Maison Grace Opens its Doors

Cape Town’s private members’ club scene is entering a new chapter with the opening of Maison Grace at the V&A Waterfront.

WORDS Steve Smith PHOTOS Inge Prins

Positioned as the city’s first curated private members’ club, the new venue aims to bring together entrepreneurs, creatives, investors and cultural leaders in a setting designed to encourage conversation, collaboration and community.

While exclusivity is inherent to the private members’ club model, Maison Grace places equal emphasis on cultural exchange and meaningful connection. The club has been conceived as a place where members can meet over breakfast, work through the day, entertain clients, or attend an evolving calendar of dinners, wine tastings, talks, literary evenings and live performances.

“Maison Grace was born from a simple observation: when people with shared curiosity and purpose come together in the right setting, something quietly extraordinary happens,” says Development Director Samantha Wallace. “Our ambition was to create a place where people don’t simply visit, but genuinely feel they belong.”

The Art

Art and design are central to that vision. In collaboration with Southern Guild, Maison Grace has assembled a museum-quality collection of contemporary African art that transforms the club into a de facto satellite gallery for the Cape Town gallery, with every work available for purchase. Rather than serving as decoration, the collection has been curated to encourage reflection and conversation, introducing members to some of the continent’s most compelling artistic voices.

Among the highlights are Moroccan artist Amine El Gotaibi’s sculptural steel panel exploring Africa’s natural resources, Terence Maluleke’s evocative A Love Letter to Joburg paintings, and photographs from Zanele Muholi’s acclaimed Somnyama Ngonyama (Hail the Dark Lioness) self-portrait series. Iranian-born, Cape Town-based Kamyar Bineshtarigh’s distinctive glue-transfer works animate the staircase and dining spaces, while additional pieces by Patrick Bongoy, Jesse Ede, Alexandra Karakashian, Daniel Levi, Chuma Maweni, Nandipha Mntambo and Dominique Zinkpè further reinforce the club’s commitment to contemporary African creativity.

The Interiors

The interiors echo the same philosophy. Warm, tactile materials, intimate lounges and carefully considered detailing create spaces that are elegant without feeling formal, with works of art woven seamlessly into the architecture and daily experience of the club rather than confined to gallery walls.

The Food

The culinary offering has been developed in collaboration with Paris Society Consulting, the team behind Parisian restaurants LouLou, Gigi and Coco, balancing international sophistication with a distinctly South African identity. Local produce and wines sit alongside a globally inspired menu, reinforcing the club’s position as both a destination and a gathering place.

Maison Grace is backed by Kasada, the hospitality investment platform behind the neighbouring Cape Grace, a Fairmont Managed Hotel, bringing with it a strong emphasis on attentive service and discreet hospitality.

With membership intentionally limited and by referral, Maison Grace is less about exclusivity for its own sake than creating a community of people who actively contribute to Cape Town’s cultural and entrepreneurial landscape. As the city continues to establish itself as a global creative capital, Maison Grace hopes to become one of its most compelling new addresses – one where hospitality, art and design intersect as naturally as the conversations taking place within its walls. maisongraceclub.com | @maisongraceclub

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