There is a particular kind of winter afternoon that belongs to Cape Town in late June. The light goes long and gold across the harbour, the southeaster falls quiet, and at Cape Grace, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, set on its private quay at the V&A Waterfront, there’s a soft anticipation for the return of spring.
Concurrently, on the other side of the world, in the South West of London, a tournament of champions gets underway. One that has, for the better part of a century, defined the English summer.This year, as it did the last, Cape Grace marries the moments, giving a nod to centre court, in its own fashion, with the return of A Game of Grace.The activation, hosted at the hotel’s flagship restaurant, Heirloom, was conceived as a love letter to the rituals of the Championships: the whites, the strawberries, the silver trophies, the small, civilised pleasure of watching something extraordinary in good company.
For 2026, what began last year as a four-day debut returns expanded, running Thursday to Sunday from Thursday 18 June through to the grand finals on Sunday 12 July. Heirloom is dressed for the season in vibrant greens and crisp whites, with subtle flashes of yellow and pink. The afternoon unfolds at an unhurried pace, with live screenings of the day’s most anticipated play and a tea conceived in homage to the English tradition of courtside refreshment: finger sandwiches, coronation chicken, and freshly baked scones with Chantilly cream, strawberry jam and lemon curd.The sweets take up the theme with the most relish, a chocolate racket, a slice of Battenberg, and the kitchen’s edible tennis ball, reimagined as a vanilla and peach mousse tartlet and returning by popular request from last year.
Each guest is welcomed with a signature Cape Grace No. 96 gin, served just so, and the hotel’s own exclusive tea blend, a quiet meeting of spice, herb and Cederberg rooibos, pours throughout. Wheeled alongside is a bespoke gin and Pimm’s trolley, where the classic summer cup is mixed with the kind of ceremony the occasion seems to invite. Guests are encouraged to embrace the sartorial spirit of the day, classic whites or something more loosely tennis-inspired, whichever the mood prefers.“The rituals of this time of year are some of my favourites,” says Amanda Strydom, Food and Beverage Director at Cape Grace. “Dressing up, gathering, taking a long afternoon over a single match. We have tried to honour that, with all the small touches that make the season what it is. The edible tennis balls, of course, had to come back.”
Reservations
A Game of Grace is served at Heirloom Restaurant, Thursday to Sunday, from 18 June to 12 July 2026, with two sittings daily. Booking is recommended and can be secured by contacting the hotel directly. For images and menu please see here, and more information please contact [email protected]
For bookings click here@capegracehotel
