Tourvest Restaurants and Taverns, a member of integrated tourism group Tourvest, says its latest restaurant, The Alba, has been very well received by the Cape Town public and international tourists since its launch in September this year.
The Alba is South Africa’s first and only fine-dining, floating restaurant, seating 72 people in comfort and measuring 22 metres in length with a six metre beam. It has been designed to be stable in the water, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and air-conditioning, ensuring a smooth and comfortable dining experience with exceptional views of Table Mountain, as well as the harbour’s fishing industry and yacht marina.
Says Brian Seaman, chief executive of Tourvest Restaurants and Taverns: “We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the interest shown in The Alba, which to us is a clear indication of a need for exciting and innovative dining experiences in Cape Town”.
He says the first few months of operation have allowed The Alba to tailor its cruises to better align with the desires of its patrons, including extending the cruise duration to two hours.
“The lunch and dinner menus comprise classic dishes with many venison offerings to cater to tourists,” he says. “Baked camembert with figs and spiced walnuts; Karoo springbok carpaccio; and citrus-cured salmon are on offer for starters. Mains are a choice between beef fillet medallions with roasted bone marrow jus and truffled mash; seabass with coriander and chilli; or braised springbok shank with mash and caramelised onion.” The meals are Halaal friendly and there are vegetarian or vegan options available on request.
“All drinks, whether wine, beer or soft drinks, are included, on an unlimited basis, in the price of the cruise. A tailored wine pairing offered by the Durbanville Hills’s premium range of Collectors Reserve is also part of the pricing of the lunch and dinner cruises,” says Seaman
The daily bubbly brunch cruise at 9am offers a cold and hot breakfast spread and bottomless bubbly (R495), and the lunch cruise at 12pm offers a three-course plated meal with wine pairing (R595). At 4pm the afternoon cocktail cruise offers a selection of canapés, wine and cocktails (R595). Finally, the dinner cruise at 7:30pm offers a three-course plated meal with wine pairing (R695).
“The Alba is an exciting dining experience for you and your loved ones and can also be hired out as a venue with a difference for all your events, from special family occasions and weddings to corporate functions where you can cruise and schmooze your most valued staff or clients,” he says.
“We might be mobile, but we have Wi-Fi. After all, a cruise on The Alba would not be complete without those envy-inducing Instagram shots”.