South Africa

Capetown

Atlantic Grill, Table Bay Hotel, Waterfront, Cape Town. +21 406 5688
Plush and upmarket, the Table Bay is a modern hotel built right on the Waterfront, with wonderful views from the full-length windows. Though my meal here was remarkable value for very good food and opulent surroundings, it was a touch soulless and just too blandly international, and came with Uriah-Heepishly ingratiating service. Juniper-seared carpaccio of Springbok was much less exciting than the description promised: the Springbok was too soft in texture and light in flavour for an overpowering emulsion of a cranberry sauce. My Jamaican spiced duck breast with a red pepper and pear relish was a little overcooked, and the duck meat slightly dried, though my partner's char-grilled yellow-tail (a meaty game fish) was much better, cooked nicely and served with rosemary and bacon-wrapped potatoes. A bottle of Glen Carlou Pinot Noir was 250 Rand - only around £16 in this posh place, but the same wine was almost half price a few nights later in the superior The Restaurant. About 600 Rand (£40) (2002).

Aubergine, 39 Barnet St. Tel: +27 21 465 4909
Chef/patron Harald Bresselschmidt has overseen the painstaking execution and flawless conception of dishes at Cape Town's most famous haute-cuisine restaurant for many years. Standards appeared to be just as high since my previous visit three years ago. At night, this area of the city is rather bleak and, as is standard in Cape Town, a guard is employed to look after your car. The lovely old building has been given a churchy feel, with pew-like but very comfortable seating and broad oak tables. The five-course tasting menu (actually seven by the time a little amuse bouche and sorbet are included) contains smaller portions of some Aubergine signature dishes. Medallions of beef fillet came with a wild mushroom strudel and a tarragon-infused sauce, whilst instead of a cheese plate, beignets of Reblochon with a lightly-poached Forelle pear and celery salad was typical of this restaurant's willingness to go a step further. The wine list runs to 200 bins, with a good selection of half bottles and a knowledgeable Sommelier who will happily recommend wines by the glass to accompany each course. Again, prices are very moderate for such food and sense of occasion. (2005)

Azure, The Twelve Apostles, near Camp's Bay. Tel: +27 21 437 9000
Azure is a very good restaurant, where chef Roberto de Carvalho has created one of the city's most unusual and interesting dining experiences. Alongside Cape Malay-inspired a la carte, a special Fynbos menu is based on the Cape's equivalent of southern France's garrigue; wild herbs, flowers and heather-like vegetation that covers the hillsides and can produce stunning displays of blooms at certain times of the year. Collecting plants from the hills above the hotel at crack of dawn each morning de Carvalho has done his botanical research and kitchen experimentation to understand and categorise certain Fynbos as suitable for culinary use. The potential of these native Cape plants is realised in dishes like a tender loin of Springbok, wrapped in marogo (Amaranthus hybridus) and cured bacon, and served with roasted squash and wild rosemary (Eriocephalus africanus). Even desserts get the Fynbos touch, with a Frozen Fynbos Nougat made with lemon geranium (Pelargonium) and served with an amarula (Sclerocarya birrea) custard. The dining room is comfortable and spacious, if perhaps decorated in a rather startling, bold-patterned blue. (2005)

The Blue Danube, 102 New Church St, Cape Town. +21 423 6324
I warmed to this place immediately, formed as it is from an old Victorian house, so typical of many in the UK with corniced ceilings, picture rails and panelled doors. Decorated in a startling blue, there is Viennese flavour to the food prepared by top chef Thomas Sinn. Packed on the Thursday night I ate there, I very much enjoyed the food, especially a dish of goat's cheese wrapped in Black Forest ham with a wild rocket salad. My main course tempura of tiger prawns was simple but delicious. Puddings include Strudel and Kaisserschmarrn. Nice petit fours were served with decaff. With a bottle of good Chenin Blanc from Ken Forrester, the bill for two came to 500 Rand (£33). A little kitsch, maybe not quite as exceptional as it thinks it is, but I enjoyed it. Another place with secure, off-street parking. (2002)

Caveau, 92 Bree Street. Tel: +27 21 422-1367
New on the Cape Town scene, Caveau is a chilled-out, relaxing wine bar/restaurant/deli specialising in platters of excellent charcuterie and cheeses, plus a selection of more structured light meals. There is also a huge and cleverly designed wine list that splits the Cape's finest wines into playful style sections. But don't let that playfulness fool you: the list includes page after page of rare, mature Cape wines purchased from private cellars. Enjoy Cape-produced salami, chorizo and hams, or some truly top-notch local artisan cheeses served with delicious breads and olives. Inexpensive. (2005)

Mortons on the Wharf, Waterfront, Cape Town. +21 418 3633
The Waterfront area is principally a shopping and entertainment Mecca, and as you might expect, the food choices are generally in the fast-food and family restaurant category. For a quick slice of pizza or steak and chips there are numerous choices (Quay Four being the best spot for an informal fish and chip lunch). On the upper level of the Victoria and Albert Waterfront terraces are a couple of slightly more upmarket, yet still casual, mid-priced choices. Morton's is a southern cooking joint, with Jambalayas and Gumbos aplenty, and a bar-room atmosphere (think Ted Danson in Cheers). I had good, spicy Creole soup, followed by a very nice cut of fillet steak, cooked medium-rare and served with a choice of sauces and vegetable accompaniments. One bonus with Morton's is that it actually has a very nice range of wine "specials" chalked up on blackboards, offered in addition to their modest list. These included parcels of mature wines purchased from the Nederburg Auction, so someone takes their wines quite seriously here. About 350 Rand for two (2002).

One.Waterfront, The Cape Grace, V&A Waterfront. Tel: +27 21 418 0520
The cooking of Bruce Robertson in the luxury Cape Grace hotel is as sophisticated as it is delicious. One.Waterfront is a very comfortable, low-key dining room decorated in warm, earthy tones with picture windows to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and Table Mountain beyond. There is a huge amount of invention here, with nods to the conception-challenging style of Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck, or Ferran Adrià's El Bulli, north of Barcelona. Dishes like butternut and raisin dumplings come lightly steamed and filled with feta cheese, accompanied by a bitter-leaf salad and sweet chilli dressing. Perlemoen (Abalone) and glazed quail breast is wittily referred to as “Elegant Surf 'n Turf” on the menu, and comes with a corn and seaweed spaghetti, topped with frog's legs in a crunchy Tempura batter. The wine list is extensive and, although it is a special occasion kind of place, prices for both food and wine are moderate. Even here, BYOB is allowed. (2005)

Savoy Cabbage, 101 Hout Street. Tel: +27 21 424 2626
Savoy Cabbage has a New York loft-style ambiance, with acres of exposed brick, towering ceilings and an open kitchen. Upstairs is the nicer dining option for me, not least because it is non-smoking, but it also houses a cosy Champagne bar and has great views over the restaurant space. A daily-changing single sheet menu is crammed with old favourites, like lamb and rice-stuffed cabbage leaves poached in a flavoursome broth, and regular guest dishes. A salad of goat's Feta cheese, Masala-roasted Macadamia nuts and fresh peaches was brilliantly flavoured, whilst beef fillet was cooked rare, with a pecan and cranberry butter and a dark reduction of red wine. Puddings are excellent here, with chocolate pancakes served as a short stack, doused with dark cocoa sauce and served with ice cream. The one-page wine list starts at a modest 60 Rand (about £5.50 per bottle), topping out around 650 Rand (£59) for Rare old vintages of Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon. (2005)

The Winelands can be reached on a day outing from Cape Town, though the furthest regions like Robertson would be best managed by basing yourself in Stellenbosch for a few days, a pretty University town. Walker Bay, slightly isolated on the south coast, is also an easy day trip, though there are hotel options in the town of Hermanus - whale-watching central during the May to November season. The leafy, very settled suburb of Constantia is a 20-minute drive from the city centre, and is the closest collection of quality wineries.

Constantia: Buitenverwachting, Klein Constantia Rd. +21 794 3522
Easily reachable on a pleasant 20-minute drive from central Cape Town, the wine farms of Constantia are the closet to the city, and the area is lovely. This was an absolute delight. Buitenverwachting (Bett-enn-verr-vach-ting) has a choice of restaurants, all serving light, smaller portions of Mediterranean-inspired food based on fresh ingredients in sophisticated composition. I ate in the Café, on the broad veranda overlooking the beautifully shady courtyard and fountain, and serving a smaller selection of dishes. It closes for the winter, and we were there in mid-April, just a day before the shut-down, but were blessed with a beautifully sunny day. Excellent breads are served before light, fusion dishes. My risotto was creamy and subtly flavoured, with half a dozen seared scallops ringing the bowl. For dessert, the apricot crème brûlée was really good and freshly made, and espresso hit the spot. Two courses, water, a couple of glasses of Buitenverwachting Sauvignon and coffees came to 300 Rand - about £23 (2005).

Constantia: River Café, Constantia Uitsig, Spaanschemat Rd. +21 794 4480.
Constantia Uitsig is one of the newest estates in the area, and has carved out a name for its superb restaurants as much as for its wines. Colombe, the French-inspired top restaurant is regularly lauded as one of South Africa's best, but the River Café was an easy choice on a beautifully sunny Sunday lunchtime, when the courtyard tables are shaded by mature trees and parasols. The food here is of almost equal renown, an inspired blend of fresh and imaginatively-combined ingredients served by efficient, friendly staff and accompanied by a good local wine list. I thought my main dish was an absolute highlight; grilled fillets of yellow-tail (A game fish), which has been crusted with crushed nuts and sweet spices, served on a bed of caramelised sweet potato and squash, buttered green beans and wilted, smoky asparagus. It was sensational, matched to a glass of Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc. The pudding was sensational too: an unusual vinegar sticky ginger pudding, steamed and delicious, yet light with a brilliant little tang, served with a quenelle of good ice-cream melting over the top. This is a beautiful setting, with the vineyards and mountainous backdrop, with brilliant food and very modest prices. Two courses, water, two glasses of wine and double espressos cost just 45 Rand - about £30 for two (2002).

Franschhoek: Grand Provence winery restaurant. Tel: +27 21 876 8600
The newest star in Franschhoek's culinary firmament is the restaurant at the Grand Provence wine estate. With no expense spared, the restaurant opened in February 2005, complete with stunning semi-industrial interior décor (but much more comfortable than that sounds) and exceptionally welcoming staff. The food could be described as an upmarket spin on French Brasserie fare, but with many Cape and global influences. The estate's wines feature of course, but the list covers all of the Franschhoek area and more. Grand Provence is a very welcome addition to the scene, with good food in a stylish and contemporary setting. (2005)

Franschhoek: Le Quartier Francais. Tel: +27 21 876 2151
Owner Susan Huxter is one of the originators of the Franschhoek scene. Her luxury hotel offers spacious and very carefully appointed rooms and suites, built around a flower-filled courtyard and pool. The kitchen here remains amongst Franschhoek's elite, under the control of Margot Janse. The main restaurant has recently been re-launched as The Tasting Room. The theme is wine and food matching, with a tasting menu that has been matched against Cape wines, and served by the glass with each course. Some of these worked extremely well, like a softly yielding dish of braised lamb neck served with rocket-mashed potatoes and a thyme jus, that was luxuriously rich with Villiera's sweetly mature 1999 Merlot. A pairing a salad of quail, spiced pine nuts and beetroot puree with a Medium Cream Sherry from Monis was more challenging. But challenging norms and pre-conceptions is partly the point of this experience, and the cooking is superb. Expensive. (2005)

Franschhoek: Reuben's, 19 Huguenot Street. Tel: +27 21 876 3772
Reuben Riffel is a young chef who scooped both "Chef of the Year" and "Restaurant of the Year" in the first six months after establishing his eponymous restaurant in the centre of town. The restaurant is contemporary and chic, with dark wood finishes and extensive use of slate and stone. Without doubt this is fine dining of the highest quality, but friendly young staff and simply dressed tables - many in a sunny courtyard shaded by trees and parasols - create a very casual and low-key vibe. The food combines local ingredients with traditional Cape cuisine, like an appetizer of Salmon trout fish cakes with watercress and lime butter, topped with a soft-poached organic egg that, when broken, created its own luxurious sauce. Desserts are highlight here, including a toothsome baked chocolate macadamia pudding with palm sugar ice cream. This balanced richness and unctuous texture with bittersweet flavours, and epitomised Reuben's success in presenting fine dining without ceremony. A well-priced wine list completes the picture of a top spot for lunch or dinner. (2005)

Paarl: The Goatshed, Charles Back Estate. Tel: +27 21 863 3609
Added to Charles Back's Fairview estate since my last visit, the Goatshed is a simple, but very attractive delicatessen/restaurant where you can buy beautiful cheeses, breads and home-made preserves and produce, or enjoy Fairview wines at cellar door price with a variety of charcuterie and cheese platters, simple meals and tapas-like small plates. I enjoyed some mini-bagels filled with smoked salmon and cream cheese, and an excellent plate of mainly goat's cheeses. Inexpensive. (2005)

George: The Old Townhouse, 20 Market Street. Tel: +27 44 874 3663
There's an old-school feel about the Old Townhouse, with its dark wooden interior and schmaltzy background music, but the aromas from the kitchen where very welcoming and in fact this established local restaurant turned out very solid, well-cooked food from prime ingredients. My fillet steak was from Karoo beef and was of excellent quality, served with a little courgette and cauliflower filo basket and some good fried potato wedges. A double chocolate cheesecake went down very nicely, layered with coconut and with a very thin pastry base. The wine list is really quite good and well-chosen, and there were no complaints at all when I sent back a corked bottle of Whale Haven Pinot Noir, with the owner taking pains to make sure the second bottle was sound. Moderately priced, a little middle-aged and frumpy for some tastes I'm sure, but a good kitchen and friendly welcome deserve praise. (2005)

Kynsna: 34 South, The Waterfront. Tel: +27 44 382 7331
At the waterfront in Knysna, a very bustling, lively and touristy town on the garden route, 34 South is a delicatessen, wine shop, wine bar and restaurant complex with tables spilling onto a wharfside terrace. The foodie ambience and menus and blackboards announcing the daily specials promise a gastronomic experience, but in truth I was rather disappointed by lacklustre food and very inattentive and chaotic service. A smoked chicken and avocado salad had a slightly processed feel, the house wine was quite palatable, and cheesecake and Illy coffee were both pretty good. 34 South's cooking doesn't really elevate itself above the rather touristy vibe of Knynsa's waterfront, but the food and wine shopping is good and it is a pleasant option in this part of town. (2005)

Wilderness: Serendipity, Freesia Avenue. +27 44 877 0433
Since opening in 2001, Lizelle and Rudolf are a husband and wife team who have made Serendipity into the “Top 100” of all South African restaurants in the 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 wine Spectator restaurant guides. Lizelle is an ex-teacher at the Prue Leith School of cookery, who operates her fine dining restaurant from two rooms and the domestic kitchen of her parent's beautiful home on the shore of the Lagoon at Wilderness, one of the most beautiful parts of the Garden Route. Despite the domestic setting this is a very slick and professional operation, with leather-bound menus and wine list, beautifully dressed tables and a small army of staff. I have to say my dinner was excellent, and up with the best that Cape Town and Franschoek can offer. The nouvelle South African cuisine is beautifully done, like my salad of warm caramelised baby onions, served with a green salad and shaved Pecorino and Biltong (dried beef) doused in a vivid dressing. After a creamy butternut soup and sweet and tangy pineapple sorbet, my main course of fig &' bacon-stuffed pork loin was superbly cooked, with a crackling in tact. For dessert, I chose a milky, baked Malva pudding, which had been doused with syrup and enriched with cinnamon, served with home-made nutmeg ice cream. With a bottle of Fairview “Oom Pagel” Viognier, coffees and petit-fours, the bill for two came to less than 500 Rand - about £46, making it an outstanding bargain too. (2005)