Country Article / Postcards
Bloody Mary for Breakfast?
Date: 08/19/2003Dear International Living Reader,
This 104-year-old institution, a member of the Orient-Express collection of historic hotels, luxury trains, and cruises, offers everything in its daily breakfast buffet you would expect of a world-class hotel--all manner of juices, fruits, cereals, bread, egg dishes to order, meats, fish, cheeses, and so on. The Mount Nelson in Cape Town even includes caviar, steak tartare, and splendid South African sparkling wine or Bloody Marys/screwdrivers (pour as you will) in its daily buffet.
Of course, traditional non-alcoholic morning beverages also are available (including an impressive seven fruit juices). But because this is an Orient-Express property, when you order tea, be prepared for a choice of not four or five teas, but 12, including South Africa's own (and delicious) rooiboos tea.
The price for this spread? It's included in most rates. If not, you will pay about $15. By comparison, in a New York hotel, $15 buys coffee and a Danish, not including the room service charge and tip.
Interestingly, the other Orient-Express hotel property in South Africa--The Westcliff in Johannesburg--does not include caviar or steak tartare in its breakfast buffet. On the other hand, the well-named Westcliff overlooks much of the city, including the Zoological Park. It is the world's only urban hotel--to my knowledge--where you can see an elephant while having breakfast.
Perhaps that substitutes for the caviar and steak tartare.
Arthur Hoffman
For International Living
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