Posted on: December 31st, 2008 GSC: Caveau: A Tale of Two Caveaus
TH: ****
GS: ****
RL: ****
BH: ****
Average Rating: ****
Caveau is one of my favourite restaurants – the food never disappoints and the wine list impresses again and again. And so, when it became time to do our “C” review, it was a natural choice. Two branches, conveniently situated in the heart of Cape Town and the middle of Newlands, respectively, both offer the same excellent dining experience. We decided to visit the Heritage Square branch for our “official” review. This branch is in a well maintained historic building just off the Heritage Square parking area, and offers open air seating on a street side terrace, as well as an intimate indoors seating with dark wood and warm leather seating.
Things however got off to a rough start. I’d seen a Sushi special advertised in their newsletter, promising a 12 piece platter accompanied by 3 wines for R150 per head, so we grabbed a table in the sun and ordered away. We quickly discovered that this wasn’t available at the Caveau restaurant, but rather only at the attached Caveau Deli – and we couldn’t order it whilst seated at the outside terrace section. We moved indoors to a quaint and sunny enclosed courtyard – it looked perfect for an afternoon’s late lunch. We wanted dinner though, and with members of the party not all wanting Sushi and the limited selection available through the Deli menu, we quickly found ourselves seated back in the restaurant again, and clamouring for drinks and a menu.
The menu came along shortly, although it didn’t arrive as much as it was stood up adjacent to the table. The Caveau menu is handwritten on a blackboard and changes daily – it offers a selection of Tapas and slightly larger mains courses. Our options on the day had something for everyone, and our problem was one of too much choice. We alleviated this a bit by ordering a variety of tapas to start, and sharing them around the table. This was a great success, with nothing going unappreciated. Specifically, the saffron risotto with wild mushrooms and lamb koftas won acclaim from around the table. Come time to order mains, here was some heated negotiation around who could order the veal with saffron mash and the grilled sole with a wasabi mayonnaise – as it turned out, the sole was perfection, whilst the veal was slightly overcooked and tough.
As an establishment, Caveau is as much about the wine as it is about the food – their wine list is extensive, detailed and like the menu, it’s difficult to choose from so many appealing options. Thankfully, their wide selection of wines by the glass means you don’t have to. And at a full third of the bottle to the glass, I’d heartily recommend ordering this way – there are some fantastic discoveries to be made and you never feel cheated. In particular, the Vin d’Orrance Chardonnay and the Jordan Blanc Fume stood out, although the Tamboerskloof Shiraz has never failed to please with its welcoming fruitiness and warmth.
A comparison of the two restaurants might be in order – both offer the same excellent food and generous wine list, but the ambience at the Josephine Mill branch is a definite win. It’s fun and lively without being pretentious, whilst retaining a degree of classic elegance which is less pronounced in the Heritage Square restaurant. Josephine Mill offers an upstairs wine bar, indoors restaurant as well as outside seating adjacent to the Liesbeeck river, with an awning for protection from the worst of the rain and sun, and heating for colder evenings. Waitering staff at both are friendly, helpful and know the ever-changing menu well
Ambiance: ***
Service: ****
Food: ****
Wine: ****
Bathrooms: ***
Caveau Wine Bar & Deli - Heritage Square / 92 Bree Street / Heritage Square / Cape Town / Tel: 021 422 1367 / Email: info@caveau.co.za / www.caveau.co.za
Caveau Wine Bar & Deli - The Mill / 13 Boundary Road / Newlands / Cape Town / Tel: 021 685 5140 / Email: themill@caveau.co.za / www.caveau.co.za
