Cape Town - Hidden in plain sight along the busy Newlands Avenue is a clearing among ancient pine trees hiding some of the most exotic creative art on the slopes of Devil’s Peak.
The Montebello Design Centre and Craft Village is, in its own words, among Cape Town’s best-kept secrets “with over twenty arts and craft studios and workshops, a historic greenhouse and nursery, a forge, and stunning restaurant and organic deli farm shop”.
The compound features a central cluster of buildings which house the most incredible array of art and trinkets.
You’ll find everything you need from home decor to jewellery.
Outside along the boardwalk, you’ll find Sizwe Art under an oak tree, where the artists themselves weave tales as intricate as the designs they create and as interesting as the history of the continent that inspires them.
Further along, you’ll find hand-carved and crafted sculptures of wood and metal, the iron and pine filings filling the air with tangible scent.
You can buy sculptures of any size - small enough to fit on your coffee table, or large enough to form the centrepiece of your garden landscaping project - at ridiculously good prices. You could custom-order them too, if you like.
Further along, in the upcycled shipping container shops, there’s a green grocer selling organic produce, and a honey boutique that you will not want to leave.
For those with a sweet-tooth, it’s best you don’t go in, as you may never leave. There are scores of different honey products and truffle salts on offer to try, all hand-blended using all-natural honey.
You could get lost while tantalising your tastebuds with the array of flavours.
There’s a kombucha brewery at the Montebello Design Centre too, where rooibos tea - already naturally packed with anti-oxidants - is fermented to really boost its health benefits, creating a fizzy, refreshing tonic best served chilled.
Walk a little further around the ancient red brick buildings and you’ll come across a glorious sight - one of the oldest greenhouses in South Africa is the centrepiece around which the Greenhouse Nursery is built. And what’s a visit to a cultural village without stopping for a bite to eat.
That’s where you’ll find Gardener’s Cottage comes in handy.
Well, here’s a reason to go: on February 8, it’s hosting its first night market, where traders will be open after hours so you can enjoy all their creativity and wares without the rush. What’s more, you should find crazy sales on the night as well.
Enjoy a pleasant evening under the canopy of stars prickling through the pines.