Quarter Kitchen Restaurant occupies part of the original Breakwater Prison, established in 1860 and known at the time as the Good Conduct Ward. This section of the prison was designated for 'European' convicts, considered redeemable and thus housed in what was intended as a rehabilitation centre.
As part of their reform, prisoners attended daily services at a chapel adjacent to their holding cells—a reflection of the era’s belief in spiritual repentance as a path to rehabilitation. Today, the arched ceilings of the original chapel remain visible in the Portswood boardroom, offering a tangible link to this layered past.
In contrast, 'non-European' prisoners were confined to the Old Convict Station, where they served as cheap labour for the nearby quarry and harbour. Many were also hired out to local residents as house servants and gardeners—an unjust reflection of the colonial social hierarchy.
In 1882, the Breakwater Convict Station was reclassified as a military prison, enabling the incarceration of military offenders—those convicted of civil disobedience aboard ships or at shore stations—who were sentenced to hard labour. However, growing concerns about conditions in the prison culminated in 1898, when the Cape Review published Life on The Breakwater, an exposé revealing harsh conditions and abuse. The resulting public outcry led to an official inquiry into prison standards and regulations.
Subsequent changes transformed the facility. The Good Conduct Ward, remnants of the chapel on the Sea Point side, and parts of the ward on the harbour side were renovated and plastered over. These modifications gave rise to a new structure, which became part of a group of buildings collectively known as The Moorings.
By 1910, records suggest the prison had been repurposed as a military store.
Between 1930 and 1938, the convict station was largely demolished—including the infamous treadmill, a brutal torture device once used within its walls. Nevertheless, portions of the original prison wall endure, quietly embedded in the restaurant’s architecture, preserving the memory of a complex and often troubling past.