Salsify at The Roundhouse Unveils a Bold New Interior 

INTERVIEWED BY Steve Smith PHOTOS Jan Ras

The newly transformed interior of Salsify at The Roundhouse, a cornerstone of Cape Town’s fine dining scene, artfully blends history, seasonality, and sustainability.

Chef Ryan Cole, executive chef and co-owner of Salsify, has once again collaborated with designer Jean Francois de Villiers to create a unique, immersive dining experience.

The redesign remains rooted in Salsify’s three guiding pillars: history, seasonality, and sustainability. The centrepiece of the space is undoubtedly the Origami ceiling installation in the Seasonal Room. The room, known for its modular nature, has undergone several changes over the years.

Among the highlights of the new design is the transformation of the old private dining room into the Preservation Chamber—a space rooted in the preservation of time, history, stories and ingredients. 

We spoke to Ryan and Jean to find out more about the redesign of this historic space

✖ What was your brief to the interior design team … how did you want it to represent the ethos of Salsify?

Ryan: As with the previous three interior design themes, Salsify is a space where we grow, evolve, and prioritise sustainability. We’re fully committed to minimising waste, being conscious of our consumption as humans, and embracing an ever-changing landscape. As we approach our sixth year, we’re stepping into our own, knowing exactly what we stand for, who we speak to, and how we want to engage.

The space is representative of the time we’ve taken to get here. It’s sophisticated but still playful. Old but still new. Luxurious without being stuffy or intimidating.

✖ How did you choose to interpret the brief and what were the major changes from the previous interior?

Jean: When working with Salsify the three pillars of our brief are heritage, sustainability and seasonality. We have leant into the green and gold of the heritage nature of the space in the form of colour blocking on walls and the new fabric choice for the existing Fiver chairs. Major changes include new wallpaper by Cara Saven Wall Design, the installation in the Seasonal Room of origami lotuses crafted from the old Salsify menus, and a selection of art by EBONY / CURATED that will change throughout the year. New flooring by Oggie has been carefully placed over the existing heritage floors to protect them and add a lovely warm base note.

✖ Is there anything of your own personal taste in the restaurant’s interior … or is it all about the concept?

Ryan: To some degree, it is really a collaborative effort. Jean comes with a concept, incorporates my ideas – or makes them fit with the concept – and then makes it all happen. We work together throughout the process, making sure we adapt or change direction where required.

An example – is the elements we have brought into our reception and those for the Preservation Chamber – formerly the Private Dining Room. I wanted to slow our guests down when they arrive at Salsify – making sure they can relax, truly separate themselves from the outside world while they are here, and fully immerse in the Salsify experience. I wanted to add a ritual to our reception, and also allow guests to pause in our Preservation Room before they head to their tables – enjoying a pre-drink in a space where they can learn about some of the work we do with preservation, pickling, and proofing.

Together with Jean, we refined this concept and chose the right pieces to fill those spaces.

✖ What are the unique challenges or requirements when designing a fine dining space?

Jean: Alongside the obvious constraints of working with a heritage building, I think the challenge of a fine dining space is that the guests have different expectations of what their experience should be. We play into that by offering lots of different touches, be they visual or textural, conversation starters and little “Instagrammable” moments whilst not taking away from the most important thing: the food.

✖ What’s your favourite bit?

Jean: My favourite bit is definitely the Origami installation. Hours and hours of work for my team and me, but well worth it. Seeing something as flat as paper becomes something so textured and varying is unparalleled. | salsify.co.za

 Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.