Rioja
Published: 03 Jan 07
Olé about sums it up.Category: Lovely Local
Rioja is a very welcome addition to a (relatively) sparse collection of eateries in the deep south. Husband and wife team Simon and Ceri Phillips opene
d in September 2005 and have been steadily building a reputation
for fresh and appealing food ever since. The restaurant is in the old post office
building in Kommetjie and it's comfortable and functional. The vibe comes from
the customers rather than the décor.
The name, Rioja, rather obviously derives from the wine region in the north of Spain. It was originally conceived as a pure tapas restaurant, but the locals wanted a more familiar style of eating. So now diners can have a full tapas meal, or opt for some of the tapas options as starters and then choose from a blackboard of daily specials for the main course.
Our table of three decided on four tapas and a starter special and then three mains from the blackboard. The special was really special. I suspect I am going to struggle to find a fresher, tastier, more visually appealing fish dish during the rest of the year - slices of just-seared tuna encrusted with sesame seeds and served sashimi-style with soya sauce and wasabi. One of our party has had a lifelong aversion to raw fish, and was persuaded by the aesthetics of the dish to have a taste - instant aversion turnaround! (This is also available as a main course.)
There are 10 individual tapas offerings as well as three platters - from the land, from the sea, and from the east. We went for the bruschetta with tomato, basil and Parmesan; rooibos cold-smoked tuna with olive oil and lemon; potato wedges with spicy tomato and chourizo; and chicken sate (note: their spelling - I'm more used to satay) with a Thai peanut sauce. All were scrumptious and the portions were a fair bit heartier than the bite-sized dishes that other Cape Town tapas bars offer. The only criticism would be that the chicken skewers were a tad over-cooked, and so a little drier than would be perfect.
Two of the three main courses were delightful. The third - three lamb loin chops with rosemary and garlic - couldn't be faulted but didn't really attract the same enthusiasm as the rest of the meal. Ostrich fillet was marinated with mustard and soya and served with stir-fried rice noodles - delicious; and the duck was triumphant. It was braised with soya sauce, red wine, garlic and ginger and then slow, oh-so-slow roasted. A lot of diners at other tables went for Norwegian salmon baked in wax paper with vegetable julienne and they appeared very pleased with their choice. Sesame seeds made another appearance in the meal closer - accompanying a tasty vanilla pod crème brûlée; and everybody wanted a taste of a very, very good chocolate fondant with a bitter orange sauce.
Ceri Phillips runs the front of house operation with a warm smile and close attention to detail, reinforcing my conviction that restaurant service is at its unfussy, efficient best when somebody with a financial stake in the operation is in charge.
The winelist doesn't offer enough choice. You can't fault what wines do appear on the list, but the food is good enough to quickly make regulars out of first-time visitors and, as a would-be regular, I want greater variety. But you can't complain too much about Zondernaam Sauvignon Blanc at R89; Groote Post Chenin at R68; Cape Point Vineyards Scarborough Red at R97; and Koelfontein Merlot at R89. And there has to be one Rioja on the list - 2001 Marques de Caceres at R155.
Average cost of a three-course meal without wine: R140.
Address: Rioja: 12 Huskisson Way, Kommetjie. Tel: 021 783 3366. Open for breakfast and lunch on Sunday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Street parking. BYO R25.
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
Rioja is a very welcome addition to a (relatively) sparse collection of eateries in the deep south. Husband and wife team Simon and Ceri Phillips opene
The name, Rioja, rather obviously derives from the wine region in the north of Spain. It was originally conceived as a pure tapas restaurant, but the locals wanted a more familiar style of eating. So now diners can have a full tapas meal, or opt for some of the tapas options as starters and then choose from a blackboard of daily specials for the main course.
Our table of three decided on four tapas and a starter special and then three mains from the blackboard. The special was really special. I suspect I am going to struggle to find a fresher, tastier, more visually appealing fish dish during the rest of the year - slices of just-seared tuna encrusted with sesame seeds and served sashimi-style with soya sauce and wasabi. One of our party has had a lifelong aversion to raw fish, and was persuaded by the aesthetics of the dish to have a taste - instant aversion turnaround! (This is also available as a main course.)
There are 10 individual tapas offerings as well as three platters - from the land, from the sea, and from the east. We went for the bruschetta with tomato, basil and Parmesan; rooibos cold-smoked tuna with olive oil and lemon; potato wedges with spicy tomato and chourizo; and chicken sate (note: their spelling - I'm more used to satay) with a Thai peanut sauce. All were scrumptious and the portions were a fair bit heartier than the bite-sized dishes that other Cape Town tapas bars offer. The only criticism would be that the chicken skewers were a tad over-cooked, and so a little drier than would be perfect.
Two of the three main courses were delightful. The third - three lamb loin chops with rosemary and garlic - couldn't be faulted but didn't really attract the same enthusiasm as the rest of the meal. Ostrich fillet was marinated with mustard and soya and served with stir-fried rice noodles - delicious; and the duck was triumphant. It was braised with soya sauce, red wine, garlic and ginger and then slow, oh-so-slow roasted. A lot of diners at other tables went for Norwegian salmon baked in wax paper with vegetable julienne and they appeared very pleased with their choice. Sesame seeds made another appearance in the meal closer - accompanying a tasty vanilla pod crème brûlée; and everybody wanted a taste of a very, very good chocolate fondant with a bitter orange sauce.
Ceri Phillips runs the front of house operation with a warm smile and close attention to detail, reinforcing my conviction that restaurant service is at its unfussy, efficient best when somebody with a financial stake in the operation is in charge.
The winelist doesn't offer enough choice. You can't fault what wines do appear on the list, but the food is good enough to quickly make regulars out of first-time visitors and, as a would-be regular, I want greater variety. But you can't complain too much about Zondernaam Sauvignon Blanc at R89; Groote Post Chenin at R68; Cape Point Vineyards Scarborough Red at R97; and Koelfontein Merlot at R89. And there has to be one Rioja on the list - 2001 Marques de Caceres at R155.
Average cost of a three-course meal without wine: R140.
By John Maytham
Address: Rioja: 12 Huskisson Way, Kommetjie. Tel: 021 783 3366. Open for breakfast and lunch on Sunday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Street parking. BYO R25.
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
