With the abundance of restaurants we have in Cape Town, I don’t often travel far when deciding to eat out for dinner. The the city centre, coast and southern suburbs are offering more than enough to cater for even the most demanding diner. One place I do find myself driving a distance is Steffanie’s Place in Somerset West. If you live close to Cape Town, a 40 minute drive is well worth the time if you’re heading to this incredible restaurant for date night.
From the moment you arrive, the experience already starts. Steffanie’s Place has its home in a neo-classical house that reminds me a little of Bavarian architecture with many wodden features, large windows and a big entrance door.
During summer, you are asked to sit outside on the terrace where you can enjoy the view with your favourite drink, while your order is being placed. As soon as the starters are ready, the waiter will come to take you to your seats where your first course is already waiting for you. As it was a little colder on the evening that we arrived, we went straight to our table for an evening that was perfect on every level.
The menu stays constant throughout the year apart from a few dishes where ingredients are out of season. It’s with the specials board, that the chef is able to experiment. It can change weekly, so you always have something new to try every time you visit. Each dish is explained by the waiter so that you know which dishes can be ordered along-side the standard menu.
Starters
Springrolls
These were one of the best spring rolls that I’ve ever enjoyed. Sometimes, you have more pastry than substance and this definitely wasn’t the case here. When the filling is some of the most delicious duck you’ve ever come across, you got yourself a true winner. It came with a beautiful Asian dipping sauce that made this my favourite starter on the evening.
Sesame Crusted Camembert
If I see baked Camembert on the menu, it’s my go-to starter. It came with a beautiful cranberry marmalade and crispy melba toast. The cheese was perfect, oozing out slowly as you cut into the cheese. With the toast adding some crunch and the marmelade a little sweetness, this was a perfect combination.
Mains
Something Wild
This dish came straight from the specials board – beautiful ostrich medallions that were perfectly cooked and packed a lot of flavour. The gamey meat was served with an apricot compot to balance out the flavours to great effect. It was also accompanied by tasty baby mushrooms and potatoes to make for a well-rounded meal where each element had a part to play.
Pork Belly
Pork Belly is always a firm favourite on any menu and this one didn’t disappoint. Juicy pieces of pork were served with crispy crackling on a bed of delicious sweet potato fries. A wonderful dish on it’s own. With the red wine sauce, I had to be a little careful, as it was too strong for my taste. Making sure I only took a little bit of it with every bite solved the problem though.
Dessert
Panna Cotta
As we were quite full, we decided to share the dessert and quickly had our eyes on the Panna Cotta. It’s infused with rooibos and honey which gives this dessert a wonderful flavour profile. The addition of an Amarula shot allows for a further local element that made this a perfect finale to our dinner at Steffanie’s Place.
P.S.: The owner takes great pride in the wine list at Steffanie’s Place. Instead of pairing one wine with each dish, he is also very happy to pour you a few sample wines, so you can experiment with wine-pairings with each and every course.
Directions to Steffanie’s Place
113 Irene Avenue
7130
Somerset West
Tel: 021 852 7584
