Klein Windhoek’s Elsa Building is an unexpected area for a trio of niche nooks, but, seemingly overnight, it’s become just the thing.
Already home to SeaSource, a no-fuss fresh fish shop and seafood spot serving everything from sushi and ceviche to your classic fish and chips, the unassuming building on Sam Nujoma Avenue recently welcomed two new tenants – each with a laser focus on what they do best.
In Elsa’s right-hand corner is Photizo, the city’s sole dedicated patisserie. Open for just shy of two months, Photizo boasts your fancy of macarons, petit fours, profiteroles and pastries, as well as a selection of freshly made bagels and breads each winking from the establishment’s mouth-watering living display.
Named for the Greek word for light, ‘Photizo’ is run by a lovely couple and their attentive staff who keep the Deluxe Coffee coming and the vibe friendly.
“If you’ve been looking for a luxurious place to just chill with your friends and enjoy a nice moist cake or out-of-this-world pastry, this is the place to be,” says one of the owners.
“If you have a sweet tooth, come and try the baklava.”
On the left side of SeaSource, which is sandwiched in the middle, wine enthusiasts will be pleased to step into the sophisticated setting that is The Vintner.
A wine shop, wine bar and lounge, The Vintner features a luxury wine selection from Muse Wines as well as pleasingly paired cheese and charcuterie boards.
As for the grapes, impressive and extensive. The selection includes wines from Groot Constantia, the oldest wine farm in South Africa, as well as Le Riche, Astoria, Nuy, Koelenhof, Welgemoed, Viljoensdrift, Hidden Valley and Stellenbosch Vineyards, among others.
The wine bar also serves a crop of
cognacs, whiskies, wine cocktails, Prosecco cocktails, classic cocktails and gins.
“We aren’t a restaurant, we’re a wine bar,” says establishment consultant Kyle Wait, who promises that wine tastings and pairings are incoming.
“We want people to come, sit and relax and enjoy the sunset either before they go out for dinner, or if they have an early dinner, come in and have a cognac or a nice glass of red to finish your evening.”
Each blessed with a spacious outdoor terrace or patio, The Vintner, SeaSource and Photizo are a notable new summer spot.
My advice? Make a gorgeous spring or summer day of it and sample something from each. Start with wine at The Vintner, enjoy your main meal at SeaSource, and indulge in dessert at Photizo.
Best of all? The owners don’t mind you enjoying their offerings at each other’s establishments, so technically you can pair your salted caramel macarons with a Hidden Valley Methode Cap Classique after a succulent sushi roll.
“We source our seafood from next door, and we source our breads from Photizo,” says Wait of the amiable and clever collaboration.
Perfect for the summer and an inspired renaissance of a space that needed a bit of TLC and ambitious imagination, The Elsa Building 3 or The Elsas (funnily enough, officially launched with a performance by The Ells on 12 August), as I am unofficially calling them, is well worth a visit for vino, victuals and vibes.
– [email protected]; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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