South Africa

Capetown

Cape Town: Savoy Cabbage, 101 Hout Street. Tel: +27 (0)21 424 2626
Savoy Cabbage is a real favourite of mine, with top foodie credentials and a cool, New York loft-vibe with acres of exposed brick, playful cabbage-leaf lighting and open kitchen. Upstairs on the mezzanine 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. My most recent meal started with their signature tomato tart: plump halves of large, sweet tomatoes skinned and roasted in a pastry case, with a little creamy béchamel sauce to add moisture and scattered with torn basil. It is simple, fresh and very delicious, served hot from the oven. The waitress suggested a glass of Springfield's Special Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc with this (44 Rand) which was perfect. My Chalmar beef fillet was cooked rare, with a rich mushroom and 'boozy onion' sauce and red wine reduction. It was a lovely piece of beef, both flavourful and meltingly soft, and the richness really suited a glass of Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon at 85 Rand (about £8.00). My pud - honey-roasted figs with vanilla ice cream - was good, but the figs lacked flavour and honeyed richness - I wished I'd gone for a perennial favourite of a stack of thin chocolate pancakes served with ice cream. The one-page wine list features only around 20 bottles, but they are interesting and very well chosen, and almost all available by the glass or bottle. BYO is only 30 rand (£2.75) and the atmosphere special, so this is one not to miss if in Cape Town. (2010)

Mouille Point: Theo's, 163 Beach Road, Cape Town. Tel: +27 (0)21 439 3494
Theo's is an institution on Mouille Point, just round the coast from the new World Cup stadium, offering a friendly welcome, seafood and steaks. My starter of huge tiger prawns simply char-grilled was a real treat, and my main course grilled line-fish (Kingklip) was rubbed with Creole spices and served with salad and vegetables. The wine list is well-priced, and with a bottle of Boschendal Sauvignon Blanc the whole meal came in under 400 Rand (2010)

Hout Bay: Trattoria Luigi, Main Road. Tel: +27 (0)21 790 1702
Definitely a slice of the old-school Italian restaurant tradition, complete with wickerwork Chianti bottle décor and popular opera as the mood music. If you are very unlucky indeed, owner Antonio will even stop and serenade your table - the idea is just excruciating. OK, the food: the bruschetta piled with fresh tomato chopped through with garlic and olive oil is delicious, the fillet steak generous and well-cooked and the home made tiramisu creamy and enjoyable if a bit light on coffee and booze. The short wine list is OK, but the blackboard has wine specials too, both domestic and Italian. Nederburg's Cabernet/Syrah blend drank very easily at 850 Rand (less than £8.00) and the whole meal, including two big bottles of water and coffees was less than £50. Not fancy, not great, but decent. BYO allowed, corkage 250 Rand. (2010)

The Winelands

Constantia: La Colombe, Constatia-Uitsig, Spaanschemat Rd. +27 (0)21 794 4480.
La Colombe is, according to many knowledgeable sources, the best restaurant in the Cape. The beautiful garden is the first option, the rather dull indoor room used only if the weather is poor. On a beautiful summer evening we were shown to a very odd table indeed, in a no-man's-land zone that buffered the two dining areas, in what is basically a corridor shared between a few tables and the endless parade of staff working between kitchen and the garden. The need to leave the corridor space free means guests are seated with their backs to the delights of the garden, instead facing directly into the empty dining room. Whilst the fountain and twinkling lights of the garden must have created a lovely ambiance, we stared into the gloom, so with only three or four tables occupied and a dozen empty, I asked the manager if we could move, to be told "I'm sorry, but all the garden tables have been requested." Why someone else's "request" should take priority over mine I'm not sure, but he assured us we'd be moved if at all possible. That was the last we saw of him, as most of the rest of his evening he spent fussing over a table of celebrity diners. Over the next hour various arriving guests were offered a choice of tables in the garden, whilst back in the gloom our experience got worse and worse. Instead of menus, staff drag huge blackboards on easels around the restaurant. Ours was duly plonked in front of us whilst our waitress fluffed her way through detailed descriptions of each of around 20 dishes, trying to recall ingredients, sauces, cooking techniques, presentation and so on. By the time she'd reached the bottom I suspect she wished the ground could open up and swallow her. I know I did. She then "left the menu with us", which meant for the next 20 minutes we didn't even have the view of the empty dining room - just a six-foot high blackboard blocking out everything. From then on service was lamentable: wine out of reach and not topped up when needed, dishes presented to the wrong person, a basket of bread offered once then never reappearing, long, long waits between courses with many apologies, petit-fours served after coffee when we requested them with. Rarely have I felt so much like a second-class citizen in a restaurant - and we were not the only denizens of no-man's-land I heard complaining. The food? Actually it was very good indeed, some of it terrific: foie gras with rhubarb crumble and custard was a lovely piece of roasted foie, served with a tangy rhubarb compote and a vanilla and hazelnut custard on a crumble base, that was delicious and full of vivid, unexpected flavour combinations. The 'two servings of duck' turned out to be a very nicely cooked breast with a rich berry sauce, followed by a heavenly confit, which had been pressed into a dense little cake, served with a puy lentil-enriched sauce and crispy filo roll, stuffed with a creamy celeriac gratin. Scallops were slightly overcooked, so the food didn't entirely sing. The wine list is huge, if well marked up. A glass of Constantia Uitsig Blanc de Blanc was 800 Rand (£7.00) and a bottle of Hamilton Russell Pinot 550 (£50). In all the meal came in at £200 which is at the very top end of Cape pricing. La Colombe enjoys a superb reputation, and you might well have a much better experience than me. But based on this, I won't be rushing to return. (2010)

Constantia: River Café, Constantia Uitsig, Spaanschemat Rd. +27 (0)21 794 4480.
Weirdly, turning up for lunch at La Colombe's casual sister restaurant where I'd really enjoyed previous meals, we were again shown to a naff table in a corridor. Whilst trying not to take it too personally, this time we caused a tiny bit of a fuss when the manager refused to move us into the shady courtyard, and won the battle. A fine table was found, and the restaurant steadily emptied from that point onward meaning there were plenty of garden tables to go around, so what the resistance was all about is unfathomable. However, happily ensconced and with a bright, cheerful waitress looking after us, from then on this meal was hugely more enjoyable than La Colome as an experience, with fresh and imaginatively prepared dishes served by efficient, enthusiastic staff. My main course of a tempura shrimp Caesar salad was just delicious, and a sticky ginger pudding, steamed and delicious, yet light with a brilliant tang, was terrific. This is a beautiful setting, with the vineyards and mountainous backdrop, great food and modest prices. Two courses, water, two glasses of wine and double espressos cost just 450 Rand - about £40 for two (2010).

Franschhoek

Franschhoek: Le Quartier Francais. Tel: +27 (0)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. When I last visited, the main restaurant had just been re-launched as The Tasting Room with a theme of wine and food matching, with a Cape wine served by the glass with each course. The same concept was in place for my 2010 return, and the food was very good throughout the eight courses, and exceptional in some of them. The menu kicked off with a warm gingered Luderitz oyster served on a bed of carrot jelly, flaked with crisp bacon crumbs. This was a good dish with subtle flavours and textures, and the local pale 'Sherry' from Monis served with it was a lovely choice, a little sweetness in the wine picking up flavours in the dish. The next course of Lemon-poached Transkei rock lobster was fabulous, the cream, lemony bites of lobster set against an intense black fruit marshmallow (dense, tangy and explosive) and delicate millefeuille of prawn. Sensational with a glass of Graham Beck's excellent Brut. Other absolute highlights were a serving of foie grass (a terrine layered with a rich meaty aspic and a light as a feather mousse) with dried cranberries and a smoked whisky dressing. Sous vide quail breast (crisp and caramelised outside, meltingly soft inside) was served with a terrific truffled quail's egg (the truffle in a fine breadcrumb shell around the egg) and lots of shaved asparagus spears. The main course Karoo lamb was a touch gamy and just delicious (served with Glenwood's aromatic Merlot 2007) and the final dessert of orange and buttermilk cannelloni with Jersey milk sorbet and a fennel granite was brilliant, the dense, creamy cannelloni on a layer of bitter cocoa and the fennel burstingly flavourful. This menu barely put a foot wrong (though the goat's cheese feta mousse left me un-stirred) and the wine choices were clever and very delicious. In all, a brilliant meal executed very well and served by pleasant, if not always on the ball staff. Tasting menu is 700 Rand, with a wine for each flight, 980 Rand. Total bill for two was 2005 Rand, including water and coffee. (2010)

Franschhoek: Reuben's, 19 Huguenot Street. Tel: +27 (0)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, globe-trotting influences and traditional Cape cuisine. My starter of a filo-pastry parcel of sticky shredded duck was deliciously dense and dark, enriched by being drizzled with honey and hoisin sauces, but then contrasted with a lychee, bean sprout and green leaf salad. These imaginative but logical combination are a signature of the food here, which moves seamlessly on to a Malay influenced main course of braised lamb shoulder, served with a Masala roasted potato cake, a beautifully fresh, swirling sauce that combined minted yoghurt and a sweet and spicy reduction, along with a freshening burst from a pineapple salsa. These were vivid, vivacious flavours and deliciously so. For pudding, 'Passion fruit four ways' including a fresh, piercing sorbet, a little tartlet, a cube of dense passionfruit panacotta and a rich, palate coating sauce, sprinkled with tiny meringues and some streusel to add crunch and flavour. I do love Reuben's ultra unfussy style and the high-end comfort food cuisine. A nice wine list is split by grapes and style and mark ups are moderate, with a good selection by the glass. We drank the Secateurs Chenin from AA Badenhorst and Chocolate Block from Boekenhoutskloof, and the total bill for two was less than 800 Rand - about £70. (2010)

Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch: Rust en Vrede, Annandale Road. Tel: +27 (0)21 881 3757
Arguably my best meal in a three week tour in 2010 came at Rust en Vrede. Long, low and immaculately transformed into a chic dining room, the restaurant is formed from the old cellars, with the kitchen quite literally taking centre stage, a large open space slap-bang in the centre of the restaurant where über-talented David Higgs oversees a crack brigade. After a glass of fizz on the terrace overlooking the vineyards we were shown to a table in an alcove formed by two towering glass-fronted wine cabinets. The food, billed as "a contemporary take on the classics," was exemplary from start to finish. I kicked off with confit tuna with a zippy apple and sprout salad that came topped with a truffle-poached oyster, all nestling in a purée of minted peas. This was a delightful summer dish, evocative of the season and filled with interesting flavours and textures. After a lovely, pink and succulent little breast of quail with a quince marmalade, my main course of ash-rubbed springbok loin was just terrific, the springbok yieldingly soft and tender but holding great flavour, the ash giving a dry, delicate smokiness. This came with more of those fresh and vivid flavours this kitchen loves, in this instance pickled beetroot and bitter little glazed turnips. A delightfully fresh, yet creamy and dense goat's cheese soufflé came with fig ice cream and a sesame biscuits. Terrific food, service and ambiance, and a very good wine list that features lots of back vintages of the winery's wines, plus those of its sister wineries at Ernie Els and Guardian Peak, but then goes on to cover all the great names of South Africa with a sprinkling of world wines. A visit here is highly recommended. The four course set menu is 440 Rand (around £40). (2010)

Tulbagh/Riebeek Kasteel

Hermanus: The Pavilion at the Marine Hotel. Tel: +27 28 313 1000
Sister hotel and restaurant to the Greenhouse in Constantia (see above), I had high hopes for dinner here and was not disappointed. The dining room is a smart but casual space with a striking black and white tiled floor, lovely Art Deco light fittings and expansive views of the Southern Ocean. The efficient and charming staff set a similar welcoming tone to the Greenhouse too. Though a tasting menu is on offer at the same price as the Greenhouse, we ate a la carte from a short menu offering around seven choices at each course. An amuse bouche of a little mushroom soup with a truffle topping was thick, earthy and rich, and the fine assortment of home-baked breads saw us through to the arrival of the starters. I chose a duck ravioli, served in a delicately Thai flavoured soup with coconut and lemongrass, the yielding ravioli filled with shredded, lightly spice duck meat and topped with a handful of crisply fried leeks and an succulent tiger prawn in a whisper light breadcrumb, deep fried to perfection. My main course of Springbok medallions crusted with hazelnut and served with a deep, sweet, rich reduction, some crisply fried little potatoes and a cauliflower cream was superb, the meat just gamy and rich enough, and packed with flavour. On this occasion the kitchen saved the best to last: a fabulous passionfruit and apricot soufflé, deliciously light yet richly flavoured, served with coconut ice cream and mire-pois of lightly poached fruits, and a stunning passionfruit jelly that burst with flavour. With glasses of Pierre Jourdan sparkling rose at 50 Rand, Southern Right Pinotage at 60 Rand, water, coffees and petit fours, the bill came to only 850 Rand (less than £80). (2010)

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. (2006)

Knysna: 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 Knysna's waterfront, but the food and wine shopping is good and it is a pleasant option in this part of town. (2006)

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 Franschhoek 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 crackling intact. 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. (2006)