On our second visit to Heirloom, to start, we were welcomed by cheerful staff members, all exuding a professional warmth that immediately set the tone for the evening. I remember arriving just as the sun began its descent through the large windows — a beautiful glow settling over the marina — and eagerly ordered a Cuba Libre. Many consider it too simple a drink, but there’s a reason it’s been around for over a century. Sometimes, the simplest things are just the right choice, and at Heirloom, the quality of ingredients truly makes even the classics sing.
My companion started with a wonderfully made Aperol Spritz. She’ll admit to being somewhat of a connoisseur, and as much as I trusted her word on how good it was, I had to steal a sip just to confirm… and she was absolutely right.
It was an easy choice from there, with a menu full of dishes celebrating fresh, local ingredients. Chef Wesli Jacobs, the newly appointed Executive Chef, lets his philosophy shine through clearly, with his emphasis on honouring the terroir of the Mother City and its surrounds.
We ordered a platter of Saldanha Bay oysters, served with preserved lemon, chilli crunch, and a bonito flake foam. While we waited, however, a basket of homemade breads appeared — an inviting mix of seeded crackers, crisp breadsticks, and warm, soft loafs — alongside a red pepper cream cheese and thyme-infused butter to start the evening on a perfect note.
The oysters were divine — their accompaniments enhanced rather than masked their natural sweetness, each element dancing across our tongues as we gulped them down with gusto. For my first individual course, I chose the Cape Malay mussels with riata, poppadums, green oil, and curry leaf, while my companion opted for the smoked West Coast prawn, served with a lobster jus and a lobster arancini.
I loved the Cape Malay spice that kissed my palate and warmed me in just the right way. The mussels were plump and tender, with the curry leaf adding a beautiful layer of complexity that brought the dish together. The smoked prawn, meanwhile, was just exquisite, and not individual prawns but a wonderfully smooth mousse. The crispy arancini, filled with chunks of lobster, worked beautifully to soak up the rich, velvety jus — a perfect pairing with the view of the harbour before us.
Next for me came an Old Fashioned, delightfully balanced and perfectly mixed. There’s a reason you don’t mess with the classics, and Heirloom understands that concept to a tee.
For my main, I treated myself to the Karoo Wagyu fillet — a 200 g cut served with bone marrow mash, exotic mushrooms, baby onions, morogo, and a bordelaise sauce flambéed table-side for a touch of theatre. My companion, who clearly couldn’t get enough prawn, ordered the tiger prawn and squid ink pasta: six large grilled prawns with squid ink pasta, pickled radish, seafood velouté, and chimichurri. The heat from the chimichurri balanced the richness of the velouté beautifully, and those prawns were cooked to absolute perfection.
When the dishes arrived, we were both pleasantly surprised by the generous portions. My fillet melted like butter, delivering a rich, powerful burst of flavour that showcased South Africa’s world-class ingredients which I just can’t recommend enough.
After our mains, we were visited by Chef Wesli Jacobs. He’s warm, humble, and deeply passionate about local produce – something that’s immediately evident on the plate. We chatted briefly about his approach to cooking, and his focus on celebrating the land and sea of the Cape is as genuine as it is inspiring. Having honed his craft in top kitchens before taking the helm at Heirloom, his vision for contemporary South African cuisine feels both grounded and refreshingly confident.
Feeling it was time for a coffee, I ordered an espresso martini next — and you can always appreciate when it’s made with excellent coffee.
By that point, we were quite full, a rare occurrence, but we couldn’t resist sharing a cheese platter to round things off. What we expected to be a simple selection turned out to be a showcase of the finest cheeses we’ve had in some time: five generous portions, each distinct and perfectly aged, and each proudly South African, served with homemade melba toast and sweet preserves. It was the ideal finale to an outstanding meal.
Heirloom is truly cementing itself as a restaurant that matches the luxury and refinement of the Cape Grace Hotel. With Chef Wesli at the helm, it’s only a matter of time before everyone is talking about it — and visiting to see what all the well-deserved buzz is about.