Mont Rochelle
Published: 01 Dec 07
Category: Casual comfort
"What happened to the customer's always right?", I thought as I insisted (in increasingly fractious tones) that we were exactly where I'd intended our destination to be when we'd left Cape Town. Eventually, (and without ever checking the reservations book, if they indeed have such a thing) my persistence was rewarded and we were shown to a table.
We'd hoped for the al fresco experience at one of the tables prettily situated outside, with stunning views westwards across the valley. But it was one of those early spring days that hearken back to winter rather than look forward to summer, and so indoors we had to be. It's a very cheerful room with tasteful use of Provençal colours and a reed ceiling, and a log fire was keeping the space nice and warm. And once the staff had decided we weren't in the wrong place, a friendly efficiency replaced the suspicion.
The menu is presented in chalk on a blackboard, and the food offered takes most of its inspiration from country cooking. The best of the starters was a chickpea, mange tout, butternut and feta salad. It's an unusual and successful mix of ingredients, and was both well-presented and very tasty. The mussels were less successful- a very good garlicky broth, but the mussels themselves were short of the plumpness and succulence that a good mariniere demands. The third starter - a mozzarella, tomato and avocado salad - is one of those dishes that only works well when all the ingredients are of the highest quality. Not the case here, sadly. The mozzarella and avo were up to scratch, but the tomatoes were over-ripe and a little pulpy.
It was a similar mixed bag with the main courses. Two of the party had grilled prime rib with gorgonzola butter, and were very happy with their choice - a super cut of meat, grilled exactly as ordered, with the butter adding just the right amount of richness and flavour. The beetroot risotto was a startling purple colour, and had the desired texture, but tasted bland. The coq au vin was the least successful offering - the chicken had been overcooked, and the sauce had that reductive marmite-y quality that usually means it's been reheated quite often.
Perhaps I should have gone with my first instinct and ordered the tapas platter. The table next door did and clearly enjoyed it. It consists of a confit of peppers, marinated feta, a beef skewer, smoked salmon and chicken liver parfait.
The best part of the meal came with one of the desserts - the cheesecake was pronounced so-so; the vanilla and saffron poached pear was very good; but the assorted home-made ice creams were excellent. The caramel was by some distance the best of the 12 items we ordered, and so good I'd be tempted to go back just for that.
The restaurant adjoins the tasting room, and the only wines on offer - apart from a Graham Beck bubbly - are those from the estate itself. And with two of those being marked as 'Sold out', there's not a lot of choice. But we did enjoy the reserve Sauvignon Blanc and the 2003 Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend made up for the disappointment of the coq au vin.
It's not a destination if your prime concern is food quality, but I can imagine really enjoying myself at an outside table with a group of good friends on a bright summer's day.
Average cost of three course meal: R130
Address: Dassenberg Road, Franschhoek.
Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No BYO.
Tel: 021 876 2770
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
"What happened to the customer's always right?", I thought as I insisted (in increasingly fractious tones) that we were exactly where I'd intended our destination to be when we'd left Cape Town. Eventually, (and without ever checking the reservations book, if they indeed have such a thing) my persistence was rewarded and we were shown to a table.
We'd hoped for the al fresco experience at one of the tables prettily situated outside, with stunning views westwards across the valley. But it was one of those early spring days that hearken back to winter rather than look forward to summer, and so indoors we had to be. It's a very cheerful room with tasteful use of Provençal colours and a reed ceiling, and a log fire was keeping the space nice and warm. And once the staff had decided we weren't in the wrong place, a friendly efficiency replaced the suspicion.
The menu is presented in chalk on a blackboard, and the food offered takes most of its inspiration from country cooking. The best of the starters was a chickpea, mange tout, butternut and feta salad. It's an unusual and successful mix of ingredients, and was both well-presented and very tasty. The mussels were less successful- a very good garlicky broth, but the mussels themselves were short of the plumpness and succulence that a good mariniere demands. The third starter - a mozzarella, tomato and avocado salad - is one of those dishes that only works well when all the ingredients are of the highest quality. Not the case here, sadly. The mozzarella and avo were up to scratch, but the tomatoes were over-ripe and a little pulpy.
It was a similar mixed bag with the main courses. Two of the party had grilled prime rib with gorgonzola butter, and were very happy with their choice - a super cut of meat, grilled exactly as ordered, with the butter adding just the right amount of richness and flavour. The beetroot risotto was a startling purple colour, and had the desired texture, but tasted bland. The coq au vin was the least successful offering - the chicken had been overcooked, and the sauce had that reductive marmite-y quality that usually means it's been reheated quite often.
Perhaps I should have gone with my first instinct and ordered the tapas platter. The table next door did and clearly enjoyed it. It consists of a confit of peppers, marinated feta, a beef skewer, smoked salmon and chicken liver parfait.
The best part of the meal came with one of the desserts - the cheesecake was pronounced so-so; the vanilla and saffron poached pear was very good; but the assorted home-made ice creams were excellent. The caramel was by some distance the best of the 12 items we ordered, and so good I'd be tempted to go back just for that.
The restaurant adjoins the tasting room, and the only wines on offer - apart from a Graham Beck bubbly - are those from the estate itself. And with two of those being marked as 'Sold out', there's not a lot of choice. But we did enjoy the reserve Sauvignon Blanc and the 2003 Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend made up for the disappointment of the coq au vin.
It's not a destination if your prime concern is food quality, but I can imagine really enjoying myself at an outside table with a group of good friends on a bright summer's day.
Average cost of three course meal: R130
by John Maytham
Address: Dassenberg Road, Franschhoek.
Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No BYO.
Tel: 021 876 2770
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
