their artists, especially Mia Chaplin, Michael Taylor, Nabeeha Mohamed and Stephané Edith Conradie. I think that Ashley, who’s curating there, just knows how to spot really great artists.

I really love the work of Mia Chaplin, who paints with thick, heavy oil paints. She paints women and her work is just sublime; she has something so exciting going on, and she’s internationally famous now. At home, I have a very beautiful Mia Chaplin painting from when she was very young and had just come out of art school. Michael had an exhibition of her stuff and I still remember that it was R15 000. The price was too high for me (although you could add a zero onto her prices today), but I just knew that I couldn’t live without it… so I bought it and I still feel like that was the best thing I ever did for my home, and for my life. It’s a delicious monster plant with a mirror behind it and all these reflections and beautiful fabrics. It’s just a still life of a plant, but it is so beautifully painted and I immediately saw something amazing and light in her brushwork. She’s the main star of my house.

Then, of course, there’s Dr Esther Mahlangu. She’s just so timeless, cool and hip and I would always include her in my top three artists.

Another painting I like a lot is by Madeline Donahue. She’s an American artist and a mother – so her work is slightly chaotic and frenetic. I’ve got a pencil sketch of hers, of a woman holding two kids.

The beach is my number-one place to go for creative inspiration. I’m not the kind of person who will sit there for hours in the sun, but I really enjoy walking along the ocean, picking up shells, looking for treasure and seaweed, and exploring rock pools. I go to Bakoven most often because it’s the closest for us and it just feels like a little community. I grew up just down the road, so I’ve always loved going there and sitting on the rocks. You don’t even have to get sandy! But my absolute favourite beach is Water’s Edge in Simon’s Town. It’s quite far away for me, but it’s simply amazing for swimming and for rock pools.

On restaurants

My favourite restaurant is currently Ouzeri on Wale Street. I love the fact that the owner, Nic Charalambous, is also the chef, and that he’s there all the time and really cares. It’s just so cool and interesting to go somewhere where someone puts their soul on the table and makes it personal. Nic changes his meals quite often so the dish that I loved may no longer be there, but it was all about carrots. This may sound boring compared to the other dishes, but it was sensational. The carrots were deeply roasted and caramelised and slow-cooked, and they were paired with some kind of risotto. In other words, don’t ignore the vegetables on the menu there.

I also love Between Us on Bree Street. It’s owned and run by identical twin sisters – Jesse and Jamie Friedberg – who are always there, and the place just feels magical. They serve bistro food (try the meatball pasta, and the pistachio loaf for a not-too-sweet dessert), all the bowls are handmade, and the space is full of art. Compare that to one of those gigantic designer restaurants where it just feels like a business; I prefer places where there’s a face and a sense of connection.

Another favourite of mine is Il Leone, a fantastic Italian in Green Point.

The Blue Café in Tamboerskloof is one of Cape Town’s best-kept secrets. It’s a really amazing place to have lunch and it feels hyper-local. The food is fresh, you can sit on the street and it’s off the beaten track on a really quiet residential road. It’s the ultimate little dreamy neighborhood café.

And then, just because we’re Capetonian, Willoughby’s at the V&A Waterfront. It’s the opposite of my other favourites – I don’t know who owns Willoughby’s or who’s there – but it’s such an institution and the food is just so good; if you’re having a bad day, their lovely sushi can instantly cheer you up.

On places to go

I really love the Oranjezicht City Farm Market at the Waterfront – we go there quite often for brunch. We do either the Milnerton Flea Market or the posh vegetable market at the Oranjezicht City Farm over weekends. We oscillate between the two… the high and low.

It’s fun to see a whole slice of Cape Town on the Sea Point Promenade. It’s open to everyone – joggers and picnickers and families – and it’s always nice to go there.

A best kept secret is my dad’s shop, Gilles de Moyencourt Antiques, on Albert Road in Woodstock. My dad’s a finder; he’s constantly searching for interesting things in junk shops, flea markets and auctions (he has a regular circuit) and his shop is like a gigantic Ali Baba treasure trove. You never know what you’re going to find there…

When it’s time for a weekend getaway, my husband and I love hiring an Airbnb in Kalk Bay during the off season and exploring the junk shops, cafés and tidal pools in and around Kalk Bay and Simon’s Town. In Kalk Bay, I highly recommend Olympia Cafe, Bob’s Bagels by Lever Street Park, walking up and down the harbour pier and, in Simon’s Town, fish and chips at the Salty Sea Dog.

Babylonstoren is my favourite wine farm – and we stay there quite often. Everything is just beautiful and there’s so much to see and enjoy while you’re there. You can walk around the gardens, which are absolutely stunning, and you can taste some amazing wines. The rosé is my favourite. Lindi Carien – a white blend with mostly chenin from Lourens Family Wines – and La Brune Pinot Noir Rosé are another two of my favourite wines.

Ficks Restaurant in Hermanus is on my bucketlist. It’s right on the rocks and there’s a tidal pool, and it just looks like something on the Amalfi Coast. I always wonder why Cape Town doesn’t have more places like that, given all of our amazing coastal areas. We could create our own Amalfi Coast if we wanted to…

If someone was coming to Cape Town for one day, I would tell them to spend it driving the peninsula. Go over Chapman’s Peak (or if you don’t want to go so far, simply drive through to Hout Bay along the Atlantic Seaboard) and go through to Kalk Bay and Simon’s Town on False Bay. Our coastline is so beautiful, and there are so many wonderful restaurants and shops to discover along the way.

The coolest neighborhood in Cape Town, if you ask me, has to be Sea Point. I lived there many years ago and just loved the walking culture and the mix of people. You can walk or cycle wherever you want to go, so it feels like a little city filled with vibey shops and restaurants – and, of course, it’s just up the road from the Promenade.

We don’t party very often, but when we do, we like to go to The Athletic Club & Social on Buitengracht Street; it’s such a great place and, funnily enough, they have quite a few pieces from my dad’s shop. I also love La Trip Club & Social next door, which has a retro Italian-glamour interior, decorated with a lot of style and pizzazz.

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