Opening in August 2019, Labotessa is a hospitality offering with seven appointed luxury suites. It is the only hotel on historic Church Square in Cape Town, within reach of the monumental Groote Kerk and the Slave Lodge set beneath the mountainscape of Lion’s Head.
Labotessa occupies a landmark building – a 17th century townhouse that has been restored. It is at this destination – at 5 Church Square – that the new branch of Starlings Café will make its nest.
The first Starlings Cafe in Claremont occupies a Victorian cottage on Belvedere Road and is known for its breakfasts and bakes. Seasonal ingredients are key and ethically-sourced products, such as free-range meat and eggs, feature.
Jams are homemade; the cheese is naturally-matured Montagu cheddar made from unpasteurised full cream milk from grass-fed cattle; rocket and spinach are grown locally; and the grass-fed beef and pasture-reared pork are sourced from Ryan Boon Speciality Meats in Paarl. All bread comes from the Woodstock Bakery and the coffee hails from Origin.
Starlings at Labotessa will be managed by Claremont proprietor Trish Kratz, who opened her popular café in 2008.
“We don’t advertise. We don’t have a sign on our wall. We aren’t chefs. We are a local that welcomes everyone who comes through our door, offering a respite from the day-to-day. We care,” says Kratz.
“Everything is homemade and made from scratch,” she states. “All our offerings are simple and based on childhood memories.”
Starlings at Labotessa will be located on the ground floor of the hotel with access at street level for members of the public. In summer, tables will spread out onto Church Square as part of a small courtyard garden out front. The restaurant welcomes all patrons and is not exclusive to hotel guests.
Starlings at Labotessa will be open from 7am to 4pm daily.
