The Grand
One of the new sensations on Beach Road, Camps Bay, The Grand is an elegant restaurant, unapologetically chic and impractical looking, compared with its somewhat utilitarian neighbours.
The terrace is popular in summer, but it is inside this historic seaside villa, one of the few remaining, that you feel transported to yesteryear, safely away from the tourist-trap development of this frenetic strip.
The interior is secluded, relaxing and comfortable; the view elegantly framed by wooden shutters and some heavy-fabric curtaining. The furnishings are in the eclectic, nouveau Cuban, bric-a-brac style. The clientele is a happy mix of tourists, locals and the well-heeled. The upstairs bar is popular in the evenings. In summer it’s standing-room only.
Chef Seelan Sundoo has created a special set menu for the Spring Art Tour, with dishes named after famous local artists. For starters, there is the Beezy Bailey mixed salad with olives, avocado, rocket, radishes, tomato, cucumber and iceberg lettuce, tossed in a pungent vinaigrette dressing. Zwelethu’s soup of the day, named after painter and photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa, is a rich, beef stock lentil broth with spring onion and diced carrots.
Portions are large. For mains the choice is Roberto’s kingklip (perfectly cooked, slightly browned on the outside, but the flesh kept firm) or the vegetarian option, a pasta primavera (tagliatelle with vegetables in a tomato-based sauce). For dessert I can recommend the baked cheesecake.
The Grand, 35 Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town, is open from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner, from 12pm until late. Tel: 021 438 4253
Pane e Vino
As you enter this welcoming wine bar with its gigantic fireplace, at Bosman’s Crossing on the original arterial road into Stellenbosch, the heady aroma of red wine embraces you, immediately raising the appetite and heightening your expectations.
Elena Dalla Cia, a Florentine, does not disappoint. Her emphasis is on authentic ”old-kitchen” Tuscan ways. Open for lunch only, the restaurant’s chalkboard menu changes daily according to what fresh supplies are available to her exactingly high standards (this establishment does not rely on wholesaler deliveries).
Popular among wine-tasters is the affettati misti (R68), a platter assortment of finely sliced, imported, quality cold meats with prosciutto, Parma ham, fat Napoli salami, mortadella embedded with pistachio nuts and big, juicy imported green olives.
The insalata caprese is kept in the bowl the traditional way. Local cow’s milk mozzarella is used as Dalla Cia considers it fresher than the plasticised imports. The melanzane alla parmigiani (R68) is the best I’ve had in South Africa. The pasta parcels of tortelli al ragu (R64) is a superior, rich ”bolognaise”, the beef being stewed then finely chopped by knife.
Desserts are not to be missed, the pièce de résistance of which is the sbrisolona (R19) — almond and polenta biscuits over which you are invited to pour some of Dalla Cia’s premium grappa.
Pane e Vino, 7b Lower Dorp Street, Bosman’s Crossing, Stellenbosch. Tel: 021 883 8312
Delaire Graff
Reopened in June this year, tens of millions have been spent in rebuilding the Delaire Estate — and, one must add, to great effect.
High on the Helshoogte Pass with breathtaking panoramic views, the restaurant itself is an impressive sight. A giant fireplace and curvaceous couches invite patrons to the dining room, a voluminous space with modern decor.
Chef Christiaan Campbell’s ”sunshine cuisine” places great emphasis on quality ingredients and turning commonplace dishes into urbane cuisine. The menu has hamburgers (R125) and fish in beer batter with chips (R125), alongside which you might find cream of artichoke soup with shiitake mushrooms, and quail and a crayfish lasagne.
The beef is organic, flown in daily from KwaZulu-Natal, where it is specially raised in pastures; light in colour, it makes for heavenly fillet. I recommend the truffle and bone marrow sauce with the fillet. The paprika and honey-glazed beef short rib (R165) is equally superlative. Portions are generous for this quality.
For dessert the pistachio nougat is unbeatable and dissolves on the tongue. Although expensive for South Africa, it is good value for the overseas market.
Delaire Graff Estate, Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch. Tel: 021 885 8160 or visit www.delaire.co.za
Caveau Wine Bar
The wine flows freely at this thoroughly professional, well-run establishment that rapidly became a hit with a great cross-section of discerning Cape Town society who keep the place buzzing from 7am until near midnight.
The affable co-owner, Jean Muller, clearly has a passion for l’art de vivre. Wines are reasonably priced and there is a staggering selection by the glass. Named after an iconic historical restaurant in Paris, Caveau is in the rustic Heritage Square precinct.
Caveau’s menus are on various chalk boards — sushi, tapas and the main dishes that change daily. The cheese and meat platter is particularly popular. It arrives on a wooden board plated with Parma ham, biltong, prosciutto, camembert, mature cheddar, cocktail gherkins, melon or fig preserve and a sprinkling of almonds, macadamia and cashew nuts.
An enduring favourite among its signature main courses is the beef fillet (two medallions of 100g each on a bed of sautéed mushrooms and spinach) with skinny pommes frites and a yellow-rich béarnaise sauce.
Desserts are bite-size treats priced between R10 and R20 during the day. More substantial desserts feature at dinner time.
Caveau Wine Bar, 92 Bree Street, Heritage Square, Cape Town. Tel: 021 422 1367