m_bran

I will be staying in Cape Town & would like to get a taste of wine country. I see there are day trips to Stellenbosch or Franschhoek but unfortunately, I don't think I'll have time for a half/full day.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a dinner or evening experience closer to Cape Town which would suffice?

Would a restaurant in Constantia be a good substitute?

Many thanks in advance for any & all thoughts or suggestions....

Selwyn_Davidowitz

m-bran

It is a pity that you don’t have a half day or more to spend in the winelands because the spectacle of the winelands is to enjoy the regions splendour and beauty during the day. Unfortunately by visiting a Constantia restaurant at night I doubt if you will capture the wonders of the winelands as you simply will be in a restaurant in Cape Town for dinner. (Bear in mind that Constantia is a suburb of Cape Town) While you are in these restaurants I dont think you will see or experience the atmosphere of the winelands at all.

Recognizing that you don’t have the time to view the winelands in full manner all that I can maybe suggest to you is to visit a Constantia restaurant at lunchtime. This experience will most certainly give you a feel of the winelands of the Cape.

Whilst some of the restaurants in Constantia are excellent establishments, my opinion is that you would find equivalent or better in the city itself. I know that the main thrust of your question is how to experience the winelands and not where the good restaurants are however if I had to choose a restaurant in the Constantia winelands I would do this via the following suggestions:

<b><u>1.Uitsig</b></u>

http://www.constantia-uitsig.com/pag...tia-uitsig.php

Wonderful restaurant with a lovely view of the winelands seen through the huge main window. Pricey but classy and I believe worth the money spent

<b><u>2.The River Cafe at Uitsig</b></u>
http://www.constantia-uitsig.com/pag...river-cafe.php

Much less pretentious that the Uitsig restaurant or even Le Colombe (third restaurant on Uitsig which is highly rated yet overrated in my opinion.) Certainly cheaper than the aforementioned two establishments. If you want to be slap bang in the middle of the vineyards so as to enjoy a light meal in the winelands and you don’t have too much time on your hands the River Café could be the place for you to visit.

<b><u>3. Catherinas at Steenberg </b></u>

http://www.wininganddining.co.za/wes...teenberg-hotel

http://www.steenberghotel.com/index.php?pg=4

Fabulous restaurant with excellent food which is of a high quality. Not the sort of place to stop in at for a half an hour but if you have one and a half hours on hand the establishment is certainly worthy of a visit

There are other restaurants you could visit in the Constantia Winelands such as Buitenverwachten and Simons at Groot Constantia however I don’t think that these restaurants are that wonderful.

If you visit anyone of the abovementioned establishments then if you have time to visit another winefarm I most certainly would recommend visiting Klein Constantia. I rate this establishment as the best winefarm in the Constantia valley. If you pay them a visit then try their Vin de Constance, Marlbrook and Sauvignon Blanc whereafter you will see and taste why I recemmend this winefarm so highly.

Hope this helps to make your stay in our city a fabulous one.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

spassvogel

I highly support Selwyn's suggestions:

1) River Café at Constantia Uitsig.
Extremely nice atmosphere and a great lunch menu!
For chocoholics: as dessert get its Belgian Chocolate Mousse cake! It's to die for - says my husband who cannot get enough of it and therefore the chef shared the recipe!
We love to have lunch there and visit its wine shop!

2) Catherinas is wonderful for a lovely dinner!

BUT if I were in your shoes I would certainly have a lunch at River Cafe and evening at Le Quartier Francais in Franschhoek. Reservation is a must!
www.lqf.co.za
Here you should "invest" 2 - 3 hours for a decadent dinner! Driving time:3/4 to 1 hour. Margot Jansen belongs to the top 50 chefs in the World.

Enjoy whatever you choose!

SV

spassvogel

The restaurant at LQF: "The Tasting Room"

SV

m_bran

Selwyn & SV - Many thanks for taking the time to share such thoughtful replies.

Sewlyn – after such a wonderful description I will try to rearrange my schedule for an afternoon outing.

I see why it is said that you always need an extra day in Cape Town!

Any thoughts on unique restaurants in Cape Town would be appreciated.

Thank you!