Cape Town, often considered the foodie capital of South Africa, will soon be home to an exceptional dining experience spearheaded by Spanish Michelin-star chef Ángel León.
Amura will be located at the luxurious Grand Old Lady of Cape Town, otherwise known as the Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, and plans to open this December.
As the first restaurant of Ángel's located outside of Spain, Amura aims to offer a one-of-a-kind immersive marine culinary journey, tapping into the senses of diners.
A merging of flavours
It comes as no surprise that Chef Ángel, often referred to as the 'chef of the seas', has curated the restaurant's menu around marine cuisine.
Diverging from the typical seafood restaurant concept, Amura will merge Mediterranean-style cooking with Spanish roots, alongside South African ingredients and culinary flair.
Cooking methods and core elements such as fire-cooking, fermented fish, spice-laced broths and the like will pay homage to core themes throughout the restaurant.
These core themes include a focus on seasonal produce, indigenous spices, and a celebration of simple and often overlooked ingredients such as by-catch fish, plankton, and halophyte plants - all transformed through culinary artistry and innovation into a refined dish.
“Our menu is an homage to this shared seafaring legacy. To the salted fish and coastal fermentations, speaking the same ancestral language. To the spices that crossed oceans, just like our forebears. To the broths, flames, vinegars, and preservation traditions that echo across both coasts. To stories that travel without borders, carried by wind and wave,” outlines Chef Ángel León.
With thoughtful and conscious consideration, the drinks menu will feature botanicals sourced from Mount Nelson's gardens alongside a wine offering which features unique Cape wines and sherries from Spain.
A pioneer in responsible gastronomy
While seafood spearheads Amura's offering, the chef's undeniable passion for responsible gastronomy will be applied throughout, with sustainability, marine conservation, and local sourcing top of mind.
Having received the Michelin Green Star Award in recognition of his ground-breaking approach to sea-sourced ingredients, such as placing rarely used ocean species like phytoplankton and sea rice into the culinary spotlight and within his dishes, Amura will be no exception to the chef's 360-degree approach.
Ángel outlines why Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, was the perfect location for the restaurant, reaffirming their aligned values and commitment to responsible sourcing.
"United by Belmond's commitment to storytelling, local connection, responsible sourcing, and marine conservation, this partnership finds its natural home in Cape Town, a city that, like Cadiz, gazes out to sea with history in its bones.”
Amura, in case you were wondering, refers to the bow of a boat and conveys the message of "always moving forward".
It honours Chef Ángel León's father, Ángel León Senior, who significantly influenced Ángel's passion for fishing and instilled in him a deep respect for the ocean's power and beauty.
The setting
The interiors of the restaurant have been designed by award-winning South African interior architect Tristan du Plessis and will retain the restaurant's theme of an immersive marine experience with visuals of kelp forests, the ocean floor, and all that the Cape coastline has to offer woven throughout.
Think deep greens, warm timber, and bronze accents showcased throughout the interior, creating an atmosphere that perfectly pairs with the food.
While core details are yet to be revealed, including the official opening date and times of the new culinary hotspot, we look forward to seeing the gastronomic magic that Chef Ángel brings to Cape Town.
Time Out Insider Info: If you wish to join the reservation list for this new culinary experience, contact restaurantreservations.mnh@belmond.com.
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