Salsify at the Roundhouse gets a facelift

Situated within a glen near Table Mountain, Camps Bay’s iconic Roundhouse is a building steeped in history, intrigue and lore. Since 1786, the building has played host to myriad interesting characters and inhabitants, each leaving their own mark on the space.

There was Lord Charles Somerset who first inhabited the building, using it as a hunting lodge. There was also his military surgeon, Dr Joseph Barry — upon who’s death it was discovered that she was in fact a woman — and many others. In more recent times, the space - with its breathtaking views of the Atlantic and the 12 Apostles - was a popular place to get engaged, the paramours carving initials and notes into the windowpanes, which are still present today.

The current inhabitants take shape in the formidable Salsify team, helmed by chef and owner Ryan Cole. Though only having opened in 2018, given all that has happened in the last few years, the chef felt the time was right to give the space a new look, one that matched the energy of the young team and contrasted with the age of the building.

Enlisting the help of interior decorator Jean Francois de Villiers, the team have injected a burst of colour and playfulness into the building.

“It’s four years since we opened and we’ve now reimagined the space, building upon its past and writing the next chapter of the famed Roundhouse,” says chef Cole of the project

The newest characters to call the Roundhouse home are The Vandalised Viscount and The Damaged Duke, two prints by UK-based Prince & Rebel that now hang in reception and the private dining room respectively. These pieces formed the initial inspiration for the revamp — the two 18th-century characters both defaced with vibrant graffiti across their faces — and informed the colour palette for the redesign.

“It’s the bright colours of the paintings which have formed the basis for the tonal palette of the reimagined new space. Hues of green, yellow and orange [bring] a modern and youthful feel to the rooms,” explains De Villiers.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the redesign is the seasonal room, the once leather-clad inner chamber now boasts interchangeable wallpaper-covered panels, now featuring a blue-and-white wave-inspired print by Cara Saven and a hanging floral display by Opus Studio, both of which will change seasonally. It’s a clever interpretation of the chef’s dedication to seasonality and his passion for nature — both of land and sea.

Last but not least, the ocean-facing sea-room has, too, been refreshed. The De Villiers Lord Somerset mural, which once hung in reception, now watches over the main dining room. Inspired by rays of dazzling sunshine on the ocean, the room features an undulating gold graffiti thread woven across the back wall, while the white voile curtains are cut at table height with gold velveteen. Artworks by Anton Kannemeyer, Mariëtte Momberg and Hennie Meyer all add additional elements of intrigue and curiosity.

It’s a beautiful refurbishment, one that does a superb job of juxtaposing the youthfulness of the team who call the roundhouse home and the historic building itself. A constant pendulum between old and new, playful and serious, expected and unexpected.