Café Society

The V&A Waterfront’s second oldest building is given new life with a considered approach to design, dining and style

The cofounder and Ceo of Life group of Companies, Maira Koutsoudakis, lives by the saying ‘Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life’. Considering that she recently added a sixth Life grand Cafe to her collection of restaurants, in and among the company’s other businesses, a love and passion for her work is clearly a necessity.

opening late last year at the V&a Waterfront, the new addition is set right on the water’s edge in a 1902 heritage building, originally a post office, which has undergone a transformative restoration. ‘I was seduced by its credentials. having worked on more than eight heritage projects worldwide, the fit seemed perfect,’ says Maira. she defines her style as ‘a hybrid between north and south, raw and refined’, her approach to the interiors of Life grand V&a being no exception. spread across the building’s multiple levels are inviting spaces where guests can engage with both the harbour setting and Maira’s considered decor, which takes inspiration from the vernacular of Victorian and Cape dutch homesteads.

With executive chef Jeanel Pieterse in the kitchen, in collaboration with Maira and her husband and business partner John Koutsoudakis, diners can enjoy modern fare featuring fresh, innovative flavours. Find dishes such as seafood ceviche and leche de tigre, black rice sushi, red lobster linguine and speared fillet, paired with a tailored cocktail and wine menu. ‘I believe a space always tells you what it wants to be; you just have to listen,’ says Maira. Life Grand Cafe 021 205 1902

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