Food

Boasting one of the best views in the world, OYO Restaurant & Cocktail Bar is the signature restaurant of the Waterfront’s V&A Hotel, which is operated by Newmark Hotels (Pty) Ltd.

An elegant eatery that looks out onto the working harbour, Cape Town city and Table Mountain, OYO has been under the helm of Executive Chef Stephen Templeton since November 2010. The venue offers diners a compact menu with options ranging from comfort food to contemporary fare – and with its harbour location, fresh seafood is a must.

The Chef

Executive Chef Stephen Templeton brings with him many years of executive experience, including for Sol Kerzner at Sun City, the QE2 luxury ocean liner, Spier Estate, the famous Mount Nelson, and Terence Conran and Harrod’s in London. He was one of the three Executive Chefs behind Nelson Mandela’s official inauguration luncheon, a function for 2 500 people, and was invited by Thabo Mbeki to travel to London to manage a South African function there. He also has invaluable recent hands-on knowledge, having run his own business, The 4 Oaks, a Top 20 Eat Out restaurant, in Montagu for the past five years.

Templeton’s first job is to remodel and reconceptualise OYO Restaurant & Cocktail Bar, the waterside eatery at the V&A Hotel, which predates much of the development in the Waterfront precinct. ‘The Waterfront is a very competitive market and we need to be market leaders and trend-setters,’ says Templeton.

‘Visitors to the Waterfront like the street café, Venetian piazza-type feel of this area, and don’t want to be intimidated by an overly formal setting. So it’s not just the food we have to change, but also the look, feel and philosophy. It will be a stylish bistro – relaxed enough for visitors to feel they can just walk in for a meal, but at the same time sophisticated enough to dress up in the evenings and dine by candlelight.’

It’s a philosophy he will carry over into the other properties too. Dock House, which was originally built as the Harbour Engineer’s private residence in the 1800s, will get Templeton’s full attention in the new year. A favourite events venue, here’s where the banqueting side of the business will get a makeover. ‘There’s not much to choose from in the Waterfront when it comes to venues for big occasions, like weddings, corporate dinners and government functions,’ Templeton explains, ‘so we have a scope to fill that niche market.’

View our menus now:

Wine, Cocktails & The Bar:

A glassed-in wine cellar boasts some of the Cape’s best along with a handsome selection of vintage wines. Each is brought to the table with a separate tasting glass to ensure every expectation is met.