A small city hotel with a big vibe – a good food

Here’s a boutique hotel where you can feel ‘with it’, says CAROLINE WEBB, and it’s the best address in Cape Town’s trendy De Waterkant

The Grey CAPE TOWN

Walking in, through an inconspicuous entrance and past a tiny restaurant into a courtyard, is a little like entering a European pension – although the Frida Kahlo-blue walls and Moroccan tiles suggest a different continent. Stairs and a narrow passageway lead to the rooms (13 of them) clustered in different parts of this multilevel 19th century house. Co-owner Lisa Calligaro chose not to break out walls or expand spaces, so it all feels very cosy and personal. I stayed in one of the two top-floor rooms that have a terrace, and from here I discovered a secret culture – all around me were rooftop spaces providing wonderful views and an escape from the buzz around the Cape Quarter. This is an unapologetically urban hotel, so don’t expect peace and quiet – there is music and laughter and talking all around. It’s for visitors who want to feel part of Cape Town’s cosmopolitan vibe. It’s a lovely place to stay, with compact, stylish rooms, but one that encourages guests to go out to the nearby cafes, bars, restaurants and shops (there is no kettle in the room, no snacks and no room service – although the minibar is stocked with a free first round of drinks). The Piano Bar takes up the bottom-floor corner of the building, and tucked below is Kos, a street cafe. But the restaurant that you walk past when you arrive is the real treat: a modern Japanese ‘tapas’ joint called Shio, run by chef Cheyne Morrisby. (I still yearn for another bowl of that black Forbidden Risotto.) Book a table at the same time you book your room, or you might not get in! BEST FEATURE The narrowestpossible spiral staircase leads to the rooftop, with a lap pool, a bar and a smack-bang view of Table Mountain. You’ll have to share as it’s open to the public until 10pm, but in the morning hotel guests can get their first cup of coffee or tea here. COSTS From R650 – R1 500 per room (two nights minimum) SLEEPS 2 BOOK 021-421-1106, thegreyhotel.co.za

The entrance off a side street; Shio Japanese restaurant; the tinkling of the fountain in the courtyard is a calming sound; four-posters (with delicious white linen) take up most of the space in the rooms.