I love seeing innovation in a restaurant, and was excited when I saw the first menu of Societi Bistro’s nine-cycle “Tour of France”, which started at the beginning of this month. Three French speciality dishes representing a particular region are presented at R150, and the menu changes every Wednesday over the nine week period. A suitable wine is recommended week on week, and the prices charged are most reasonable. One does not have to order all three courses, and there is no choice per course. One is able to order from both the a la carte and the French menu.
I am a slow convert to Societi Bistro, not having been overwhelmed by it in the past. I enjoy their tongue starter, and two enjoyable dinners there with Clare and Eamon McLoughlin from Spill Blog have improved my opinion. I invited Jacqui from Charly’s Bakery to join me, but we did not realise that the Onion Soup and the Pot au Feu would contain pork, so Jacqui ate from the a la carte menu. What impressed me was the passion for the French tour by Chef Stef Marais, who came to the table regularly to explain the French menu to us and to check on our satisfaction with it, and let his staff bring a media release to the table - it is not often that restaurants are good at marketing themselves, and have such documentation available. Stef is third generation South African, and is proud of his French heritage.
Chef Stef explained the background to the “Tour of France” coming from the Bistro style of the restaurant, and this is an annual “thanksgiving” to the regions that they represent in their menu. Stef had worked with French chefs in London, and has travelled in France. He comes from Nelspruit, did his apprenticeship at the Table Bay Hotel, went to work in London, before returning to the Mount Nelson Hotel, and from there he came to Societi Bistro, just as it moved from the V&A Waterfront to its Orange Street location. Chef Stef spontaneously invited us to visit the kitchen and we did so when it was all cleaned up after the dinner service. He told us that he had a paying guest, journalist Richard Holmes, on his ”Kitchen UnConfidential” programme, working alongside him in the kitchen all day.
Societi Bistro has a bistro feel, with chanson music, dimmed lighting, candles, a fireplace in almost every room, almost making it too hot for the unseasonally warm August evening. There are blankets over some of the chairs, if it is really cold, and they add touches of colour. Subtle paint effects are on most walls, with an unplastered brick wall in one room. Material table cloths cover the tables, and the chairs are Bistro style. A ‘chef’s table’ close to the kitchen is cosy, and right at the action, with its own special menu. A very cosy bar/lounge The Snug is popular for smokers, in winter especially, and it is here that Jacqui and I retreated to after our dinner, chatting to Chef Stef again, and bumping into Mervyn Gers, the founder of Radio Kontrei, which became Kfm. Our waitress Julie was exemplary in her ability to make one want to order every menu item she described, and in looking after us and checking on us regularly.
The a la carte menu offers an interesting mix of very local dishes and Bistro ones . The starters offered are ”skilpadjie” (lambs liver) with “krummelpap” - cooked mealie meal (R32), Beetroot carpaccio (R38) and ox tongue (R49). The pasta dishes have two prices, ranging from R36 - R65 for half portions, and R53 - R96 for a full portion of Limone Fettucine and Mushroom Risotto, respectively. Specials on offer were a stuffed and deboned harder, and a winter salad of ricotta, beetroot and orange. Jacqui loved her roasted bone marrow (R40) and her Sirloin Bearnaise (R98), being a Bearnaise sauce addict, she said. One can also order the steak with a Cafe de Paris sauce. Other main course choices include prawns, lamb shank, venison bourguignon, an ostrich and oat burger, coq au vin, and Vietnamese pork belly. Dessert choices are disappointing in only being cakes (baked cheesecake, lemon tart, chocolate nemesis), creme brulee and ice cream, costing between R40 - R46. We both did not like our coffee, my cappuccino being too milky and the coffee just not of a good quality, and we were not charged for it. We were impressed with the nice packaging for Jacqui’s doggy bag.
The wine list does not specify vintages, and a good number of wines-by-the-glass is available, but some seem expensive in that the costing for the Shiraz brands is based on three glasses per bottle, while the norm is four. Three Shiraz brands are stocked, for example, a Hoopenberg (R35/105), Joubert Tradouw (R55/165), and Saronsberg (R90/R269) . For the Sauvignon Blancs, however, the glass of wine is based on 1:5, and the prices are very low (Joubert Tradouw Unplugged R13/R75, Warwick Professor Black R26/R155).
Paris was the first region to be represented by Societi Bistro, and its three courses were Gratinee de (sic) Halles - French Onion soup - (R30), Pot au Feu of braised pork belly (R90) - described as a “porkbelly potjie” - and Paris Brest dessert (R30). The onion soup was brown and rich, made with bacon, sherry and chicken stock, served with gruyere cheese croutons, a lovely way to start the meal, with a glass of Thelema Mountain Manor good value at R 32. However, the bacon in the soup is not a conventional ingredient, according to ’Larousse Gastronomique’. The Pot-au-Feu is usually made from beef or chicken, says my French guide, and I felt that Chef Stef had taken some creative licence in its preparation, with potato, leek, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and carrot cooked with the pork, and served with the broth as well as a gherkin and Dijon mustard relish. The 200 gram pork slice was tough to cut, until I discovered that it had been rolled and was held together with string, which one could not see. The highlight of the menu is the Paris Brest dessert, which represents the story of a cycle race between Paris and Brest in 1891, and a local patissier creating a dessert in its honour in the shape of a bicycle wheel. It is made from choux pastry, a little dry Jacqui and I thought, making it too crispy and hard and unlike eclairs, but filled with the most amazing creme patisserie, and sprinkled with caramelised slivered almonds, making it creamy and crunchy.
Currently (until tomorrow) the ‘Massif Centrale’ is the featured region, and its menu is ‘Tourain Blanchi a l’Ail’ (garlic soup), Cassoulet, and Creme Caramel. The rest of the ‘Tour of France’ at Societi Bistro is as follows:
* From 18 August the focus is the ‘Pays de la Loire’ - the Gardens of France (Oysters a la Poitou-Charentes, Pork Noisettes with prunes and ‘Crepe Angevines’- served with apple marinated in Cointreau, and Chantilly cream). There is no French menu from 24 - 31 August.
* From 1 September the featured region is ‘Normandie and Bretagne’ (Moules au Cidre - mussels cooked in cider, Baked Gurnard with fennel, leaks and capers, and Apple Tarte Tatin).
* From 8 September the focus is Alsace and Lorraine (Quiche Lorraine, La Potee Lorraine - smoked bacon, white beans and pork shoulder - and Tarte Alsacienne - an apple tart).
* Week 6 (from 15 September) focuses on the ‘French Alpes’ (Salade Lyonnaise, Fricassee de poulet a la creme - chicken in a white sauce - and Profiteroles with warm dark chocolate sauce).
* There is a break, and the next French region focus is on Burgundy from 6 October (Pork rillettes, Beouf Bourguignon and Pain d’epice et poires au vin - a Honey Cake with pears in wine).
* The South West of France is the focus from 13 October (Garbure - “rustic country soup” with confit duck and vegetable broth - Beouf a la Bordelaise, and Labnah cheese served with brandy prunes.
* The focus on the Cote d’Azure starts on 20 October, and the menu consists of Bouillabaisse, La Daube Nicoise - braised beef with black olives, celery and carrots - and Gratin de (sic) fruits rouges.
We had a lovely and long evening, and enjoyed the attention from the excellent waitress and from Chef Stef, the homeliness and friendliness, and the care taken in compiling this interesting menu (except for some of the typing errors). The disappointment was the poor coffee, and the bathroom I used was shocking - dirty floor, old-fashioned, so bad that I had to run out. Jacqui had used another one, and was equally put off by it. Chef Stef is really trying hard, but I got the feeling that they are not quite there yet in terms of food quality.
Societi Bistro, 50 Orange Street, Gardens, Cape Town. tel (021) 42 42 100. www.societi.co.za (The website has the Tour of France menu details, but has a technical problem in that text is written over other text on most pages. The website is short on food pics, with three only, and has no Image Gallery. Innovative is the You Tube video on the site). A newsletter is sent out weekly, creating top of mind awareness and appetite appeal. Twitter @SocietiBistro
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com
Tags: Alsace and Lorraine, bathroom, bearnaise, Bretagne, Burgundy, cakes, Cape Town, cappuccino, Charly's Bakery, Chef Stef Marais, choux pastry, Chris von Ulmenstein, Clare and Eamon McLoughlin, French Alpes, French heritage, French menu, Hoopenberg, Jacqui, Joubert Tradouw, Julie, Kfm, Kitchen UnConfidential, krummelpap, Larousse Gastronomique, Massif Centrale, Mervyn Gers, Mount Nelson Hotel, Normandie, Orange Street, Paris Brest, Pays de la Loire, Pot-au-Feu, Provence, Radio Kontrei, restaurant, restaurant review, Richard Holmes, Saronsberg, shiraz, skilpadjie, Societi Bistro, South african, South West France, Spill Blog, Table Bay Hotel, thanksgiving, The Snug, Tour of France, V&A Waterfront, Warwick Professor Black, Whale Cottage Portfolio, wines-by-the-glass
Cape Town Tourism issued a media release “A Mid-Way 2010 FIFA World Cup Report from Cape Town Tourism” on Friday, which has (frighteningly) been picked up by news agencies and reported upon immediately.
My problem with surveys conducted by companies that do not have the faintest idea of market research is that the answers received will only be as good or as bad as the questions asked. I knew immediately that the results would be used for publicity purposes when I received a survey participation request as an accommodation establishment from Cape Town Tourism two weeks ago.
The first questionnaire was embarrassingly bad, with poor grammar, poor time scales provided as answer options, leading questions asked, and a 5-day timeline referred to when they meant 7 days! I wrote to Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold immediately, telling her that it would be irresponsible if the results were to be used for PR purposes. I offered my help, having been a market researcher for 20 years, and was sent the second accommodation survey for input a week later. I had to correct almost every question, and hoped that it would be used as it had been corrected. But no, many questions were altered, new ones introduced relative to the draft questionnaire, making comparison between week 1 and week 2 impossible, more grammatical errors were made in that my corrections were “corrected” nonsensically, so much so that I wrote to Du Toit-Helmbold again, withdrawing my offer to assist in future, in not wanting to be associated with such unprofessional work and by implication condone its irresponsible use for publicity purposes.
And so two days after the last “survey” went out, the results of the two weeks’ “surveys” were neatly packaged and presented as a valid “survey” and findings presented as the gospel in a press release for all the world to read!
The first problem is that the sample size is not specified - i.e. the number of respondents relative to the universe of accommodation establishments. Second, the “survey” only would reflect Cape Town Tourism members, and not all accommodation establishments in Cape Town (in Camps Bay, for example, most guest houses do not belong to Cape Town Tourism) - this is not mentioned in the press release, which is irresponsible in itself. Third, the geographic definition that was used in the press release was the “Cape Town Metropole” - in my definition that would be the inner city of Cape Town, but in the definition of the City of Cape Town, it would be the municipal area of the whole area of Cape Town (e.g. Southern Suburbs, Atlantic Seaboard, Northern Suburbs, and even Somerset West and Strand). Incorporating all of these areas of greater Cape Town would certainly skew the findings - whilst the press release referred to such areas as Green Point and City Bowl, the suburb of the respondents was not asked in the questionnaires, which makes one wonder how they got to this information!
And so if one were to waste one’s time in evaluating the results of the accommodation “survey”, the finding of a 40 % average occupancy would reflect the geographic bias in the “survey” design, as low occupancy of guest houses in Somerset West or Durbanville would reduce the higher occupancies in the city and Atlantic Seaboard areas on average. The press release reports an average occupancy of 71 % for the City Bowl, Waterfront and Green Point areas. Once again, this finding is questioned as the geographic question was not asked, and the respondents were anonymous! Where the press release states that the “survey” found that business had improved in the second week of the World Cup, our experience in Camps Bay is the opposite, it having become very quiet since the departure of the England fans last Monday. The majority of the 25000 Dutch fans (unfortunately for Cape Town) camped at the Berg River Resort in Paarl.
Even worse is the predictions that are made by the writer of the release, sent out by the Cape Town Tourism’s PR company Rabbit in a Hat Communications, the authors of the “survey” questionnaire. It finds that the average length of stay is only 3 - 4 days (we would disagree), and predicts that the “length of stay in Cape Town will increase as the tournament progresses. Cape Town hosts a Quarter Final on Saturday, 3 July and the Semi Final on Tuesday, 6 July 2010 and expects visitor numbers will peak during these times”. Anyone observing the movement of soccer fans will know that this is a dangerous prediction to make, and that soccer fans follow their teams, not cities! The teams playing the Round of 16 in Cape Town tomorrow are Portugal and Spain, and Germany faces Argentina in the Quarter Final on Saturday, but no additional bookings have been received from their fans. The teams for the Semi Final are not yet known, and therefore bookings are not being made for these dates yet. However, it may be impossible to still buy tickets for these last three Cape Town matches, as they were the first to be ’sold out’, according to media reports.
More reliable information is contained in the press release as far as other tourism World Cup indicators are concerned:
* Cape Town International airport reports that its number of international arrivals is up by 44 %, the busiest day to date being 20 June, when 25 000 passengers were “processed”. Bookings for flights to South Africa were being made while England was playing Slovenia last Wednesday, the release says.
* Luxury coach company Springbok Atlas reports fully booked coaches, with two trips per day per coach on average
* Car rental companies “are reporting mixed results, many saying that figures have been disappointing but that business increases around match days”, say the press release.
* The 18 branch offices of Cape Town Tourism report a 16 % increase in “international visitors” and a 3 % decline in “domestic visitors”, compared to the same period as last year. One wonders how this is recorded, as the country of origin has never been seen to be recorded when visiting such a branch.
* The V&A Waterfront reports that its tenants are enjoying trading as in the summer season, with 150 000 - 160 000 persons per day (not all tenants would agree).
* The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company reports increased business of 50 % higher than in 2009
* The Cape Quarter reports good results for its restaurants, and less so for the retail tenants
* Tour operator business has increased by 20 % (this comes from another Cape Town Tourism “survey”, so the result should be treated with caution, as the sample size was not revealed)
* Restaurants must be trading very poorly, as their business levels compared to 2009 are not reported
* Probably the most valuable measurement of success of the World Cup to date is the media coverage for Cape Town. Cape Town Tourism reports that it has hosted 205 international journalists since January until 10 June, mainly focusing on the readiness of the city to host the World Cup. Since 11 June 85 international journalists were hosted on sightseeing tours of the city, and information was provided to 93 media channels. The Media Centre at the Cape Town Stadium, as well as at the Fan Park at the Grand Parade, is staffed by Cape Town Tourism, and the brochures and information packs provided to the media are commendable.
(An irony is that FIFA President Sepp Blatter wanted a new stadium in Cape Town for media purposes, because Table Mountain could not be seen from the old Green Point Stadium. The few meters that the Stadium had to be moved meant a spectacularly beautiful new building for the city, which in fact is the backdrop for much international media reporting, taking away from the beautiful landmarks Cape Town has. The new Stadium therefore is an important landmark in its own right, a surprise outcome).
* VIP visitors to Cape Town have been an accolade for the city (not reported upon by Cape Town Tourism), and the stay in Cape Town last week by Princes William and Harry, London Mayor Boris Johnson and David Beckham have already been documented on this blog. Now Bill Clinton is visiting the city, staying at one of the Penthouses of the One&Only Hotel in the Waterfront. Prince Harry has also returned to Cape Town after last week’s match, and was seen having lunch at the Grand on the Beach on Thursday.
* One should not forget how good Cape Town is looking, and the World Cup has done the city proud in its upgraded and largely smooth-flowing N1 and N2 highways, its beautiful new airport building and recently renovated train station, its modern buses, upgrade of Green Point, upgrade of the Grand Parade, the great walkability of the Fan Mile, the greening of Green Point, and upgrade of the Metropolitan Golf Club, new modern street lighting around Green Point, the lit-up Table Mountain - all combining to make Cape Town feel like a world-class city, even to its residents!
* If media reports are to be believed, Cape Town has been approached to host the Olympic Games in 2020 - what an amazing compliment for the city.
To fill the tourism gaps in Cape Town (having been left out of much of the action in only having eight matches played at the Cape Town Stadium, and no teams based in the city), Cape Town Tourism has embarked on a “Come to Cape Town” marketing campaign, to attract Johannesburg-based soccer fans to come to Cape Town in-between matches. Airline partners are offering flights at R 700 one-way, while accommodation establishments are offering their rooms at R 500 per person.
* Cape Town Tourism’s funder, the City of Cape Town, simultaneously reported on the status of Cape Town, but this was not incorporated in the Cape Town Tourism press release. Mansoor Mohamed, the Executive Director of Economic and Social Development and Tourism of the City, indicated that informal traders were doing well, more expensive hotels were experiencing low occupancy (20 - 40 %), and that restaurants “are also doing better than expected trade, with some even beating their actual Christmas figures”, reports South Africa.info. We disagree with the restaurant finding, having experienced empty restaurants, and observing soccer fans mainly ordering beer and very little food when they sit in pubs and restaurants. Mohamed has admitted that his observations are based on “initial surveys”, and stated that the economic impact of the World Cup will be established by means of comprehensive research at the end of the tournament. “The World Cup is the single most important event for South Africa and the African continent in recent time. It is positively changing the world’s perceptions about Africa” Mohamed said.
* A very low-key but most high profile event taking place in Cape Town until today (not reported upon by Cape Town Tourism in their media release) is the Fortune, TIME and CNN Global Forum. About 140 heads of global and local companies such a Royal Dutch Shell, China Mobile, Deutsche Bank, The Coca Cola Company, DuPont, Rio Tinto Group, McKinsey & Company, Trilogy, Merck Vaccines, Kissinger Associates, Inc, De Beers Group, Richemont SA, One&Only, Naspers Limited, De Beers Group, SEACOM Limited, ABSA Group Limited, Standard Bank Group, Symantec, First Rand Limited, Sanlam Limited, Pioneer Foods, Investec Asset Management, and Daimler, paying $5000 each to attend, will meet influential persons from TIME magazine’s top 100 list, reports the Weekend Argus. Bill Clinton, Ex-President FW de Klerk, Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel, Minister of Trade & Industry Rob Davies, Francois Pienaar, and World Cup Local Organising Committee Danny Jordaan and others will be addressing the Forum, while President Zuma will be addressing the delegates via satellite from the G20 summit in Canada. High level journalists and news anchors from Time, Fortune, CNN, and CBS News will also attend the Forum at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Delegates are staying at the Mount Nelson Hotel and the Cullinan Hotel.
There can be no doubt that Cape Town is busier than it would have been in any other June. The reality is that May was the worst month ever experienced, the World Cup having created a vacuum of bookings. One hopes the same is not true for the rest of July. It is disturbing to see the low number of bookings made for Christmas and New Year, traditionally the most popular period in Cape Town, and a period that would have been booked up by now already. If Whale Cottage Camps Bay is anything to go by, it is going to be a lean summer, despite the World Cup hype - the British travellers are the largest source of bookings for Cape Town, and they are under severe financial pressure with the new Conservative/Lib-Dem government having imposed stringent financial measures in their budget earlier this week, including an increase in VAT of 2,5 percentage points to 20%. Many countries in Europe are also facing tight economic measures imposed by their governments (e.g. Greece, Italy, Spain) and even Germany is affected by Europe’s economic woes.
An interesting issue is the effect of the World Cup on travel aspirations to South Africa of Americans. The American soccer fans were the largest ticket-buying nation of all, beating England and Germany, and were the first to book, more than a year ago.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com
Tags: "Come to Cape Town", "Fortune, ABSA Group Limited, accommodation establishment, airport building, American soccer fans, Atlantic seaboard, Bill Clinton, Boris Johnson, British travellers, Camps Bay, Cape Quarter, Cape Town, Cape Town International Airport, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town Metropole, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town Tourism, car rental companies, CBS News, China Mobile, Christmas, City Bowl, City of Cape Town, Cullinan Hotel, Daimler, Danny Jordaan, David Beckham, De Beer Group, De Beers Group, Deutsche Bank, Du Pont, Durbanville, Economic and Social Development and Tourism, Fan Park, FIFA, First Rand Limited, Francois Pienaar, FW de Klerk, G20 summit, Grand on the Beach, Grand Parade, Green Point, Green Point Stadium, hotels, Inc, Investec Asset Management, journalists, Kissinger Associates, Mansoor Mohamed, Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, market research, McKinsey & Company, Media Centre, Merck Vaccines, Metropolitan Golf Club, Mount Nelson Hotel, N1 highway, N2 highway, Naspers Limited, Northern Suburbs, Olympic Games, One&Only, One&Only Hotel Penthouse, Pioneer Foods, PR company, President Sepp Blatter, President Zuma, press release, Prince Harry, Prince William, Quarter Final, questionnaire, Rabbit in a Hat Communications, restaurants, Richemont SA, Rio Tinto Group, Rob Daview, Round House in Camps Bay, Round of 16, Royal Dutch Shell, Sanlam Limited, SEACOM Limited, Semi Final, soccer fans, Somerset West, Springbok Atlas, Standard Bank Group, Strand, Symantec, table mountain, Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company, The Coca-Cola Company, TIME and CNN Global Forum", tour operator, train station, Trevor Manuel, Trology, V&A Waterfront, Waterfront, World Cup, World Cup Local Organising Committee, world-class city
Cape Town’s restaurants are feeling the hospitality winter blues, with a large number of restaurants announcing their restaurant specials. The winter has claimed its casualties too, and there could be more in what has been a poor winter for many businesses.
La Mouette has opened at 78 Regent Road in Sea Point. Brio is a new jazz restaurant, in half of the ex-Riboville in town (on the Adderley Street side), while Liquorice and Lime has taken over the other half of Riboville (on the St George’s Mall side). Van Hunks has opened at 1 Union Street, off Kloof Street in Gardens. Cafe Nood has opened in Wilderness Road, Claremont. shu has opened next to Doppio Zero on Main Road, Green Point. Ryan’s Kitchen has opened at Rusthof guest house in Franschhoek - the chef Ryan Smith is ex-Mont Rochelle. On Broadway has moved to the New Space Theatre building at 44 Long Street, with a new restaurant where Anytime was. Buena Vista Social Club has moved to the top end of Portswood Road in the Waterfront. Madame Zingara has re-opened at Century City, after a two-year absence. The House of Meat has opened in the Pepper Club Hotel, corner Long and Bloem Streets, offering a full braai for R 295, from 3 pm every day. Amazink, ex-Roots, in Khayamandi in Stellenbosch, has opened, with Bertus Basson from Overture an advisor. Spiros has opened in Hout Bay. Mason’s Cafe & Grill has opened in the ex-Cafe Gainsbourg. La Cantina has opened in the Alliance Francaise. The De Leuwen Jagt restaurant on the Seidelberg wine estate outside Paarl has opened The Fabulous Bakery. Gesellig has opened on the corner of Church and Regent Roads in Sea Point, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Chez d’Or has opened in Franschhoek, with Richard Carstens as consultant Chef, scheduled to stay until September, but he left on 28/7. It has been confirmed that Carstens will take over the running of Tokara in October, given that Etienne Bonthuys is set to open a new restaurant on Dorp Street in Stellenbosch. Gesellig is a cosy and friendly new eatery in Sea Point. The Restaurant at One&Only Cape Town has taken over from maze. Indochine has opened at the Delaire Graff wine estate in Stellenbosch. The Long Table Restaurant and Cafe has opened at Haskell Vineyards in Stellenbosch. The Wild Peacock Food Emporium has opened in Stellenbosch. Knife Restaurant has opened in the Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa, a sister restaurant to Fork. De Oude Bank Bakkerij has opened in Stellenbosch. Cafe Le Chocolatier has taken over from Cafe Vendome in Place Vendome in Franschhoek. Leaf Restaurant and Bar has opened where Portofino/The Showroom were located. Epicerie Fine is the new name of the L’Ermitage Deli in Franschhoek, and has a new owner. Sommelier Restaurant at the Sante Hotel and Wellness Centre has re-opened. Illyria coffee shop has opened in the Eikestad Mall in Stellenbosch. Babylonstoren is to open a restaurant in October, next door to Backsberg. The Fish Shack has opened at The Paddocks in Milnerton. Reubens at One&Only Cape Town opens on 1 October. Luigi’s from Hout Bay is said to be opening where Vista Mare was in The Promenade in Camps Bay. Satay Bar has taken over from Zucca in Kloof Street.
Portofino, which opened where The Showroom was, has closed its doors. The first review of Portofino appeared on this blog. Cafe Gainsbourg on Kloof Street, Anytime on Long Street, Josephine’s Patisserie, Ginja, maze at the One&Only Cape Town, La Table de France in Sea Point, Panarotti’s and Shimmi’s Bar in Hermanus, Miguel’s in Plettenberg Bay, and Bouillabaisse and La Brasserie in Franschhoek have also closed down. Camil Haas, the co-owner of Camil’s in the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, has left the restaurant, but is doing food and wine pairing evenings in Franschhoek. Yum in Vredehoek has closed down. In Camps Bay the Cape Town Fish Market and Terra Mare have closed down. Luke Dale-Roberts is no longer the Executive Chef at La Colombe, but will consult to the restaurant. Tank in the old Cape Quarter is to get a new name. Cafe des Arts has taken over from Topsi’s in Franschhoek. Satay Bar has taken over from Zucca in Kloof Street.
Some restaurants are closing to have a winter break after the World Cup. The Mount Nelson’s Cape Colony re-opens with a new interior and new menu on 1 November. Vaudeville is closing between August and October. Marianna’s in Stanford is re-opening on 14 October. The Salmon Bar in Franschhoek re-opens on 1 November, undergoing renovations in a new location (parts of ex-Bouillabaisse and Pam Golding venue). Massimo’s Pizza Club in Hout Bay has gone into winter hibernation, and is likely to reopen in November, in a new yet-to-be-announced venue in Hout Bay. Bistro 1682 re-opens from its break on 5 September. Rust en Vrede is closed from 3 - 28 September. The Sandbar in Camps Bay is closed until 16 September.
The following restaurant specials have been announced (NOTE: This Specials list is updated continuously). We have seen our list used without acknowledgement on other bloggers’ blogs - please acknowledge Whale Cottage Portfolio Blog as your source:
CAPE TOWN
* The Cru Cafe in the Cape Quarter: breakfast for 2 for R 85, 2 pasta dishes + 2 glasses of wine for R 119, all days of week, lunch and dinner, until 30 September
* Wang Thai: half-price sushi and cocktails, Mondays - Thursdays 12h00 - 18h00, at V&A Waterfront, Constantia, Somerset West, and Lagoon Beach branches
* Five Flies: Pay for one main course and get the other free, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, until September.
* Andiamo in the old Cape Quarter: R 49 breakfast special (juice, cooked breakfast, cappuccino), until 11h30 daily; 2 pizzas or 2 pastas with 2 glasses of wine R 125; Basil, chilli chicken/salmon salad with bottle of water or colddrink R 59, until 31 October. Tel (021) 421-3687
* Pure at Hout Bay Manor: 3 course dinner for R 220, and R 280 with a glass of wine added
* Catharina’s at Steenberg Hotel in Tokai: 2 course lunch at R 135, 3 course lunch R175/3 course dinner R195, May - September
* Vanilla in the Cape Quarter: 50% off the second person’s main course, and 1/2 price sushi 12 - 6 pm
* Tuscany Beach in Camps Bay - 50 % off second person’s main course, and 1/2 price sushi 12 - 6 pm, until August
* Pepenero in Mouille Point : sirloin and chips R 79, seafood platter R 129, prawn platter R 99, oysters R 9 each, half-price sushi
* Sinn’s Restaurant at Wembley Square: lunch (6 options) at R 50, including a glass of fruit juice. Dinner (5 options) at R 95, including a glass of wine.
* La Colombe : 3-course lunch at R 280 and 5-course dinner at R 380, with a carafe of wine, Mondays - Saturdays, May - September.
* Hussar Grill, in Camps Bay and Green Point: 1 kg ribs or kingklip plus chocolate mousse for R 99.
* Pepper Club on the Beach in Camps Bay: “Nip and Tuck promotion” - Prawn platter R98; Potjies R79,95; Sirloin and Prawn combo R89,50; Seafood platter R139,95; half-price sushi - until end September
* Kuzina in the new Cape Quarter: Meze platter for two plus bottle of wine R 189, Mondays - Fridays 12h00 - 18h00 and Sunday evenings from 18h00. Tel (021) 418-8000
* Saul’s Sushi@Vegas, 118 Main Road, Sea Point: “Eat as much as you like” sushi R 120 Mondays and Tuesdays, “two for the price of one” sushi Fridays and Saturdays
* Cape Town Fish Market: Salmon special, 1 course R 54,95, 2 courses R 69,95, 3 courses R 89,95. V&A Waterfront Cape Town, Parkview Pretoria. Eastgate Johannesburg, Hemingways East London.
* Cassis in Garden Centre: Lunch Box special - coffee/juice/colddrink + savoury tart (quiche/tomato tart/sandwich) + sweet tart = R 40, Mondays to Sundays
* Theo’s on Beach Road, Mouille Point: oysters R 6 each, 1 kg prawns R 99, line fish R79, for lunch and dinner. 300 gram sirloin steak, spatchcock chicken peri peri and 500 gram spare ribs all R 79 for lunch only. Tel (021) 439-3494.
* Salushi Intaba, 25 Protea Road, Claremont: 50 % off sushi on Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays, from 12h00 - 17h00 (until end May), and other days of the week. Springroll + noodle dish R 70 on Wednesdays.
* Sevruga in the V&A Waterfront: Sole special, between R89 - R180, half price sushi 12h00 - 18h00 Mondays - Saturdays
* 1800 in the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, Main Road, Green Point: Sparkling wine + 200 gram “Beef Wellington” + parking for R 99 (be warned - this is not a classic Beef Wellington - just a small fillet with a few chopped mushrooms and wrapped in pastry, no pate de foie gras). Until August.
* Myoga at Vineyard Hotel, Newlands: lunch: 2-courses R 95, 3-courses R 125, or salad or soup with bread at R 55, Mondays - Saturdays
* Myoga at Vineyard Hotel, Newlands: 6 course dinner for R 150, Mondays - Saturdays
* Tank in old Cape Quarter: 2 courses R R140, 3 courses for R 165, both with a glass of wine, until end September. Tel (021) 419-0007
* Beluga, The Foundry, Green Point: Prawn & Kingklip R 99, 24 sushi pieces for R 89. Tel (021) 418-2948.
* Butler’s Pizza, Newlands, Rondebosch, Wynberg, City Bowl, N1City, Bellville, Tableview: 3 pizzas for the price of 2; 2 medium pizzas + 4 toppings each at R 89.95; 2 large pizzas + 3 toppings each at R 109.95, Sundays - Thursdays.
* The Kove, Victoria Road, Camps Bay: 2-course meal with glass of wine R120; Fish and chips R 79, 400g ribs R75, Oysters R 9, Seafood Platter R129, Rump 250gm R 79, Rump 500gm R 109, 1kg of prawns R 99, Lamb chops R99. Tel (021) 438-0004
* St Elmo’s: 2 large regular pizzas cost R 105. 2 Dipping Strip pizzas and 3 dunking sauces R 99,90. On Tuesdays 2 large pizzas out of a choice of five cost R79,90. At lunch buy one pizza with Coke for R 29,90 Monday - Friday, until 16h00. Belgravia, Brackenfell, Claremont, Durbanville, Fishhoek, Gardens, Hout Bay, Kuilsriver, N1 Value, Paarl, Parow, Plumstead, Rondebosch, Somerset West, Stellenbosch, Strand, Tableview, Three Anchor Bay, Tokai, Tygervalley, Woodstock and Worcester.
* Cafe Sofia in Camps Bay, Green Point, etc: All pasta dishes R 49, 250 ml soup + ciabatta toast R 19.
* 221 Waterfront: two drinks for price of one, Mondays - Fridays, 16h30 - 18h30, two dishes on “Lite” and Sushi sections of menu for the price of one
* River Cafe, Constantia: four courses lunch + a carafe of wine R 195, 4 courses dinner + wine R 225. On Mondays to Thursday 1 child eats free, Mondays - Saturdays, May - September
* Diva Pizza, 81 Buitenkant Street: 2 pizzas + 2 toppings each take-away special price R 75
* Pastis in High Constantia Centre, Constantia: free glass of wine with meal.
* Trattoria Luigi in Hout Bay: margherita pizza plus Savanna for R 45 on Wednesdays. Mondays - Fridays pizza and pasta half price, until 31 August
* Constantia Uitsig: 3 courses and wine R 260 for lunch, and R 290 for dinner, until end September*
* Jakes in the Village/on Summerley, in Steenberg and Kenilworth, respectively: 25 % off all dishes, 5 - 7 pm only, Mondays - Saturdays, until end September
* Buitenverwachting in Constantia: 2 courses R 149, 3 courses R 169, 4 courses R 199, until 31 August
* Duchess of Wisbeach, corner Main and Wisbeach Roads, Sea Point - free bottle of wine for a table of four
* Salt, Ambassador Hotel, Bantry Bay : 2 courses R 140, 3 courses R 170, Mondays - Sundays, lunch and dinner
* Le Restau Paradiso, Kloof Street: Marie’s Menu 3 courses R 110; Capetonian Menu 3 courses R 130; French Classics Menu 3 courses R 150, until December.
* A Tavola in Claremont: 50 % off all pasta dishes on Mondays, prices reduced by R 4 - R14 per dish on menu (except for desserts)
* The Lookout Deck, Hout Bay: 1 kg tiger prawns R 125 (lunch and dinner), 6 oysters R 36 (5 - 7 pm only)
* La Mouette, Regent Road, Sea Point: 6 courses for R 175. Express Lunch - 2 courses (with 2 choices each) at R 99. Monday - Saturday dinner, Tuesday - Sunday lunch, September
* Blonde restaurant, Hatfield Street: “two …blondes are better than one” promotion of 33% off the bill, until September
* Lagoon Beach, Milnerton - 2 course meal from R 75, “all-you-can-eat” Sunday buffet R 99
* Jardine, Bree Street: 3-course dinner at R 150, Tuesdays - Saturdays
* The Round House in Camps Bay : 7 course menu for R 245, until 30 September
* Berthas in Simonstown: 1 kg mussels, 1 kg Queen prawns or 1 kg mini seafood platter cost R 99 each
* Ricks Cafe Americain, lunch special for R 39, Mondays - Saturdays, until 31 October
* The Square Restaurant, Vineyard Hotel, Newlands: 5-course dinner costs R 165. 2-course lunch R116, 3-course lunch R145. Tel (021) 657-4500
* Adega Sea Point, corner Main and Glengariff Roads:1 kg Tiger Medium prawns, R99. 300g Mozambican Pepper Fillet R79. Oysters R4,90. 21-piece Sushi Platter R 99. Lunch and dinner, until 31 August.
* Pepperclub Luxury Hotel & Spa: 6 oysters and a glass of bubbly R60, Fridays from 16h00, with jazz
* Aubergine: 2-course lunch R184, 3-course lunch R235, Wednesdays - Fridays
* Balducci’s: All pizzas (except Flaming Prawns) R49, 26-piece Platinum Sushi Plate for R99, Burgers from R55. Monday - Sunday, 12h00 - 18h00, until September.
* Ferrymans, V&A Waterfront: 3-course pairing meal, with wines matching starter and main course, at R200, until September.
* Bukhara : 2 course lunch or dinner plus glass of wine R125, Monday - Saturday, Sunday lunch
* Haiku: 2 course lunch or dinner plus glass of wine R125, Monday - Saturday, Sunday lunch
* Cafe Caprice, Victoria Road, Camps Bay: two burgers for the price of one, Mondays - Thursdays, 12h30 - 22h00
* Saul’s Taverna: for every meal ordered from main menu, the second person get’s a free main course from chef’s special menu
* Caviar Deli in the V&A Waterfront is offering 2 ready-made meals for R40 (one costs R25)
* Societi Bistro: “Tour of France” - 3-course French menu R 150, until October
* Chapman’s Peak Hotel, Hout Bay: 1kg Tiger Prawns R99; order 2 steaks, and get a bottle of wine and 2 Amarula creme brulees for free. Tel (021) 790-1036
* Quay 4: Snoek and chips R59, until October
* Black Marlin: Snoek on braai R55, half crayfish on braai R75, Saturdays and Sundays; 3 course meal plus glass of sherry R125, until October
* Hildebrand: 2 courses R 89, 3 courses R 120; 2 pastas for the price of one with a glass of wine, until September
* Chenin Restaurant and Bar: Sirloin steak R60, until September. Tel 021 425-2200
* Leaf Restaurant and Bar : 51 % off sushi from 11h00 - 16h00, and all day on Sunday.
* Cafe Chic: half-price off all dishes except Tapas, until 31 August.
* Gesellig, Regent Road, Sea Point: 2 courses plus soup or dessert = R 90 for dinner; lunch costs R40 for dishes usually costing R65 - R77 12h00 - 14h00
* The Fish Shack Restaurant and Wine Bar, Paddocks, Milnerton: Shack Platter and glass of wine R 90
* Blowfish in Blouberg: Seafood platter R 179, 20-piece sushi platter R99, 500g rump steak R 95, Lamb shank R95, Fish & chips R59, Prawn curry R69, Seafood Paella R79, until September. Tel 021 556-5464
* Ocean Basket: Starter, seafood platter, and bottle of Two Oceans wine for 2 for R 235 (only at Hout Bay, Plumstead, Tygervalley and V&A branches), until 31 October.
THE WINELANDS
* Reubens in Franschhoek : 3 course meal for R 150, or R 220 for a glass of wine per course. Mondays - Fridays, May until August. Tel (021) 876-3772
* D’Vine Restaurant at Willowbrook Lodge, Somerset West: 1 course R100, 2 courses R145, 3 courses R170, includes a glass of wine. Dinners only
* 96 Winery Road between Stellenbosch and Somerset West: 3-course meal plus a glass of wine for R 165, Mondays - Saturdays, lunch and dinner
* Terroir at Kleine Zalze, Stellenbosch: two-course meal at R 165, and 3-course meal at R 195, until the end of September
* Allee Bleue, outside Franschhoek: choice of four 250 gram steaks at R 99, including a glass of estate wine, May - September
* Allee Bleue, outside Franschhoek: 3 course meal plus a glass of wine, at R 130.
* Mont Rochelle Hotel in Franschhoek: 2006-priced 3-course dinner, each course accompanied with a glass of wine, as well as water, costs R 2006 for a party of six persons (R 334,33 per head).
* Olivello, Klapmuts, outside Stellenbosch: 2-course meal R 99, 3-course meal R 119.
* Mon Plaisir @ Chamonix in Franschhoek: 2 courses at R 170
* Le Bon Vivant in Franschhoek: 2-course meal for R 115, 3 courses for R 150
* iCi at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek: 2 courses cost R 120 and 3 courses R 150, Monday - Friday, until August
* Grand Provence in Franschhoek: Chef’s Table for 8 or more persons, 4 courses R 200 per person, June - August, lunch and dinner
* Warwick Winter Bistro, Warwick wine estate, Stellenbosch: Butternut soup R 30, Bobotie R 57, Steak and Mushroom pie R 70, Mushroom Risotto R 75. Mondays - Sundays.
* Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine, Jordan wine estate, Stellenbosch: 3 course Menu de Jour lunch R 180, R220 with 2 wines. 2-course a la carte lunch R 200, 3 courses R225. Wednesday - Saturday lunch, May - August
* Cuvee, Simonsig wine estate, outside Stellenbosch: 2 course lunch or dinner + glass of wine R 170, 3 courses R 200, August - October
* Clos Malverne wine estate outside Stellenbosch: autumn special - 2 course meal + quarter bottle of wine R 125, 3 course + half bottle of wine R 155, Tuesday - Saturday lunch and Wednesday and Friday dinner
* Bosman’s, Grand Roche Hotel, Paarl: 3-course lunch and 2 glassses of wine for R 260, Sundays
* Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch : 2-course lunch R 145, 3 course lunch R 175, includes a glass of red wine. Chef’s soup of the day with rolls and house wine R 55. June - September
* French Connection, Franschhoek: 2 courses R 95 and three courses R 125
* Le Petite Ferme, Franschhoek: 2 courses R 100, 3 courses R 150, plus carafe of wine, every Friday evening
* Fyndraai at Solms-Delta wine estate: 2 course lunch R 135, 3 courses R 155.
* Ryan’s Kitchen at Rusthof, Franschhoek : 3 course meal and glass of wine at R 195, until August.
* Boschendal in Franschhoek: Buffet reduced cost R 145 (R 50 extra cost for dessert and cheeses)
* Noble Hill, Klapmuts: Farmer’s Lunch costs R 62, Mondays - Fridays
* Restaurant Christophe, Stellenbosch: business lunch - 2 courses R130, 3 courses R 150, Tuesday - Friday, served within one hour, all year
* Rickety Bridge Restaurant in the Vines in Franschhoek: 3 course lunch for R 150, and R25 extra for three Rickety bridge wines, paired per course. Monday - Sunday, until end September
* Allora in Franschhoek: 3 course winter menu at R89. Main course lunch plus live music plus ”drink” for R100 Saturday lunches. Tel (021) 876-4375.
* Epicerie Fine Deli/Coffee Shop, L’Ermitage, Franschhoek - bowl of pasta plus salad plus homemade bread plus glass of wine = R 45. Tel (021) 876-9200
OTHER AREAS
* Season in Hermanus: 2 course meal R 75, bredie of the day R 48, Sunday roast R 65, 3-course Sunday lunch R 110. Tel (028) 316-2854
* Mediterrea in Hermanus: 2-course R 105 and 3 course meal R 135, Monday - Thursday dinners and Sunday lunches, April - August
* Nguni in Plettenberg Bay: main course R 50, different every week, Wednesdays.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com
Copyright: Whale Cottage Portfolio
Tags: 1800, 221 waterfront, 96 Winery Road, A Tavola, Add new tag, Adega Sea Point, Allee Bleue, Allora, Amazink, Andiamo, Anytime, Aubergine, Backsberg, Balducci's, Beef Wellington, Beluga, Bertha's, Bertus Basson, Bistro 1682, Black Marlin, Blonde restaurant, Blowfish, Boschendal, Bosmans, Bouillabaisse, Brio, Buena Vista Social Club, Buitenverwachting, Bukhara, Butler's Pizza, Cafe Caprice, Cafe Chic, Cafe Gainsbourg, Cafe Le Chocolatier, Cafe Nood, Cafe' Sofia, Camil's, Camps Bay, Cape Colony, Cape Quarter, Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, Cape Town, Cape Town Fish Market, Cape Town Restaurant specials winter 2010, Cassis, Catharina's, Caviar deli, Chapman's Peak Hotel, Charly's Bakery, Chef's Table, Chenin Restaurant and Bar, Chez d'Or, Chris von Ulmenstein, Ci Casa at camil's, city center, Clos Malverne, Constantia Uitsig, Cormac Keane, Crystal Towers & Spa, De Oude Bank Bakkerij, De Waterkant, Delaire Graff, Delheim, Dutch East restaurant, Eikestad Mall, Epicerie Fine, Ferrymans, Five Flies, Fork, Franschhoek, Freedom Hill, French Connection, Fyndraai, Garden Centre, Gesellig, Ginja, Grand Provence, Grande Roche, Green Point, Haiku, Harbour House, Haute cabriere, Hermanus, Hidden Valley, Hildebrand, hospitality, House of Meat, Hout Bay, Hout Bay Manor, ici, Illyria, Indochine, Intimate Theatre, Jakes in the Village, Jakes on Summerley, Jardine, Jordan, Jordan restaurant, Josephine's Patisserie, Karoo lamb, Khayamandi, Klein Steenberg, Knife Restaurant, Kuzina, L'ermitage, La Brasserie, La Cantina, La Colombe, La Mouette, La Petite Tarte, La Table de France, Lagoon Beach, Le Bon Vivant, Le Petite Ferme, Le Quartier Francais, Le Restau Paradiso, Leaf Restaurant and Bar, Liquorice and Lime, Long Table Restaurant and Cafe, Luigi's, Luke Dale-Roberts, Madame Zingara, Mariana's, Marika's, Massimo's Pizza Club, Maze, Mediterrea, Miguels, Mon Plaisir, Mont Rochelle, Mount Nelson Hotel, Myoga, Newlands, Nguni, Noble Hill, noby, Ocean Basket, Olivello, On Broadway, One&Only Hotel, Overture, Paarl, Pam Golding, Panarotti's, Pastis, Pepper Club Hotel, Pepperclub on the Beach, Plettenberg Bay, Portofino, Pumphouse Shiraz, Pure, Quay 4, Restaurant Christophe, restaurant specials, Restaurant winter specials, restaurants, Reuben's at One&Only Cape Town, Reubens, Riboville, Richard Carstens, Rickety Bridge Restaurant in the Vines, Ricks Cafe Americain, Rumpsteak, Rusthof, Ryan's Kitchen, Salmon Bar, Sante Hotel and Wellness Centre, Satay Bar, Saul's Sushi@Vegas, Saul's Taverna, seafood platter, Season, Sevruga, Shimmi's Bar, shu, Sinns, Societi Bistro, sole, Solms Delta, Somerset West, Sommelier Restaurant, Spiros, St Elmo's, Steenberg, Stellenbosch, sushi, Terra Mare, terroir, The Cru Cafe, The Fish Shack, The Goose, The Grand, The Grand on the Beach, The House of Meat, The KOve, The Lookout Deck, The Restaurant at One&Only Cape Town, The Round House, The Roundhouse, The Showroom, The Square Restaurant, Tokara, Trattoria Luigi, Tuscany Beach, V&A Waterfront, Van Hunks, Vanilla, Vaudeville, Vineyard Hotel, Wang Thai, Warwick Winter Bistro, Waterkloof, Wembley Square, Whale Cottage Portfolio, Wild Peacock Food Emporium, winter restaurant specials, winter specials, World Cup, Yum, Zucca
I love seeing innovation in a restaurant, and was excited when I saw the first menu of Societi Bistro’s nine-cycle “Tour of France”, which started at the beginning of this month. Three French speciality dishes representing a particular region are presented at R150, and the menu changes every Wednesday over the nine week period. A suitable wine is recommended week on week, and the prices charged are most reasonable. One does not have to order all three courses, and there is no choice per course. One is able to order from both the a la carte and the French menu.
