The Plettenberg opens new restaurant
The Plettenberg Hotel has unveiled its new-look restaurant, which is destined to become a popular new Plett venue not only for resident guests, but also for casual diners booking for breakfast, lunch, cocktails and dinner.
The restaurant, Amelia’s at The Plettenberg, was reimagined in design and interiors by Dawn Dickerson, Carmel Naude and Tammy Fourie of HotCocoa Interiors & Design. The same team was also responsible for the new-look of The Conservatory restaurant at sister-hotel, The Cellars-Hohenort in Cape Town, which opened last year (2023).
The Plettenberg boasts an unrivalled prime position on a rocky headland in one of South Africa's most spectacular beach towns. Dawn Dickerson says the creative design started with this sense of place, inspired by the magnificent view of the ocean and sweep of bay across Lookout Beach, with purple hued mountains in the distance. The restaurant terrace was doubled in size with long banquette seating and a timber pergola, creating an inviting space for outdoor dining overlooking the ocean. Inside, the space was opened up by replacing four structural columns with elegant beams of natural timber to create a welcoming new dining space with elegant banquets lining the back walls.
‘The views are captured in the new restaurant design, bringing the outside in with a palette of colours of the sea. This unique sense of place had to be used in all the elements of the design and we needed to bring those beautiful colours and textures into the restaurant. This ranges from the white-tipped waves to teal and the deep blue of the sea, framed by the colours of the mountains and warmed by the shades of sand, changing from wet to dry’, she says.
The floor is a mix of wet sand and white checkerboard colour, accented with terracotta, sand and deep teal blue tile colours – the patterned tiles creating warmth, layering, interest and a relaxed mood. This warm checkerboard layout sets the scene for the rich and intricate mix of patterned and plain fabrics in rich deep blues, vibrant iridescent blues and clean and delicate turquoise, mixed up with an uplighting acid lime yellow. The feature centrepiece of the restaurant is a display of custom designed, handmade ceramic pendants inspired by shell sea creatures in kaleidoscope of colours, from the iridescent trademark blue to the soft sludgy teal green of the sea on an overcast day. These richly layered elements are a focal point against the inspiring backdrop of artist Tiziana Giardini’s bold, hand-painted mural on the two feature walls. The mural comes to life at night especially, when darkness drops over the bay, and it shimmers and glows, bringing the spectacular view from the restaurant to life.
The CEO of The Liz McGrath Collection, Jacqui Elliott summarizes: ‘Colourful, whimsical, elegant, sophisticated yet approachable. Amelia’s at The Plettenberg is a warm, intimate, yet bold new restaurant space that invites diners to linger longer while savouring a delicious meal and enjoying the spectacular view. Tronette Dippenaar, the Executive Chef of The Liz McGrath Collection and her team at The Plettenberg bring to the table an exciting new menu that is an exploration of flavours, from seafood and grills, to the classics, including a fresh take on our signature dishes. We are proud to introduce this inspiring, light and modern restaurant that is perfectly aligned with the barefoot luxury our guests know and love The Plettenberg for.’
Part of the The Liz McGrath Collection, The Plettenberg is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The 5-star hotel features two swimming pools, a spa and a gym, and 37 beautifully appointed guest rooms, including two spectacular Villas and 12 Suites, many with breathtaking sea views.
