The setting
At
lunchtime, La Colombe has a light and airy feel and you can admire the beautiful
courtyard through the glass doors. It is a happy feeling, a feeling
that allows you to wistfully sit down and start looking through the fantastical
menu with a smile and wide excited eyes.
Nestled on the Constantia Uitsig wine farm in Cape Town, it
needs no introduction as one of SA’s top restaurants.
In
fact, it was recently voted 12th in the World in the recent San
Pellegrino listing.
Luke Dale-Roberts is the gastronomic wizard at the helm of
this magical place where we tasted his wares in the form of the 5 course
knock-your-socks-off winter menu.
The food
Nothing short of awesome.
As we delighted through the menu, it struck me that La
Colombe is not about eating, it’s an experience. Luke’s dishes are beautiful
with each component a tiny triumph in themselves. They work together to form a harmony of flavour and a lot of ‘OMG did-you-taste-that’s?’
and passionate eye-rolling.
But don’t take our word for it, have an ogle at the gallery
of what we ate… you’ll be high-tailing it there in no time, I guarantee it.
The wine
The wines that have been selected to go with each course
have the enviable task of complimenting Luke’s creations. They do a great job to stand up to the
flavours he has put together and Cath’s favourite pairing was the Cedarberg
Bukettraube 2006 with the rabbit, chorizo lardon and date ballotine. Incredible.
The L’Avenir Chenin Blanc 2007 comes up twice on the menu
and some other top names like Anura and Klein Constantia also make an
appearance. The overall experience is
really enhanced with the wine pairing. Easy task? Or not, when you are dealing
with food of this calibre.
The prices
Five course of serious cuisine (that’s after 2-3 amuse bouche) paired with beautiful wines served by an
Orlando Bloom look-alike (twitpic) does wonders for the soul. And it all comes to R380
pp all-in.
Yes, Heston Blumenthal was there the other day to give it a
bash and many a high-end customer seen, but the catch phrase here is how reasonable the winter menu is.
For the 12th best restaurant in the World, I
reckon this is the deal of the century and it allows us locals to have the La
Colombe experience full-ball without burning our pockets.
Perfect for
A romantic evening, special occasion or kick-ass foodie experience
with family and friends.