The Taj is a place where refined Indian hospitality meets the authentic Cape Town experience. It is this fusion which makes it wholly unique in what it has to offer not only visitors from abroad, but for locals wishing to take a night off to indulge in an Eastern affair.
Bombay Brasserie is an absolute jewel of a restaurant located inside The Taj, a marriage of fine dining and Indian cuisine as we have written about before. But the other restaurant at The Taj is one we had not yet visited before, and serves up a mean breakfast that I thought you should add to your ‘breakfast spots to try’ list – Mint, the Local Grill. If their Eggs Royale on a light brioche isn’t enough to sway you, Mint’s breakfast buffet (which includes sushi!) will. A well-rounded menu with a little something for everybody makes this a spot to visit not just for hotel guests.
We found our room to be modern and very spacious, with a balcony giving us an immaculate view of the upper city and Lion’s Head. From the vantage point one is well and truly in the heart of the city and this is actually a fact owing to Cape Town’s very own ‘kilometre zero’ being just a block up from The Taj – a relatively unknown landmark that is a lot more interesting than it looks.
Kilometre Zero, or as we dubbed it after Madrid’s Kilometre Zero, is the absolute centre of a city which roadmaps depict kilometres from. So if you were 180 km out of Cape Town, you would be that distance away from Kilometre Zero. It may look like just a cemented circle but it’s a good benchmark for measuring centrality and The Taj literally is in the centre of Cape Town.
A strong historic element exists here, with the hotel occupying the former South African Reserve Bank and the old Temple of Chambers. Across the road is the 350 year old Company’s Garden, providing a wonderful green space just metres away from the large doors and welcoming staff at The Taj.
I’d recommend this hotel to local and international visitors seeking a beautiful, central location from which to explore historic and cultural Cape Town, while having a 5-star experience provided by a trusted international brand.
If you’re on Instagram and would like to win a lavish experience at The Taj, check out the competition here.
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Where Wale St, Schotsche Kloof
Contact +27 21 819 2000, www.tajcapetown.co.za