De Oude Paarl

A good place to start investigating these delights is De Oude Paarl, a boutique hotel with a fine restaurant attached. Sit in the courtyard in summer and view the chefs at work in the glass-walled kitchen, or eat indoors in the high-ceilinged comfortable restaurant. There is usually a selection of diners interesting and mixed enough to keep you pleasantly amused guessing where they're from and what they're about.

Head chef David Grier has put together an extensive menu that combines expected favourites with a mix of flavours. Things like gratinated oysters with a harissa-flavoured hollandaise sauce. Tamarind oil was used to good effect on the semi-cured beef, butternut and rocket salad, served with feta and peppadews. (His fondness for peppadews also finds expression in a mushroom and walnut tagliatelle.)

What intrigued me most was his imaginative use of local flavours. The fillet of Norwegian salmon is roasted and served with a Cape Malay masala emulsion, basil and pineapple sambal and sticky rice, while curried lentil ragout accom- panies a traditional duck leg confit, served with red cabbage and caramelised pears flavoured with saffron.

Though the menu has few straightforward classics - the linguine with basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and Parma ham or the corned ox tongue with Dijon and tarragon jus are about as basic as it gets - it is not overwhelmingly exotic.

Rather, he has opted to combine and discreetly balance different flavours to achieve something memorable. For example, the rack of lamb served with a touch of mushroom brandy cream and a broad-bean salsa, are accompanied by a warm, sweet pepper mousse. The medallions of ostrich lie on a sweet potato purée, scented with coriander, and are escorted by roast peaches, marinated avocado and crème fraiche.

Venison always seems to find the measure of a chef and here Grier excelled. The springbok loin was done perfectly as requested (rare). It was accompanied by a superb caramelised butternut risotto, moist and delicate, and a sublime sauce of kumquat and green peppercorns. Vegetarian dishes included an intriguing pumpkin and broccoli lasagne.

For dessert try the chocolate chilli brownie and homemade ginger ice cream. If you're more decadent than adventurous, choose the walnut and white chocolate cake, served in a warm pear and Marsala "soup".

The well-considered winelist boasts over 300 labels, though one or two of the white listings had not been chilled and were therefore unavailable. However, what was on hand was inviting, interesting and the mark-up caused no pain. You could, of course, shell out R490 for a bottle of Burgundy with local connections: it's produced by Cape Wine Academy principal Clive Torr in his Côte de Beaune vineyard. But you'll find reds from R58, whites from R46 and there's an excellent selection of wines by the glass.

Three-course meal: R140.

By Donald Paul