Inside Look: Curate, Cape Town, South Africa

If you spend 15 minutes talking about wine with people who love it, you’ll probably hear at least one of them say the word “terroir.” Usually defined as the ways that environmental and sociocultural factors show up in your glass, terroir is ephemeral. But you know it when you taste it, oenophiles say. At Curate, a restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa, you know it when you see it, too. 

Situated on a lower level of the city’s elegant Ellerman House, Curate serves tasting menus inspired by everyday South African culinary staples alongside pours from its 10,000-bottle wine collection. “The wine menu and design of the space were conceived to work in tandem,” sommelier Joe Beziak says. The interiors “reflect a strong sense of space. And the wine list follows that same philosophy—rooted in terroir, origin, and authenticity.” 

A Strong Sense of Place

Featuring work by South African sculptor Angus Taylor, plus interiors by owner Nell Harris and Natalie Haarhof of Just Design, Curate aims to celebrate South Africa’s diverse food and beverage cultures and heritage across every inch of the bar and restaurant. 

There are nods to South African identities sprinkled throughout the space. A multicolored mosaic at the entrance is a subtle reference to the country’s Rainbow Nation moniker. Parts of the floor are made from repurposed corks to commemorate the longevity of the South African wine industry, which historians believe dates back to the mid-1600s.

“Almost every element within the space is sourced from South Africa,” Beziak says. “The design plays a fundamental role in reinforcing a strong sense of place.” 

One notable expression is the Terroir Wall, a mosaic-like treatment made from actual soil samples. “The Terroir Wall reinforces conversations around diversity and viticulture, allowing us to translate something visual into something sensory in the glass,” Beziak says. 

Representing soils from 100 South African vineyards, it’s a striking installation that doubles as a teaching tool. If anyone drinking or dining at Curate wants to engage with the Terroir Wall, sommeliers can use it to describe ways that agriculture and winemaking intersect. It bridges “what guests see and what they taste,” Beziak says. 

Functional Design 

Arguably the most striking manifestation of this intersection of form and function might be the massive, spiral-shaped sculpture that divides the dining room from bar seating near the entrance. Called the Carbon Fibre corkscrew, it’s shaped like a wine opener and doubles as temperature-controlled storage for more than 1,500 red wine bottles.

“Functional design is essential,” Beziak says. The Carbon Fibre corkscrew “is not only visually striking, but also highly practical, as it’s used to store wines that are actively featured on the Curate Wine Menu … It’s a balance of form and purpose, where the design enhances the narrative without compromising the efficiency of service.” 

Liquid Culture

While wine is a focus at Curate, the beverage program also features drinks like umqombothi, the sorghum-based brew that predates European beer production by several millennia. Inspired by conversations among its staff, the ancestral beverage is presented as part of eight-course tasting menus in the dining room. 

“We were talking about a housewarming where this traditional beer is made and served, typically by the women in the family,” says Kieran Whyte, Curate’s executive chef. “It’s made with simple and staple ingredients and takes roughly two to three days to make.” The process entails cooking maize, sorghum, and yeast together for 24 hours, and then adding more sorghum, pineapple skins, and other trimmings, plus sugar and yeast. Whyte and his team allow the mixture to ferment for two more days before they clarify the mixture “to showcase it and make it a fine dining offering,” Whyte says.

Curate’s backbar also features an array of spirits, including several South African gins made with indigenous botanicals. Certain cocktails highlight the country’s signature agricultural products, such as an Espresso Martini sweetened with rooibos syrup. 

“South Africa has an incredibly rich and diverse cultural and agricultural heritage,” Beziak says. “Incorporating local stories, ingredients, and traditions adds depth and meaning to what we present.” For the Curate team, the complexities of South African cultures inform every aspect of food, beverage, and design. “It’s about representing our identity with integrity and pride,” Beziak says.