Cape Grace, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, is proud to welcome back From London, With Love, the celebrated collaboration that brings The Savoy's iconic Afternoon Tea to the V&A Waterfront for a second year.
Following the success of last year's debut, the two hotels, both part of the Fairmont family, reunite to present a limited-time experience that pairs the timeless elegance of London's first luxury hotel with the warmth and character of our very own Cape Grace.
Hosted at Heirloom, the experience runs for a limited season, from 17 July to 13 September, and invites guests to settle in overlooking one of Cape Town’s most extraordinary marina and mountain views. Members of The Savoy's esteemed team are travelling to Cape Town to co-create the occasion alongside the Cape Grace team, sharing a tea-time tradition that The Savoy has refined across more than 137 years.
“Welcoming The Savoy team back to Cape Grace is a genuine pleasure, and this year we have gone further in weaving the heritage of their Afternoon Tea together with the produce that defines our own table,” says Lorraine Meaney, Executive Pastry Chef, Cape Grace, A Fairmont Managed Hotel. “The result honours a London institution while remaining unmistakably of the Cape. It has been a privilege to create it side by side.”
A Menu Rooted in Heritage, Grown in the Cape
The menu honours The Savoy's culinary legacy while drawing on the exceptional produce of the Western Cape. Central to that legacy is Auguste Escoffier, the legendary French chef who led the kitchens at The Savoy in the hotel's earliest years and is widely regarded as the father of modern French cuisine.
Among the dishes he created within those kitchens was the Peach Melba, devised in honour of the soprano Dame Nellie Melba. Guests will find a tribute to that heritage in a reimagined Peach Melba, reinterpreted here with a distinct Cape Town identity.
Also making the journey south is Scoff, The Savoy's dedicated scone bakery. Seasonal sourcing guides the rest of the table, with an Apple Cake and a Lemon and Lime Cake celebrating local produce at its peak.
“We are extremely excited to bring The Savoy's ‘Scoff’ concept to South Africa. Scoff is a dedicated scone bakery located in the heart of the Savoy, where elaborately prepared twists on the classic scone are served fresh daily,” explains Mariana, The Savoy’s Pastry Chef.
“Anything but traditional, Scoff scones are generously filled and topped with unique flavours, with new takes on timeless favourites including strawberries and cream, exotic fruit punch, and tiramisu. For our collaboration with Cape Grace, we have created a miniature version of our much-loved Tiramisu Scoff, and we cannot wait for guests to try it.”
The savoury selection ranges from smoked snoek pate to a free range chicken roulade and braised leek tartlet, alongside a selection of finger sandwiches.
The experience is accompanied by a curated tea pairing, including a blend created exclusively for Cape Grace, with an additional option of a bubbles pour.
Storytelling and a Sense of Place
Service sits at the heart of the occasion. The Savoy's tea-time tradition is built on storytelling, personalised attention and a genuine spirit of celebration, qualities the team has carried to Cape Grace and tailored to its setting on the waterfront.
Where Afternoon Tea at The Savoy is traditionally presented on a classic tiered stand, this collaboration reimagines the presentation with a contemporary plating style that reflects the hotel's modern spirit.
“Storytelling and tradition are central to an exceptional Afternoon Tea. Bringing this experience to life at Cape Grace, we have been able to give it a strong sense of place, blending a treasured ritual with the character of the Cape,” says Amanda Strydom, Director of Food and Beverage, Cape Grace.
Get to Know the Iconic Savoy
As Britain's first luxury hotel, The Savoy was the first in the country to introduce revolutionary comforts, among them electric lighting, electric lifts and en-suite bathrooms, setting a new global benchmark for luxury. Its newly revamped Gallery, crowned by a striking glass dome and accompanied by live piano, remains one of London's most celebrated Afternoon Tea destinations. The hotel's history is studded with iconic names, from Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin to Winston Churchill and The Beatles, while a young Guccio Gucci, then a luggage porter, drew his early inspiration from the elegance of its guests.
