The Greenhouse
Published: 11 Jan 06
Category: Classic
Earlier this year I attended the awards for The World's 50 Best Restaurants in London and took my tastebuds on a gourmet trip around town. Ditto Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hanoi an
d Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on a sojourn in the drop-dead
delicious East. A global perspective is useful when deciding how we're doing in
our own small corner of the world.
News of a hot and happening French chef (Lionel Labat) at The Cellars-Hohenort and the snazzily revamped lounge, bar and sun lounge tempted us to pay a return visit to one of our favourite small hotels in the leafy heart of Constantia. It is the jewel in the crown of Liz McGrath's The Collection which caters to the world's A-list travellers who aren't short of cash (the others are The Plettenberg and The Marine in Hermanus).
We didn't choose a laugh-a-minute night; mid-week in the middle of a soggy Cape winter meant dining companions were few. It may also have explained why there was zero management presence. It was also the sommelier's night off, which was a pity for we enjoy interacting with these rarely-found and highly skilled folk who know what's what about food and wine matching and the nuances of the labels on offer.
Labat's menu, however, lifted our spirits, offering the choice of à la carte, table d'hôte (three courses for R175) and gourmand (six courses plus amuse bouche, sorbet, coffee and petit fours for R300). A steal whether you're paying in Euros, Dollars or Rands. During the off-season they offer reasonably-priced Deconstructed Food and Wine Evenings where tastings of, say Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon of Constantia Valley and Cape Point, are followed by tasting menus structured round the chosen wines.
Our meal could hardly be faulted - amuse bouche of vegetable spring rolls with sour cream and chives; starters of porcini mushroom vol au vent with blue cheese and pine nuts, cream and cranberry reduction, and garden salad corseted in cucumber with three dressings (truffle, blue cheese and grain mustard); mains of panfried beef fillet with trumpet mushroom crust, foie gras tortellini and spring onion risotto, and crispy duck with pomme arlie with black forest ham and ginger and honey sauce; dessert of pistachio and coconut baklava with sweet basil poached pears and pear sorbet. We were particularly impressed by the resoundingly fabulous flavours that hit the mark each time, attesting to a skilled cuisinier familiar with pampered palates. After training in France, Labat spent time on the QE2 before landing his job here.
The extensive, intelligent winelist, spans various winelands regions, with vintages and descriptions noted. There's a good selection of wines by the glass, interesting bin ends, some cellar gems and a few imports too.
Taking both the weather and our meal into consideration, we chose Flagstone BK5 Pinot Noir 2001 to see us through from start to finish, and a fine choice it was too. Bruce Jack can always be counted on to come up with an interesting wine when you need it most.
Service was informed and efficient but a touch impersonal, leaving us wondering what was missing. A maître d, perhaps? The chef to make an appearance? The Greenhouse claims to be 'one of South Africa's top 20 Fine Dining Venues', so diners should expect - and get - a goodly dose of pampering.
The elegant dining spaces that make up The Greenhouse were flossied up in a big-budget renovation a couple of years ago, replacing the staid, heavy-curtained look, with soaring panes of glass bringing the gardenscape indoors and brightening things up no end.
The new Martini Bar and revamped lounges have brought the rest up to speed. Walls have been broken out and spaces flow into each other seamlessly, allowing natural light to flow in. Colours are nice and cheeky: bold fuchsias, pinks, taupes, and a mix of prints, plains, spots and stripes. The centuries-old buildings have a new lease on life!
Average cost of a three-course meal: R175
Address: The Green house, Cellars-Hohenort Hotel, 93 Brommersvlei Road, Constantia. Tel 021 794 2137. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Corkage R50, but BYO discouraged.
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
Earlier this year I attended the awards for The World's 50 Best Restaurants in London and took my tastebuds on a gourmet trip around town. Ditto Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hanoi an
News of a hot and happening French chef (Lionel Labat) at The Cellars-Hohenort and the snazzily revamped lounge, bar and sun lounge tempted us to pay a return visit to one of our favourite small hotels in the leafy heart of Constantia. It is the jewel in the crown of Liz McGrath's The Collection which caters to the world's A-list travellers who aren't short of cash (the others are The Plettenberg and The Marine in Hermanus).
We didn't choose a laugh-a-minute night; mid-week in the middle of a soggy Cape winter meant dining companions were few. It may also have explained why there was zero management presence. It was also the sommelier's night off, which was a pity for we enjoy interacting with these rarely-found and highly skilled folk who know what's what about food and wine matching and the nuances of the labels on offer.
Labat's menu, however, lifted our spirits, offering the choice of à la carte, table d'hôte (three courses for R175) and gourmand (six courses plus amuse bouche, sorbet, coffee and petit fours for R300). A steal whether you're paying in Euros, Dollars or Rands. During the off-season they offer reasonably-priced Deconstructed Food and Wine Evenings where tastings of, say Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon of Constantia Valley and Cape Point, are followed by tasting menus structured round the chosen wines.
Our meal could hardly be faulted - amuse bouche of vegetable spring rolls with sour cream and chives; starters of porcini mushroom vol au vent with blue cheese and pine nuts, cream and cranberry reduction, and garden salad corseted in cucumber with three dressings (truffle, blue cheese and grain mustard); mains of panfried beef fillet with trumpet mushroom crust, foie gras tortellini and spring onion risotto, and crispy duck with pomme arlie with black forest ham and ginger and honey sauce; dessert of pistachio and coconut baklava with sweet basil poached pears and pear sorbet. We were particularly impressed by the resoundingly fabulous flavours that hit the mark each time, attesting to a skilled cuisinier familiar with pampered palates. After training in France, Labat spent time on the QE2 before landing his job here.
The extensive, intelligent winelist, spans various winelands regions, with vintages and descriptions noted. There's a good selection of wines by the glass, interesting bin ends, some cellar gems and a few imports too.
Taking both the weather and our meal into consideration, we chose Flagstone BK5 Pinot Noir 2001 to see us through from start to finish, and a fine choice it was too. Bruce Jack can always be counted on to come up with an interesting wine when you need it most.
Service was informed and efficient but a touch impersonal, leaving us wondering what was missing. A maître d, perhaps? The chef to make an appearance? The Greenhouse claims to be 'one of South Africa's top 20 Fine Dining Venues', so diners should expect - and get - a goodly dose of pampering.
The elegant dining spaces that make up The Greenhouse were flossied up in a big-budget renovation a couple of years ago, replacing the staid, heavy-curtained look, with soaring panes of glass bringing the gardenscape indoors and brightening things up no end.
The new Martini Bar and revamped lounges have brought the rest up to speed. Walls have been broken out and spaces flow into each other seamlessly, allowing natural light to flow in. Colours are nice and cheeky: bold fuchsias, pinks, taupes, and a mix of prints, plains, spots and stripes. The centuries-old buildings have a new lease on life!
Average cost of a three-course meal: R175
By Lannice Snyman
Address: The Green house, Cellars-Hohenort Hotel, 93 Brommersvlei Road, Constantia. Tel 021 794 2137. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Corkage R50, but BYO discouraged.
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
