Nyheder 2011 – Sydafrikas mest romatiske restauranter

Table for two

Forget the wilted roses and cheesy card.

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and few are the women who won’t go weak at the knees for an intimate dinner.

Leigh Robertson and Andrea Nagel trawl town and country for SA’s most romantic restaurants.

You’re not alone if the very thought of Valentine’s Day makes you feel nauseous. The cheesy Hallmark cards, the shiny balloons destined to spend eternity in a landfill, the extortionate mark-ups on a bunch of roses… And is that Barry Manilow or, worse, Celine Dion playing in the background?

Romance represents big bucks for retailers, hoteliers and restaurateurs, and the marketing onslaught begins straight after the Christmas decorations have come down. You might sigh at the insincerity of it all but, frankly, if you’re attached, it’s hard to get away from it.
When “love is in the air”, as John Paul Young sang in the ’70s disco hit of the same name, even the more cynical would do well to make a little effort.

A spontaneous picnic is one way to do it, but try telling your honey how much you adore her while rubbing the sand from your eyes and holding down your flyaway chip and dip.

Sometimes a decent restaurant meal is called for, freeing you up to gaze into each other’s eyes while a flurry of staff tend to your comforts.

While some dining spots might merely jump on the bandwagon, offering the usual set menu with a complimentary glass of pink “champagne” or sugary-sweet rosé, there are some that promise the same superbly romantic experience all year round. From the traditional to the exotic, here are the restaurants bound to raise the love of your life’s heart rate.

ANATOLI

24 Napier Street, Green Point, Cape Town. Tel 021 419 2501.
Open for dinner Mon-Sat.
THE MOOD: Middle Eastern mystique with real and trompe l’oeil carpets draped on earthy-toned walls, and souk-like service counters bearing gargantuan wooden trays of meze. Voluminous yet intimate with rich finishes and ambient lighting, all that’s missing is the silvery Bosporus outside.
THE FOOD: Intriguing Turkish meze dishes include ambrosial dips, creamy marinated leeks and spicy lamb meatballs with walnut sauce, all served with piping hot flatbread and meant to be shared (and provocatively nibbled with fingers, needless to say…). While the fragrant lamb dishes might tempt you, don’t even think of having a main course if you don’t want to feel like an over-stuffed sultan; rather, trade spoonfuls of syrupy baklava and libido-rousing, cardamom- or rosewaterinfused desserts.
THE DRINK: Get into the mood with a Turkish Rose Martini, made with rose petal essence and cranberry
juice. A well-considered winelist offers plenty of choices, including some good Shiraz, a worthy match to the robust flavours of the food.
THE ECG FACTOR: Book a candlelit corner table and let the sensual ambience and exotic tastes take hold.
THE SONG: Turkish harem music for belly dancing might seem appropriate. Or stir erotic feelings further with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”.

LA COLOMBE

Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate, Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia, Cape Town. Tel 021 794 2390. Open for lunch and dinner Mon-Sun.
THE MOOD: French country sophistication abounds, both inside and in the pretty courtyard with its tables circling a fountain. Lunch offers the best experience of the enchanting setting but by night it’s all intimate, candlelit charm.
THE FOOD: The award-winning cuisine of executive chef Luke Dale-Roberts will melt the iciest heart, whether you opt for the Transcending Seasons gourmand menu (five or seven courses) or go with the à la carte blackboard menu, written in French but effortlessly translated by waiting staff. Try the layered poached crab, gravadlax and quails eggs with avocado and coriander purée, followed by venison loin served with pan-fried foie gras, peach and lavender jus and smoked snoek crema. And there can be few desserts sexier than warm chocolate fondant stuffed with white chocolate, dates and pine nuts. A five-course Valentine’s Day menu comes with a complimentary glass of Champagne.
THE DRINK: The excellent list boasts wines from the Constantia valley and beyond. There are some fine Champagne choices in keeping with the French flavour, but a good local MCC, including Constantia Uitsig’s own, should also do the trick.
THE ECG FACTOR: Take a stroll through the duckpatrolled vineyards. Better yet, stay the night, with brunch at the River Café the next morning.
THE SONG: “La Vie en Rose” – either the original by chanteuse Edith Piaf or the sexy ’70s cover by Grace Jones – because there’s nothing twee about La Colombe.

LOUIS XVI

160 Jan Smuts Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg. Tel 011 447 6244.
Open for dinner Tues-Sat.
THE MOOD: A luxurious den of iniquity that’s decadently over-the-top, with black Baccarat chandeliers, oversized gold-framed mirrors reflecting period paintings that hang from the ceiling, deep-coloured velvet drapings and Persian rugs.
THE FOOD: Executive chef Bruno Beurel, who hails from Alsace, has done time in some of the finest Paris restaurants. Impress your paramour with delicacies like home-made paté de foie gras. But don’t order the French onion soup, as delicious as it is; not a good idea if you’re looking forward to some after-dinner action. Instead, go for coquilles St Jacques (scallops) or the fabulously indulgent confit duck, which is tender yet crisp.
THE DRINK: Louis XVI encourages the enjoyment of the most delightful bubbles to come out of France, with an extravagant selection of Champagne as well as local and fine French still wines.
THE ECG FACTOR: It’s all about having fun here, starting with the waiters who wear period-perfect costumes with white wigs à la the court of Versailles, but with gold sneakers. If the bubbles put you in the mood, dance the rest of the night away at equally glamorous clubs Moloko or Latinova next door.
THE SONG: Something unapologetically naughty would go down well; most tracks from the Hotel Costes series by Stephane Pompougnac, for example.

THE ROUNDHOUSE

Glen Road, Kloofnek, Camps Bay, Cape Town. Tel 021 438 4347. Open for lunch Tues-Sun and dinner Tues-Sat.
THE MOOD: Set in relative seclusion amid a forest on the slopes of Kloofnek, with awe-inspiring views of mountains behind and beach below, the former hunting lodge of Lord Charles Somerset is an ideal spot for an intimate liaison. Request a window table in the stylish Afro-colonial Somerset Room to take it all in (when you’re not gazing into each other’s eyes, that is).
THE FOOD: What better to fuel (or should that be cool?) the passions in the sweltering Cape February than the clean, fresh flavours of chef PJ Vadas’s summer menu, artfully presented and paired with reserve wines. Choose from three, four or five delicately sized courses, making sure to include the prettily pink chilled watermelon consommé with pickled summer melon and Parma ham.
THE DRINK: A knockout winelist offers a good selection by the glass (including excellent Champagnes). Helpful headings instruct as to which local wines are Right or Left Bank Bordeauxstyle blends, or go for the real thing if your partner’s likely to be impressed by the French label or price tag.
THE ECG FACTOR: A terraced garden with green lawns invites post-prandial
languishing with shoes off, and perhaps another bottle of bubbly.
THE SONG: While the unmistakeable elegance of it all suggests a restrained Sinatra classic, Joe Cocker’s “Up Where We Belong” also seems fitting.

THANDI RESTAURANT & FOUNTAIN COURT

Zimbali Lodge, Umhlali, KwaZulu-Natal, Tel 032 538 1007

THE MOOD: Some things are intrinsically romantic, like sunsets and sunrises, palm trees and deserted beaches, candles and lanterns. Zimbali Lodge offers all of the above, and in the right quantities. For old-school colonial dining at its best, sit inside at a candlelit table near the grand piano but close enough to an open window to gaze at the distant ocean in the moonlight.
THE FOOD: The menu is extensive and changes daily, but special mention must go to the curries, lamb, chicken, vegetable or prawn, served in copper dishes and at the right temperature to melt her heart (or light her fire).
THE DRINK: Before dinner, indulge in a cocktail at the wickedly “White Mischief” Trophy Bar.
THE ECG FACTOR: Zimbali is the Zulu word for “Valley of the Flowers” and the view from the pool deck at sunset when the subtropical sky turns a deep purple is surely reminiscent of Adam and Eve’s first experience of paradise.
THE SONG: It’s not easy to find a song that matches this heady mix of Indian, Balinese and African influences. But Tarkan’s Turkish hit “Kiss Kiss” might suit this exotic scene.