Cape Colony

My love affair with the hotel goes back decades, and - like most affairs of the heart - there have been ups and downs along the way.

The relationship took an up-turn when The Planet Champagne Bar opened: it's the sexiest drinking-hole in town. We often spend an entire evening ogling beautiful people and catching up on life while sipping cocktails and snacking on tasty snacks. Pity, then, that service isn't always up to speed. I hate having to flap my arms about for a drinks list or to find out why our order has taken so long to arrive.

I also expect to be pampered during a meal at the Cape Colony, one of the grandest dining rooms in a city that claims to hold pole position in the country's fine-dining stakes. The restaurant is frequented by the world's rich and famous, as well as locals (like me) who have taken out a second mortgage to be here. Without drinks or tips, expect to pay a few hundred per person for a three-course meal. It's not the cost per se (never is when judging a restaurant's performance), but value for money spent. So how did the Nellie do?

The restaurant needs an experienced maître d'hôtel to present the menu, oversee front-of-house and generally ensure that guests are spoiled rotten. Hostesses in heels and revealing blouses and waiters not fully conversant with the menu just don't float my boat. A sommelier would be nice too, especially for overseas guests, and would also do justice to the excellent winelist that boasts a coveted 2006 Award of Excellence in the Diners Club Winelist Awards. Our waiter coped reasonably well, though, in helping us select a wine that would do the honours throughout our meal (never an easy task). Staff are clearly trained by restaurant management as well as by winery marketing teams.

Minor gripes aside, we thoroughly enjoyed the energy, enthusiasm and inspired cooking skills of new executive chef Ian Mancais. Billed as a "food conceptualist", this gifted cuisinier has worked at top resorts and hotels worldwide, including Thailand, Bali and the Caribbean. He also set up the world's first undersea restaurant at the Rangali Hilton in the Maldives (nominated as the best resort hotel in the world). He has returned to South Africa determined to dust off the grand old lady and ensure the Colony Room regains its rightful place as one of the country's foremost fine-dining destinations.

I like the brevity of the Cape Colony's menu, divided into Contemporary (Asian Fusion Cuisine) and Traditional, with just a handful of "appetizers" and "mains" in each section. The dessert list is separate, with its own list of fortified wines and dessert wines.

I adore the subtle introduction of Asian and South East Asian nuances that go well with traditional South African (like Cape Malay lamb curry) and contemporary items. When last were you offered classic Caesar salad, moules marinière or tournedos Rossini? Most of all I also like the fact that everything sounded so tempting that we had planned a return visit before we'd even tucked in.

Our meal traipsed gaily all over the world, each offering artfully conceptualised and perfectly cooked: seared wasabi-scented tuna with avocado salsa and sweet and sour gazpacho coulis; blue cheese and asparagus tart with watercress salad and coriander drizzle; perfectly cooked linefish on black mussels, green olives and tomatoes; Shanghai crispy duck leg on Oriental shredded noodles, shredded chicken and bean sprout Szechuan dressing. Just the dessert was over-tizzy: white chocolate and banana bread and butter pudding with warm chocolate sauce and fudge ice-cream.

The Cape Colony has been my restaurant of choice for any sort of celebration - I am mad about rooms with attitude and a resident jazz band to sooth city-stressed nerves. Ten years ago it was voted one of the world's Top 10 restaurants by US-based Hotels magazine. Those were the heady days of executive chef Garth Stroebel who cooked "new South African cuisine" that was comfortable in an environment of black and white tiled floors, faux tiger banquettes, crisp white linen, impeccable table appointments and Simon Brady's extraordinary mural of mountains, monkeys and period gardens. Since then chefs have come and gone, and it's great to welcome one with as much charm as the venue itself.

Price of a three-course meal (without wine): R300.

By Lannice Snyman