Take me to The Nines

Love and life; food, family and friends; moments and memories; some things should never be half-done. Life’s too short and bad lunches are too long.

And so it is: enter The Nines. A rooftop restaurant and cocktail lounge that refuses to compromise where it counts.

Hosted on the ninth floor of Station House at nineteen Kloof Road, The Nines casts an inimitable figure over upper Sea Point.

Two-hundred-and-seventy-degree views provide a rare perspective of Sea Point and her surrounds, magnified by floor-to-ceiling glass with the various vistas competing for centre stage. It’s hard to look past the crisp blue Atlantic; such is its impression on the space and its ease of meeting the blue sky at the horizon. (Though Lion’s Head on a full-moon summer night may disagree.)

Given its lofty orientation, you’d be forgiven for doubting its accessibility. But ample, secure parking and ground-floor access all lead ably to an elevator and an invitation to press Nines for your destination. Your journey upward opens directly onto the restaurant (we understand the power of first impressions) and what’s immediately apparent is the elegant comfort of the room. Organic shades of sand, tan and stone hint to attention to detail paid to materials; while generosity is evident in all forms – from chairs to tables, to the kind of couches you just want to lean into. This is a space designed for lunches that all too quickly become suppers; casual drinks that unanimously turn into unforgettable dinner parties. With a dining room, lounge, cocktail bar and two-hundred-square-metre deck, the question is not will you stay, but how long?

A question the food does well to answer, with a strong argument. Very long in fact. With a menu that reads like a well-structured story, guests are invited to take their time and settle in for the ride. We highly recommend the scenic route, lingering over beginnings, middles and endings, with equal enthusiasm. Whatever your preference, it’s imminently clear that, true to form, this is a menu that doesn’t compromise. The Lates Sea Bass, Lezena Spatchcock Roast Chicken and the Seafood Risotto jostle for attention, amongst a repertoire of standouts, that speak to provenance and produce-forward cooking. This is a confident and contemporary expression of the dishes and drinks we love. This is restaurant classics done right.

So, while it’s true that no one stumbles past the ninth floor of a building, you’d be wise to seek this one out.

If you’re going to take me, take me to The Nines, they say.

And to that, we say, indeed.