Cape Town Countdown D-5: The Top Ten Restaurants In And Around Cape Town

Goal.com present the sixth in our Cape Town Countdown series...

Nov 30, 2009 1:00:30 PM

Share Share

Photo Gallery

Zoom

Calamari

Related Links

No-one is pretending that hundreds of thousands of visitors will visit South Africa next summer for the local cuisine.

In the world of football, a meaty challenge is not a quest to find the perfect joint of beef, a fine catch doesn’t usually relate to that morning’s haul from the South Atlantic Ocean and commentators saying that “this game has all the ingredients of a classic” isn’t talking about a venerated venison recipe.

Even so, the two worlds sometimes mix. Even on the road to South Africa, North Korea accused south Korea of trying to poison its players in Seoul. That happened for real in to the same team more recently in China, sales of lasagna have still not recovered in certain parts of North London and super chef Gordon Ramsay, apparently, was once on the books of Glasgow Rangers.

The Ubiquitous Biltong

While there may be a feast of football in South Africa in 2010, there is also enough about the local food scene to enable anyone to gorge.

The country’s cuisine has not yet well-known around the world but it isn’t all biltong and boerwors. Goal.com and local food expert Tony Jackman, who writes a popular blog aims to educate the world about mouth-watering delights on offer in the Rainbow Nation.

With the draw in Cape Town less than a week away, what better way to start than by taking a look at what Jackman considers to be the ten best restaurants in the Mother City and the surrounding area.

1.The Foodbarn

Franck Dangereux is one of the finest chefs I have encountered in a lifetime. His restaurant in Noordhoek is the best way to spend a sunny day in the Peninsula. His food is delicious and colourful, and divinely sauced. It’s not about tricksy ingredients .

Franck’s food is about using quality yet ordinary products, and making culinary magic with them.

The Foodbarn

021 789 1390 Noordhoek Farm Village, Village Lane, Noordhoek

2 Overture

Bertus Basson’s mountain eyrie venture has one of the best views anywhere, yet you feel strangely isolated, as if really far from the madding crowd. It’s off the R44 – take the Annandale Road, then follow the signs.

Splendidly conjured food, everything fresh, great attention to detail and produce, and not expensive for this standard of fare.

021 880 2721 Hidden Valley Wines, Annandale Road, Stellenbosch

3. La Petite Ferme

The Dendy-Youngs have run this wonderful winelands restaurant on the mountain slope above Franschhoek for more than a generation now, and Mark D-Y’s incarnation of the venture ticks every box from offering the best country fare (got to try the rabbit) to unassailable view and the prettiest interior going. Awesome.

021 876 3016/8 Franschhoek Pass Road, Franschhoek

4. La Colombe

A perennial favourite, and Luke Dale-Roberts continues the great La Colombe tradition with a flourish. This Constantia Uitsig-based bistro is all about fine ingredients treated with oodles of imagination and served with aplomb.

Great garden setting, perfect for a summer’s lunch or idle dinner. Great choice for a special occasion too.

Smoked Salmon And Cream Cheese Sandwich Down In Constantia

021 794 6500 Constantia Uitsig, Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia

5. Societi

Peter Weetman’s Gardens bistro, near the original Labia theatre, presses all the right buttons. Wonderful food, fabulous ambience, good but unfussy service. Mushroom risotto is a winner, great chicken livers starter, daily specials always imaginative and worth your buck.

Grab a table outside in good weather – just don’t take mine.

021 424 2100 50 Orange Street, Gardens

6. Reuben’s

I love Reuben Riffel’s levelheaded insistence on doing things his way, the way he has not let fame go to his head. I sometimes think he’d prefer not to have the fame.

His original Franschhoek restaurant, apart from boasting one of the most beautiful interiors anywhere, serves up his delightfully fresh take on the best produce he can find locally, treated with respect for its texture and flavour and served with style.

021 876 3772 19 Huguenot Street, Franschhoek

7. The Big Easy

Ernie Els’ sprawling restaurant is in the old La Gratitude homestead in Stellenbosch’s Dorp Street. It occupies several rooms, each with its own theme, and upstairs there’s a members’ club that fills the entire attic. There are al fresco areas and an indoor semi-al fresco dining room, a private dining room for an intimate gathering, and Ernie’s Bar in the centre of it all. Plus a second bar.

All this needs great food, and my experience there was brilliant, including memorable red figs baked with, as I recall, gorgonzola and served with a smidgen of pesto.

Tea Time With Ernie Els

021 887 3462 95 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch

8 Terroir

Michael Broughton’s famous restaurant off the R44 near Stellenbosch is an idyllic venue and one of the region’s great destination restaurants. The venue is airy and the surrounds verdant, and you can sit inside or out.

Expect Michael’s classy way with good ingredients, no skimping on the good stuff, and a pleasant lack of pretentiousness. Famed for great service too.

021 880 0717 Die Boord, Stellenbosch

9. Catharina’s

This is really new but you can tell it’s going to make its mark. The venue, recently redocorated from ceiling to floor, is gorgeous, packed with lovely original art and very classy finishes. The off-grey effect is soothing, and what’s on the plate does not disappoint.

Find it at Steenberg wine estate at the Tokai end of the Constantia wine valley.

021 713 2222 Steenberg Hotel, Tokai Road, Constantia

10. La Perla

Say what? That’s right, I do not pander to everything that’s flavour of the month and being punted by the restaurant marketers.

Several recent visits have attested that after 40 years this classic Italian seafood specialist is not only on top of its game but has a lovely and expansive deck which is one of the best options for a languid al fresco meal on a summer’s night. Best for my taste is the baby beef with sage butter.

Wow wow wow.

021 439 9538 Beach Road, Sea Point

Tony Jackman

Visit Tony's blog for more food-related fun...

Thank you for your comment!

Please enter your name

Please enter your location

Please share your comment!