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South Africa, Restaurants |
LA COURONNE
La Couronne in Franschhoek is a top local hotel and restaurant. Apparently, the thing to do is to have lunch there and take advantage of the stunning views. No views for us I’m afraid, as we arrived in darkness for dinner. The restaurant is decorated in a ‘five star hotel’ type of way, so whilst nothing is out of place, it doesn’t come across as either individual or innovative. Now let’s get one thing clear, we enjoyed really excellent food here – my wife’s fillet steak was perhaps ‘amongst’ the top two or three I’ve ever tried, so seriously good, however, we both came away thinking the experience could have been much better - for the following reasons :
Firstly, there was a pianist ‘going strong’ for almost the whole evening. I love the piano, but even in a big room, it can be quite loud. The pianist was excellent (I spotted only two bum notes all night) and at times played tunes which empathised well with fine dining, but despite rounds of applause from many of the (mainly American) diners, I didn’t feel that ‘Volare’, New York, New York etc. etc. were quite apt – perhaps I should have asked for an Eminem or Marylin Manson selection.
Secondly, the service was very amateurish. I had to stop the girl filling my wineglass otherwise it would have been full to the top! – Only one example, but there were many across the evening.
 Thirdly, the ‘Sommelier’. He introduced himself in a professional manner but it went downhill from there. I was having veal and my wife the fillet steak, so I suggested to the sommelier that he could choose something suitable for us. First he pointed out the most expensive cabernet, followed by the most expensive merlot, followed by the most expensive Pinotage! I still said that I was happy for him to choose which was obviously what he was hoping to hear, so played his trump card – the most expensive ‘still’ wine on the list, a Shiraz. He then proceeded to turn up with the wine after our starters had arrived. Despite turning out to be an excellent wine (see below), it was a terrible match with my veal, though a quite good match with the fillet steak.
To summarise: good food, earplugs required, staff that still have some ‘training opportunities’ and a sommelier who wants to sell only the most expensive bottles – even if they don’t match the food, and brings the wine late too. The cost was 750 Rand including the tip. The Luddite came to 330 Rand, Emily's restaurant on the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town has it for 200 Rand on their winelist.
2000 Luddite, Shiraz
Full ruby colour with a cherry rim. Nose is high toned and very blackberry. The palate has strong acidity and medium though very smooth tannins. Concentrated fruit with a vanilla tinge on the long finish. This is a very smooth and concentrated wine which drank better and better as the evening progressed. Very good, but should have been decanted for best effect.
LA COURONNE RESTAURANT
Robertsvlei Road
Franschhoek
tel. +27 21 876 2770
email La Couronne
POLFYNTJIES RESTAURANT
Polfyntjies can be found just outside the town centre of Franschhoek. Nicely decorated inside giving a warm and friendly though still smart ambience. The menu has some interesting selections of traditional South African dishes and some Malay dishes. The winelist is made up of labels exclusively from the Franschhoek valley.
So we chose the soup of the day, a smoorsnoek fish starter, a lamb 'bobotie' which is lamb in a 'brochette' style and finally a venision (springbok) 'bredie'. A bredie is an iron pot where the meat is slowly cooked for 'some' hours.
Halfway through the soup it happened: my wife had been feeling a little 'off' in the stomach department all day, she decided she was too warm and needed a some cool fresh-air. The next thing I knew one of the staff was ushering me outside to find my wife white faced and prostrate on the gravel drive. The staff were brilliant, blankets and pillows arrived and as the doctor couldn't get to us because of another patient we were whisked to the surgery by another of the staff. Actually the guests arriving at the same time were keen to have a bottle of the same stuff my wife was drinking !!
One injection and a clutch of tablets later, the diagnosis was gastro-enteritis, and the source? - the Knysna prawns the evening before. The lady from Polfyntjies took us back to the guest house so that my wife could go to bed, then took me back to finish my meal(!) I decided to take the bottle of wine home (unopened) so we could enjoy it another day.
The food was great, the ambience was nice and the price for two starters, one main course, coffee, 2 glasses of wine and a 98 Rand bottle of wine came to just 210 Rand. Service beyond the call of duty too. Lovely people and worth a visit. The wine was one of those rare examples of an older vintage, and for 98 Rand! :
1995 La Motte, Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep garnet colour. Nose is reticent but meaty and shows cooked plum notes. The palate is sweet with very good acidity, but the fruit is again a little 'cooked'- perhaps some question-marks over the storage. Medium tannins which stay on into the long finish. Cooked or not, I liked this. Very good.
POLFYNTJIES RESTAURANT
Main Road (R45)
Franschhoek
tel. +27 21 876 3217
email Polfyntjies
NICKS ORIGINAL FISHMONGER
Though this place is in the middle of Stellenbosch, it's in the same 'neck of the woods' as the other two above, so included here. We only took a lunch, but the fish is frankly as good as anything we got at the coast. We sat at a table outside, pretty much on the pavement, but the road was very quiet at Sunday lunch-time! Wine by the glass too, so I had a very pleasant Sauvignon Blanc with my sardines. My wife chose something red to go with her prawn curry. Great value and perfect for lunch.
Fishmonger
Corner of Ryneveld & Plein St's
Stellenbosch
tel. +27 21 887 7835
email Fishmonger
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