Ángel León brings Amura to South Africa: the new marine experience at Belmond Mount Nelson in Cape Town.
The project
A new gastronomic experience by Ángel León, the “Chef of the Sea,” has just been announced by Mount Nelson, a Belmond hotel in Cape Town. The opening of the Amura restaurant, scheduled for December 2025, marks the chef's debut on the African continent and, at the same time, his debut outside Spain. According to Patrick Fisher, general manager of Mount Nelson: “It is a great pleasure to welcome chef Ángel León to The Nellie. For the master of seafood banquets, Amura is a love letter to the ocean, with his vision of sustainability and creativity brought here from the kitchens of his flagship Andalusian restaurants, Aponiente and Alevante, from Cadiz to Cape Town.”
Ángel León, six Michelin stars between all his projects in Spain — Aponiente, recognized in 2022 as the most sustainable in the world according to The World's 50 Best Restaurants, Alevante, and La Taberna del Chef del Mar — is a tireless explorer recognized as a global pioneer for his commitment to ocean conservation. Committed for decades now, he has transformed the Spanish gastronomic scene and beyond, with a mission to promote the consumption of marine species and products that are often little known and considered waste, enhancing and transforming them. Named “Food Hero” in 2023 by the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Ángel focuses his efforts on developing new ideas that allow him to create seafood dishes that redefine gastronomy as a force for social transformation.
All this with the collaboration of international NGOs, universities, and research centers, as well as with the work in his laboratory. His deep respect for the sea and extraordinary capacity for innovation have led him to develop several projects related to the recovery and reinvention of commonly underappreciated products, giving them new value. These include various types of plankton, bioluminescent cocktails, marine cereals, and sea soybeans. According to León: “Guided by a respect for nature, Mount Nelson and Amura come together in a shared vision: to celebrate heritage and hospitality with soul, united by Belmond's commitment to storytelling, connection to the land, responsible sourcing, and marine conservation. This partnership finds its natural home in Cape Town, a city that, like Cadiz, looks to the sea with history in its bones.”
Amura
Designed by South African architect Tristan du Plessis, Amura will be a visual tribute to kelp forests, enormous underwater ecosystems composed mainly of giant brown algae that grow beneath the waters of Cape Town: a mysterious and cinematic environment. The dining room will transport guests to a space reminiscent of the ocean floor. At the center of the restaurant is an open-plan kitchen, a sort of stage surrounded by intense shades of green, wood, and touches of bronze.
An ancient current of salt and wind, trade and traditions flows from Spain to South Africa. Jerez de la Frontera, the birthplace of chef Ángel León in the hinterland of Cadiz, was once a gateway to the East, while the Cape of Good Hope was a key stopover for ships passing the tip of Africa. This invisible bridge across the oceans gave rise to the idea for Amura, whose cuisine features fermentation, spicy broths, flame cooking, and a deep respect for the sea, based on the culinary heritage shared by Andalusia and Africa. "Our menu is a tribute to our shared maritime heritage. To salted fish and coastal fermentations, which speak the same ancestral language. To spices that have crossed oceans, just like our ancestors. To broths, flames, vinegars, and preservation traditions that resonate on both coasts. To stories that travel without borders, carried by the wind and waves."
The restaurant, which will combine South African and Mediterranean flavors with a focus on seafood, seasonal produce, and native spices, will also be a tribute from the chef to his father, Ángel León Sr., who passed on to him a love of fishing and a deep respect for the sea. Amura is the bow of a boat, always pointing forward, like the spirit of his father's legacy. Guests can choose between an à la carte menu or a tasting menu that will introduce them to little-known fish species, seaweed, wild herbs, and spices, enhanced by high-heat cooking techniques and presented with the same philosophy that characterizes the spirit of Aponiente. “Working with local producers and ingredients from the two oceans surrounding the Cape Peninsula has been a revelation. The coast here is full of neglected species, just like in Andalusia. And that's where we find beauty, in the unexpected.”
