Ellerman House Introduces Curate:A Fine-Dining Experience

The award-winning boutique hotel Ellerman House is set to elevate its culinary offering with the launch of a new fine-dining restaurant, Curate, opening in May 2025.

Curate offers a refined South African-inspired menu where bold flavours meet elegant craftsmanship. Each dish celebrates the land, the seasons, and the artistry behind it. Expert wine stewards curate bespoke pairings from Ellerman House’s 10,000-bottle collection, ensuring every sip and bite tells a story of heritage and innovation.

Curate will be situated in the iconic Wine Gallery at Ellerman House — an immersive space that serves not only as a showcase for fine wine, but as a living art installation in its own right. Designed by renowned South African sculptor Angus Taylor, the Wine Gallery celebrates South Africa’s rich winemaking heritage, dating back to 1659. The new interiors for Curate were brought to life by one of the owners, Nell Harris, and Natalie Haarhof of Just Design, blending natural textures and refined aesthetics to create a connected and immersive dining experience.

At the helm of Curate is Ellerman House’s Head Chef Kieran Whyte. Having worked closely with acclaimed Cape Town chef Peter Tempelhoff over the past five years at Ellerman House, Whyte brings a deep understanding of culinary artistry to the new restaurant. His expertise has been further honed through collaborations with internationally renowned chefs at prestigious Relais & Châteaux establishments, of which Ellerman House has been a member since the 1990s.

Since its inception in 1988, from its prime position overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Ellerman House’s mission has been to showcase the very best of what South Africa can offer so that guests discover the richness of South Africa’s character through its indigenous gardens, collections of South African art and wine, local cuisine and above all South African hospitality. It has set new benchmarks for South Africa in luxury experiential hospitality and was recently voted #1 City Hotel in Africa by Travel + Leisure, and #3 Hotel in the World by The Telegraph.

“With the launch of Curate alongside OneEighty, Ellerman House reaffirms its dedication to providing guests with world-class multi-sensory culinary and cultural experiences that reflect the soul of South Africa,” says Ellerman House CEO Carol Kohne. “It is a natural evolution of our commitment to innovation and excellence.”

OneEighty, the hotel’s original restaurant, now operating under a new name, continues to offer a relaxed yet refined à la carte dining experience. The seasonal menu is crafted from the finest local ingredients and served in spaces adorned with South African art or on the sea-facing patios, weather permitting. While Curate brings a new fine-dining experience to the Wine Gallery, OneEighty remains a central part of the Ellerman House culinary offering.

Patrons can make reservations to be invited to Curate or OneEighty via Dineplan.

For Images of Curate, please click here.

For images of Ellerman House, please click here.

About Ellerman House:

Ellerman House is a renowned hotel located in Cape Town, South Africa, known for its impressive private art collections, award-winning wine list, and Wine Gallery. Originally the summer home of shipping magnate Sir John Ellerman, the hotel features Cape Edwardian architecture combined with modern luxury and understated elegance. With 13 bedrooms and two 3-bedroom villas, the hotel offers captivating ocean views and manicured gardens. The spacious Ellerman House Suites exude timeless refinement in a relaxed coastal setting, featuring en-suite bedrooms, lounges, dining rooms, and expansive private terraces overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The Ellerman House Villas, a truly exclusive offering, embody the glamorous beach lifestyle Cape Town is famous for. Each villa is staffed with a private chef and dedicated hospitality team, offering all the benefits of hotel living with complete privacy and flexibility. Families and multigenerational travelers will find Villa One to be the ideal place for a relaxing and luxurious stay, where little ones can enjoy the heated pool and entertainment area, or they can join the chef in the kitchen while the adults enjoy the spectacular Art and Wine Gallery.