Amura: A new marine dining experience set to launch at Mount Nelson

Chef Ángel León. Image supplied

Opening December 2025, this culinary destination marks the award-winning “Chef of the Sea's” first restaurant outside of Spain, and his debut in Africa. Shaped by the rhythms of the ocean and the richness of the Cape coastline, Amura promises a sensory journey through the lens of one of the world's most visionary chefs.

“Rooted in heritage and guided by a respect for nature, Mount Nelson and Amura come together in a shared vision: to honour the ocean, celebrate heritage and hospitality with soul,” says Chef Ángel León.

“United by Belmond's commitment to storytelling, local connection, responsible sourcing , and marine conservation this partnership finds its natural home in Cape Town, a city that, like Cadiz, gazes out to sea with history in its bones.”

“It's our great pleasure to welcome Chef Ángel León to The Nellie,” says Patrick Fisher, general manager of Mount Melson. “A master of maritime feasting, Amura is his love letter to the ocean. Chef Angel Leon brings his vision of sustainability and creativity from the kitchens of his flagship Andalusian restaurants, Aponiente and Alevante, from Cadiz to Cape Town."

The Chef of the Sea

At the helm of Cape Town's new restaurant is Chef Ángel León. First and foremost a humble fisherman, he has transformed the language of marine cuisine through his approach to sea-sourced ingredients.

His visionary work has earned widespread international acclaim, including the coveted distinction of three Michelin stars for Aponiente and two for Alevante. Known for bringing rarely used ocean species like phytoplankton and sea rice to the plate, as well as uplifting the local Cadiz community, Chef Ángel León champions responsible gastronomy and is a recipient of the Michelin Green Star Award.

Image supplied

The restaurant is also a deeply personal homage to Chef Ángel León's father (Ángel León Senior), who first instilled in him a love of fishing and a profound respect for the sea. Named Amura, after the bow of the boat, always moving forward, it carries the spirit of his father's legacy: one of devotion, discovery and an enduring bond with the ocean.

Spanish roots meet South African flavours

“Our menu is an homage to this shared seafaring legacy. To the salted fish and coastal fermentations, speaking the same ancestral language. To the spices that crossed oceans, just like our forebears. To the broths, flames, vinegars, and preservation traditions that echo across both coasts. To stories that travel without borders, carried by wind and wave,”explains Chef Ángel León.

Amura is not your typical seafood restaurant; it is a restaurant that works tirelessly to champion the entirety of the South African ocean, blending Mediterranean-style cooking, specifically linked to Spain, with South African ingredients and flair.

Highlighting seafood, seasonal produce, and indigenous spices, it's a unique dining experience that honours local Cape heritage. Along the wild Cape shores, the team uncovers overlooked treasures of the sea - from delicate plankton and salt-loving halophyte plants, to humble by-catch fish – reimagining them as stars of haute cuisine.

“Working with local producers and ingredients sourced from the two oceans surrounding the Cape Peninsula has been a revelation,” says Chef Ángel León. “The coastline is full of species that are overlooked, just like in Andalusia. That's where we find beauty, in the unexpected."

Amura is set to be an expression of Chef Ángel León's signature seafood-forward cuisine, combining cutting-edge technique with local ingredients, passion and a deep respect for the sea.