Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel: Alfresco Dining at The Fountain

We can all agree some meals are best enjoyed in an outdoor setting. Like the Mediterranean-inspired menu at The Fountain, served in a glorious summer garden setting at the Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel. It’s an experience that feeds all the senses.

Launched last summer, the hotel’s alfresco dining experience has opened again for the coming season. The Fountain takes piazza vibes to the max, with candy-striped umbrella-shaded tables clustered around the centrepiece lion fountain, inspiring leisurely lunches that segue into late-afternoon cocktails.

Simply refreshing flavour

Photo: Claire Gunn

The menu runs from antipasti (both hot and cold) through a medley of flatbreads with delicious toppings – the elegant, lighter sibling of pizza – to a trio of desserts.

Chef Luke Barry matches Mediterranean freshness with local ingredients. Think Zuney wagyu bone marrow, Saldanha Bay mussels or West Coast prawn scampi, and Nonna-style pork-and-beef meatballs with foccacia. Other options include roasted calamari or eggplant, a yellowtail crudo and fresh Cape burrata with heirloom tomatoes. For dessert, there’s irresistible limoncello tiramisu is a playful twist on the classic.

Photo: Claire Gunn (left image), Candice Bodington (right image)

Apart from produce picked fresh from the hotel’s own chef’s garden, the kitchen sources ingredients from renowned local suppliers, including Farmer Angus, Abalobi fish and Meuse Farm, along with a range of Italian–style Cape cheeses.

The drinks list adds that final sparkling touch to a relaxed summer meal: signature cocktails (made from local artisanal spirits), perfect G&Ts, refreshing spritzers or, for the table to share, one-litre jugs of sangria or gin-infused iced tea (made with the hotel’s iconic tea-leaf blend).

Photo: Claire Gunn

It’s yet another reason to make the lush gardens of the iconic “pink lady” a home-from-home this summer.

Good to Know Walk-ins only.
When Monday – Sunday, 12pm – 5pm (9pm close in summer)
Contact 021 483 1000, [email protected]
Where to find it Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, 76 Orange Street, Gardens, Cape Town

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