Nestled amid the hustle and bustle in Cape Town, Club Kloof offers an eclectic mix of delicious Italian-inspired cuisine, a variety of drinks, and a killer vibe.
1. Let’s start at the beginning. Tell us about your life before restaurants and what led you to the industry?
Originally from Durban, Shayne paid his dues working his way up in kitchens around the country to become a private chef here and in Europe. Creative Director, Michael, studied in Cape Town and Milan before returning to Cape Town 15 years ago. Their shared love of food and eating with friends led to the opening of a small spot on Kloof Street, which evolved into Our Local. Although neither of us are Italian, a love of travel, Italy, and the Mediterranean has influenced how we cook, entertain, and eat.
2. Our Local is your much-loved spot on Kloof Street. What have you enjoyed about curating that space and how will it differ from your new venture?
Our Local happened organically. We started with a small offering of coffee and pastries in the corner of an antique store and nursery. From private dinners during lockdown, it slowly grew in a really special environment.
With our new spot, Club Kloof, we started with a completely blank slate. The space had been destroyed by a fire in December 2021, and this gave us the opportunity to start from scratch and create what we felt was really missing in the Cape Town food scene. Located in a fully restored heritage building on Kloof Street, the restaurant is spread over three areas, allowing people to gravitate towards what suits them for that particular visit. As you enter the main dining area, and bar, you’re taken back in time with bold scarlet hues, upholstered seating and crisp white tablecloths, ready for aperitivos sipped over shared plates. Find the hidden bar in the back courtyard for spritzes at small marble tables amid pops of yellow.
3. Club Kloof is Italian-ish but really, it’s more about the dishes you know and love, but with a hint of modern playfulness. What can diners expect from the menu?
We were inspired by the Italian food scene; its diversity from region to region, and how Italian food is eaten and enjoyed in and out of Italy. We focused on flavour, produce, and celebrating Shayne’s unique combinations and layering of flavours.
The menu allows people to curate their dining experience as opposed to having to commit to a single dish. Who has time for food envy these days? From pizzettes with asparagus, lemon ricotta and mint, to salads, the menu is a continuous experience.
4. Favourite dishes?
Mmmm, maybe the prawns with lemon and paprika, or our heirloom tomato and goat’s cheese salad with mint and white balsamic dressing; for the sweet tooth, our Maritozzo - a bun filled with mascarpone and sprinkled with pistachio praline.
5. In this era of social media-driven everything, interiors are essential to the success of a space. Tell us about your decor inspiration.
We knew from the beginning we wanted to be bold. We had travelled to London to see how Italian food was interpreted outside of Italy and loved the strong use of colour in interiors. David Hicks’ famous use of bold colour and mixing of antique and modern furnishings inspired our design direction. We brought in Tiziana Giardini, who grew up in Milan and is the go-to paint expert, to work with us on the inside spaces. We roped in friend and creative director, Ilana Swanepoel, to help springboard ideas and curate the space. Almost too much time was spent together staring at different colours on walls, layered in different ways and techniques until we finally all agreed – we’re going reddish. From there, we added multiple mirrors to bounce the designs around the space. Throw in some neon lighting to illuminate original pressed ceilings, white tablecloths for a classic feel, and the interior was done. We wanted to contrast the boldness of the interior with a very stark exterior, so we kept it completely white. The back courtyard is a burst of yellow, inspired by hidden streets in Italian seaside towns.
6. Best seat in the house?
The mirrors in the main dining room reflect different spaces, allowing for a voyeuristic feel. There is a spot where you get a partial view of what’s happening in the bar in a reflection - and it’s great!
7. Before we wrap up, give us four words to describe the Club Kloof mood:
Flavourful, memory-making, intriguing, vibes.
