• May 16, 2024

Culinary Cape Town Adventures: hidden gems for group dining

Culinary Cape Town Adventures: hidden gems for group dining

Culinary Cape Town Adventures: hidden gems for group dining 1024 683 micebook.

Anyone who has visited Cape Town would agree that it is a spectacular destination for foodies, a world class culinary hotspot and cultural fusion of the best fine dining restaurants, casual eateries cafes and coffees

Richard Holt, Cape Town resident and Group CEO of event and destination management company, Concepts Collection, shares some of his hidden gem favourite spots that are perfect for visiting groups.

“Aimed exclusively at the tourist market, Cape Town has many tried and tested favourites that cater for the visiting incentive and event groups, but for those who want to experience the real Cape Town food scene, there is so much more on offer once you venture off the tourist path,” Holt commented.

Table Seven – Cape Town industrial

Located in the old neighbourhood of Salt River, chef Luke Wonnacott and his wife Kate have created an industrial style restaurant and kitchen, with a central work surface and tables around which diners can sit, chat and watch whilst Luke cooks his food for the day right in front of everyone.

It’s a black board style menu of select daily dishes where Luke and his team create a really inclusive environment and guests are very much up close and personal with the cooking process. The food is imaginative and fabulous and the very select wine list features some obscure and excellent labels. Friendly and welcoming, Table Seven has already achieved legend status and its hugely recommended for smaller groups wanting to connect to real Cape Town personalities and stories.

Brookdale Bistro

No trip to Cape Town is complete without time spent in the winelands, regarded rightly as South Africa’s culinary capital, where seemingly every wine estate has its own restaurant, deli or coffee shop.

My personal favourite is Brookdale bistro (above and main image), recently opened on the exclusive and intimate Brookdale wine estate, close to the lesser-known winelands town of Paarl. Part of the newly built, designer wine cellar and tasting area, the adjoining restaurant is a classy, stylish environment under executive chef Gary Coetzee. With the restaurant opening out to full views of the mountain range and the vineyards, it’s a spectacular setting and perfect for long group lunches, whilst sipping the excellent Brookdale wines made by rising star and South Africa’s youngest female winemaker Kiara Scott.

Veld and Sea

A food experience like no other, Veld and Sea is a rustic restaurant and venue space in the heart of the isolated Cape Point nature reserve. With a passion for the edible landscape, owner Roushanna Gray takes guests on wild food foraging excursions amongst the coastal rock pools and kelp forests of the Cape peninsula. On the hunt for ingredients like wild mushrooms, crabs and shellfish, seaweeds, kelp and the roots and shoots of marine plants, it’s a real fun filled, educational and eye-opening activity, plus the results cooked in the kitchen are truly amazing and delicious.

Constantia Glen

Closer to Cape Town, the Constantia valley and its wine route of 10 wine estates is only 20 minutes from the city centre. An area of staggering beauty, it’s both affluent and historic and a real throwback to old colonial Cape town, with Cape Dutch architecture situated along the winding and forested roads. Amongst several excellent restaurants, Constantia Glen is perfect for small to mid-sized groups who want to experience Capetonians love for casual, outdoor dining.

After a morning wine tasting or mountain biking, it’s a great place to share food platters and harvest style long lazy lunches in the sun, with a varied menu and lots of space. The location is spectacular on the high slopes of the Table Mountain range, looking down over the vineyards of the whole Constantia valley and the ocean in the distance. The ultimate place for groups to kick back and relax Cape Town style.

Haute Cabriere

One of the oldest wine farms in the Franschhoek valley, the Von Arnim family owners recently moved their restaurant from the wine cellar into a newly designed glass and steel structure. Perched high above the village and with amazing views sweeping down the length of the valley it is a stunning vantage point and an excellent choice for a group lunch or dinner.

The restaurant can seat up to sixty guests with a modern menu and excellent Haute Cabriere wines. It is a real family run affair where a warm welcome is always guaranteed, with matriarch Hildegard most likely around to take guests on a quick tour or perform the famous sabrage.

Belly of the Beast

As the name suggests this trendy, edgy 30-seater Cape Town restaurant, close to the cities famous District six, is carnivore friendly and has become a real personal favourite. The two young chefs ask diners to trust them, with an experiential tasting menu focussed on what’s local and seasonal. As a dining experience, it will be a talking point either for group lunch or dinner, and with a sister fish restaurant “Galjoen” recently opened down the road they have all bases covered.

Cavalli Estate

For special group celebrations like awards evenings or gala dinners, then Cavalli estate is the most exclusive address in town with venue space for up to 250 guests. Located on the edge of the Cape winelands, Cavalli is a private wine, equestrian and eco estate, with award winning restaurant, art galleries and function spaces that allow for combined outdoor and indoor celebrations.

Stylish and flexible, the venue can be personalised and transformed into a space to suit the most glamorous occasion.

 

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