THIS Valentine’s weekend there’s no finer place to celebrate romance than at Cape Town’s legendary retreat, Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel. Sensational dining and live al fresco music wait to embrace happy couples among The Nellie’s fragrant gardens and rose-tinted walls.
Kick off your Valentine’s weekend in the Planet Bar, where the stars align to bring you succulent oysters with chilled Moët & Chandon, or Imperial Heritage Caviar washed down with either Dom Pérignon or Belvedere Vodka. Seeking something sweeter? Opt for chocolate truffles with Hennessy Cognac. Or why not try every indulgent combination? The perfectly paired treats are available from Friday 11 until Monday 14 February.
On Valentine’s Day itself, chef Rudi Liebenberg has pulled out all the stops for the evening. His irresistible Valentine’s dinner menu delivers flavour sensations your palate may never have experienced. Take, for example, the gin-cured salmon starter, crafted in-house with a selection of fynbos, hibiscus, liquorice, rose petal and citrus, wrapped around prawn and avocado and served with dune spinach and spekboom. Or the Tomato Variation, which pays homage to the seasonal bounty in simple yet mouth-watering style. Savour tender beef fillet, sea bass or squash cannelloni before arriving at a luscious dessert of strawberry consommé, rum baba and champagne jelly. Rudi says: “The aroma of lemon verbena and mascarpone ice cream reminds me of summer in a bowl.”