Sapphire cocktail lounge launches in Camps Bay

Owners, Chris Bertie and Stefano Magni have reinvented the old Zanzibar themed bar, Baraza, and created a fresh chic image and elegant brand. Sapphire offers the perfect setting for a laidback cocktail or an entertaining night out. The bar is targeted at a more mature crowd aged in their twenties and thirties but still caters for people of all ages.

Remaining unpretentious

Staying true to its name Sapphire is a beautifully designed space offering a comfortable environment and elegant ambiance whilst remaining unpretentious. Reminiscent of an urban chic, young and fresh Miami strip vibe, the interior decorator, Vanessa Magni, chose subtle shades of charcoal, gunmetal, grey and silver for the soft furnishings.

Vanessa drew inspiration from the magnificent backdrops of Table Mountain, the myriad of blues in the ocean and the palm fringed promenade. There are no structural changes to the venue other than the doors on the patio side and the dark wooden doors and counters that were painted white creating a lighter, brighter feel. The décor includes hand made art pieces from local craftsmen, rattan woven baskets and hats imported from North Africa and China and an abundance of mirrors creating a contemporary chic experience.

Signature cocktails

From a floor above the rest, the bar overlooks the most significant ocean and sunset views and presents guests with an astounding and original selection of cocktails. Whilst the characteristic cocktails- short, classic, long, contemporary, martinis, champagne- guarantees to impress, the signature cocktails will definitely tantalise the taste buds. Some of these unique cocktails include a mint, lemon and lime infused Sapphire Paradise, a coconut & cranberry based Camps Bay Collins and a delicious Green Banana Colada with a sting of light and spiced rum.

In addition to their signature cocktails, the bar offers an array of bar snacks and wines, from scrumptious seafood assortments, mezze & cheese platters to impressive champagne, cap classiques, red and white wine menus. Sapphire's association with Blues means that there is great variety and choice in terms of both food & wine.

Talent platform

What makes Sapphire even more exceptional is their entertainment line-up generated to give local talent a platform for exposure. The now renowned duo, Goldfish, used to play at the venue, when it was still known as Baraza, before they sprung to fame and now Sapphire will offer live performances by up and coming artists, DJ's and comedians every week. The line-up will include Tom-Foolery Tuesday's featuring the sharpest and most entertaining comedians Cape Town has to offer. There will be regular appearances every Tuesday by Dylan Skews, the winner of the Nandos Comedy Showdown and one of Cape Town's most promising comedians. Wednesday's will have guests enjoying deep house beats of DJ Scott, Matt G and friends. To prepare you for the weekend, Sapphire's Thursday unplugged sessions are a perfect way to ease you in with a laid back vibe and the sultry acoustic sounds of Ashton Gardner.

Every Friday Trailerpark Celebrities, DJ Gurnstar & Ashton, put forward their quality underground sounds bringing a modern, energetic fusion of house, electronic soul, minimal, tech house and deep house to the dance floor.

To end off the week head to Sapphire on Sunday's to experience the performances of the hottest upcoming DJ's the Mother City has to offer. DJ's Blush n Bass and El Gordo have been catapulted into the public eye whilst playing at the Baraza Recession Sessions in 2009 and the Sunday Summer Sun Sets will be hosting them as well as other fresh talents James Mack, Ducking Fogshow and many more.

For more information on Sapphire contact Scott Canny on 083 652 9538 or .