Silvermist Wine Estate, Constantia Nek, Constantia, Cape Town, Cape Town Central, South Africa
Cuisine:
Asian, Contemporary, French
Good for:
Breakfast/Brunch, Delivery, Dessert, Dinner, Entertaining Clients, Late Night, Local Cuisine, Lunch, Private Dining, Reservations, Romance, Special Occasions
Expert Review
If I could give a rating higher than five, I would give it to La Colombe. Everything about it is...
If I could give a rating higher than five, I would give it to La Colombe. Everything about it is fantastic. The food and service were among the best I’ve ever had, but the restaurant still felt relaxed and rustic rather than pretentious or stuffy. La Colombe has won numerous local and international awards but has recently reopened after relocating to an organic wine farm called Silvermist near Constantia Nek with stunning views over the Constantia vine valley.
The menu blends French and Asian cuisine, using fresh local ingredients, and it succeeds totally. I stopped by for lunch where diners are invited to try a selection from the short list of starters, mains, and desserts. To start, I tried the miso-seared scallop with Asian barbeque pork, cabbage and daikon kimchi, corn puree, lemongrass and ginger veloute, and eggplant crackling. I also sampled a West Coast oyster cooked with a Champaign veloute. My main course was miso-glazed fish (kingklip) with smoked potato puree, chickpea and corn puree, and coconut lemongrass veloute. For dessert I had a very wonderful ginger curd with cashew cake, mango sorbet, black sesame and tangerine gel and buttermilk mousse. Everything was so delicious! It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the smoked potatoes that came with the kingklip main were done in an amazing way such that they resembled crispy noodles—very interesting and delicious! Besides all that, there was an amuse bouche of Japanese seared tuna, an interesting bread plate, a palate cleanser of a citrus and mango juice frozen inside a white chocolate ball, and finally, some tasty petit fours to finish it all off. Plus, the wine list is tops! La Colombe is pricey, but for the quality, it’s well worth it.
Service was so helpful, happy, and efficient yet relaxed and comfortable. The atmosphere is also stunning looking out from a high vantage point near the top of a mountain. The only downside was that it was a bit hot out for lunch in the patio seating area where I was. It’s hard to fault the restaurant for that though. La Colombe should definitely be on your list of restaurants to visit in Cape Town, but make sure to get a reservation plenty ahead of time!
Expert Review
It’s unfortunate that the Constantia winelands, which are a 20-minute drive south of Cape Town, are at their most gorgeous...
It’s unfortunate that the Constantia winelands, which are a 20-minute drive south of Cape Town, are at their most gorgeous in the late afternoon — because night is when La Colombe restaurant really comes alive. But it’s worth forsaking a few views for the chance to experience the outstanding cuisine of chef Scot Kirton.
A protégé of Luke Dale-Roberts (of Test Kitchen fame), Kirton has easily stepped into the shoes of his mentor, skilfully enhancing the daily chalkboard menu that’s long been a hallmark of this award-winning eatery. Consistently rated among the top 10 restaurants in the country, La Colombe’s menu has European roots with Asian flourishes, all using the bountiful local produce Cape Town is famous for.
The menu, with five or six options per course, changes daily according to the whims of the chef and the seasons. Think duck breast with miso-glazed scallops, or a trio of beef fillet, oxtail and cheeks–garnished with a velvety sauce of expensive black truffle. Plating, rather like the décor, is restrained and elegant rather than loud and flashy.
Happily, the service is as outstanding as the food and the highly trained waiters are always on hand to explain the somewhat complex dishes. As you’d expect for a high-caliber restaurant in the Cape’s oldest winelands, the wine list is comprehensive and the affable manager/sommelier is only too happy to recommend pairings.
All of which make La Colombe a restaurant any self-respecting gourmand simply must add to their hit list. The cooking is assured and inventive with bold flavors and careful presentation, rounded off with an elegantly subdued setting and superb service. The only caveat? Book in advance… during the summer months, the waiting list for a table can stretch to weeks.