There are restaurants with views, and then there are restaurants that make you stop mid-sentence the moment you walk in. Figo, the new rooftop restaurant perched on the 8th floor of The Cole Hotel in Sea Point, falls very firmly into the second category. Part of the Kove Collection stable, it’s already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about new openings in Cape Town. The full evening experience starts downstairs at Script Bar though, where stylish drinks and exceptional snacks set everything off in exactly the right way.
Start at Script: Cocktails Done Properly
Do yourself a favour and arrive early enough to spend time at Script, the hotel bar on the ground level of The Cole. In practical terms, factor in ample time to navigate Sea Point traffic, which is unforgiving at the moment. The space immediately rewards your patience though, with its mid-century design that includes soft curves, neutral tones, and generous couch seating that creates an environment you want to linger in.
There’s an indoor section and an outdoor patio area with a sea glimpse, and the overall vibe leans into a relaxed, neutral Palm Beach energy without ever feeling overdone. It’s considered, stylish, and effortlessly easy to be in.
The cocktail menu is where Script really earns its place. Each drink comes with a detailed flavour profile – sweet, sour, aromatic, spicy – so you can choose based on your mood rather than guessing. It’s a small touch that speaks to how much care has gone into the whole offering. We worked our way through a yuzu margarita, a passionfruit mezcal paloma, and a pear old fashioned, with a negroni to finish before heading upstairs. All of them well-balanced and precisely made.
It’s considered, stylish, and effortlessly easy to be in.
The bar snacks are not an afterthought. Smoke-marinated olives, spiced nuts and chicharrones arrived first, followed by prawn toast, tuna crudo, and whipped feta with olive tapenade on garlic herb toasted bread – the latter being genuinely sensational. The kind of eating that makes you wonder if you even need to go upstairs. You do. But Script sets the bar impressively high.
Figo: Views, Fire and Modern Italian
The lift opens onto the 8th floor and the ocean fills the horizon the moment you step in. On the Atlantic Seaboard, genuine sea views from a restaurant are rarer than you’d think, but being eight floors up changes everything. It’s the kind of panorama that demands a photo, and reminds you why Cape Town is Cape Town.
Whether you’re after long, lingering meals with good wine or simply the most Instagram-worthy ‘sea selfie’ in the city right now, Figo delivers on both counts without even trying.
The space itself is simple but elegant, with a relaxed energy that encourages you to slow down and stay a while. The menu reads as modern Italian at heart – pizzettes, handmade pasta, seafood and steaks – but everything is cooked over wood and coal, which lends a depth that elevates familiar dishes into something more interesting.
Whether you’re after long, lingering meals with good wine or simply the most Instagram-worthy ‘sea selfie’ in the city right now, Figo delivers on both counts without even trying.
We started with blistered baby squid with spicy salami and lemon pangrattato – punchy, textured, and delicious. Alongside that we also tried the aged beef carpaccio with tomato, cured egg yolk, artichoke and Parmesan.
For mains, the roast side of sea bass arrived with clams, tomato, olives and thyme – generous, beautifully cooked, and completely in tune with the setting. The ribeye with black truffle jus was grilled to perfection. I opted for the house salad with pistachio-pecorino dressing to accompany and this was a lesson in salad making. I’ll be going back for that.
Dessert was ‘Burnt Custard’, complete with the satisfying crack of a proper crème brûlée and the creamy centre, and a lemon tart with vanilla crème fraîche that finished the meal brightly.
Worth the Trip, and the Traffic
Figo delivers the kind of consistency that the Kove Collection has built its reputation on, and then adds something extra in the form of that extraordinary view. Book a table, arrive at Script Bar early, and clear your evening. You’ll want every minute of it.
Figo is open Monday to Sunday, 12h00 – 23h00 | Script Bar is open daily.
Find both at The Cole Hotel, 1 Church Road, Sea Point
kovecollection.co.za | Instagram
