The days are getting warmer, the nights are getting longer, and the Western Cape’s wine regions are coming alive again. As the season unfolds, so do the opportunities to dine against a backdrop of verdant valleys and hillsides braided in vineyards, or bask in the warmth of golden spring light streaming through the windows. Ready to book? Read on for our favourite restaurants where you can enjoy the unbeatable combination of fresh air, fine food and – fingers crossed – sunshine.
Die Stoep at Vriesenhof
Lunch at Die Stoep at Vriesenhof is like being transported to a charmed country life. This new hidden gem has a way of sparking relocation reveries. The restored Cape Dutch homestead is a noble canvas for the ever-changing menu, where slow food philosophies spring to life in the form of beautifully cooked tomato and red pepper risotto, or yellowtail crudo electrified with yuzu, pickled jalapeño and smoky aubergine. If you wanted, you could make a meal entirely of these plates plus a couple of glasses of Vriesenhof MCC and leave happy. There’s no faulting the grilled sirloin steak paired interestingly with mushroom confit, crispy pancetta and red wine jus, but for us, the real winner is the Neapolitan-style burrata pizza. These emerge soft and pillowy, with dark char spots from the wood-fired oven, and are topped with San Marzano tomato sugo, serrano ham, peppery rocket and finely grated Parmesan. Pierce the burrata’s skin so the cream spills out, creating a milky sauce. There’s also the welter of indecision over a cheese platter or the coal-roasted dark chocolate and orange fondant, served in a potjie pot with milk tart ice cream – but why not embrace the spirit of the place and do both? The rhythm of a lavishly lazy afternoon is punctuated by a walk around the gardens and a visit to the underground wine cellar that’s full of vintages for wine buffs to plunder.
Vriesenhof Vineyards, Paradyskloof Road, Stellenbosch
021 007 5591
diestoepmanager@vriesenhof.co.za
Babel at Babylonstoren
Among the Cape Winelands’ sweep of designer wineries and glossy restaurants sits a quiet and bucolic alternative – one that’s family-owned, authentically farm-focused and undeterred by hospitality trends. Set at the base of the dramatic Simonsberg mountains against a red clay landscape, Babylonstoren is a place where you can hear the chirping of birds, surrounded by the tranquillity of its 12-acre garden. To call it a garden is an understatement – the property is a natural pantry of citrus, orchard fruit, seasonal vegetables, olives and grapes. Everything on the menu at the signature restaurant, Babel (housed in an old cow shed), is led by the garden and farm. That might be Cape Point tuna in a pool of creamy buffalo yoghurt dressing with fennel and sorrel or a dry-aged steak from Babylonstoren’s own Chianina cattle with sweet shallots and mustard jus. A deconstructed version of prosciutto-wrapped melon is doused in olive oil and balsamic vinegar; ruby-red blood oranges make for a refreshing palate cleanser; fish of the day is served on a bed of waterblommetjie chutney and coconut. Soft-centered chocolate fondant with velvety buffalo milk gelato and almond brittle is an indulgent dessert. The team at Babel will tell you all about Babylonstoren’s core principles – regenerative farming, local producers and community – and while all of that is important, feelgood doesn’t always taste good. Here, it really does.
Babylonstoren, Klapmuts-Simondium Road, Simondium
021 863 3852
Waterford Estate Restaurant
Beauty, comfort and a vibe of breezy ease are axiomatic at Waterford Estate. Think Tuscan architecture, a sunny courtyard and enveloping armchairs – soundtracked by little more than the gentle bubbling of a fountain. Ditto the scent of lavender and rosemary, and delectable food. Simple, seasonal ingredients are essential in head chef Martin de Kock’s kitchen at the brand-spanking-new Waterford Estate Restaurant. Taking over a space formerly occupied by a wine country favourite was always going to be tricky. What stays? What changes? Disappointing a few regulars is inevitable but, if the almost always fully booked terrace is anything to go by, Waterford’s reinvention of the restaurant has been met with unambiguous approval. The chef has assembled a compact menu full of straight-shooting deliciousness. A 300g rib-eye with bone marrow butter strikes a beautiful balance between primal and elegant. Its richness pairs perfectly with the sweetness of charred onions and superb skin-on, hand-cut beef-tallow-fried chips. Pan-fried line fish makes an excellent match for Saldanha Bay mussels, leeks, baby spinach, potato dauphinoise, velouté and bay leaf oil. The Basque cheesecake, with its signature scorched top and the flavour of ripe raspberries, is hard to pass up. Wash your feast down with lip-tainting sips of cabernet sauvignon, among other tipples from the estate’s vineyards.
Waterford Estate, Upper Blaauwklippen Road, Stellenbosch
021 880 5300
cellardoor@waterfordestate.co.za
Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia
The modern Beau Constantia grounds provide a fitting backdrop for Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia, a fine-dining spot with a laidback vibe. Warming woods and contemporary furniture place the slick glass-encased restaurant on the cosier end of the minimalist scale. Light floods in through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls, while the panoramic views across the Constantia Valley seize your attention. Indoor and outdoor seating make the most of the high-altitude vineyard setting. Here, head chef and co-owner Ivor Jones’ small-plates menu has all the trimmings of fine dining without unnecessary pomp. The food is forward-looking and clever, threading global influences and lots of Southeast Asian flavours with impressive dexterity. Highlights abound, from coal-fired bread finished with a dusting of popcorn powder and Saldanha Bay oysters dressed with nahm jim, to char-grilled yellowfin tuna in coconut naam pla and beef tataki inspired by traditional Thai nam tok. You’d be happy just gazing upon the pretty cherry and rose geranium mousse with its blushing pink tones. But start tucking into the floral, aromatic flavours and silky textures and it’s soon apparent that eating with the mouth trumps eating with the eyes. The discerning diners of Constantia are certainly glad Chefs Warehouse is firm in its place – and look forward to another decade of inspired cuisine.
Beau Constantia, 1043 Constantia Main Road, Constantia
021 794 8632
The Restaurant at Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons
French champagne, immaculate table settings and an array of European dishes await beneath dappled sunlight peaking through leafy oak trees at the newly renovated Restaurant at Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons. Secure a coveted spot on the terrace and soak up the rays. The à la carte menu, as you’d expect given Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons’ commitment to luxury, is elegant, well-considered and features the best quality ingredients. Begin with salmon tartare doused in ponzu, partnered with avocado and ponzu mayonnaise and served with sesame lavash. Also worthy of attention is the lightly crumbed squid atop peri-peri, coconut mousse and avocado purée, crowned with a crispy rice cracker. Other certainties remain. There’s exceptional steak au poivre bathed in a sauce of pan drippings and cream (the dainty beef cheek croquette almost steals the show); a vibrantly coloured line-fish dish with bouillabaisse, asparagus and saffron aioli; and well-balanced desserts like a Champagne Barons de Rothschild Rosé custard tartlet dotted with berry coulis. It’s the ode to detail – the quietly confident service, the ambient lighting, the premium stemware – that nudges The Restaurant at Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons towards the sublime. Walk-ins are available, so try your luck if you’re local, but definitely secure a booking if you’re coming from further afield.
Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, Klapmuts-Simondium Road, Simondium
021 874 1648
