La Colombe has been on my to do list for quite some time now… But because it’s a bit of an “investment purchase”, I kept putting it off…
Then about 2 weeks ago, after a few glasses of wine, my friend D and I decided – what the hell, let’s just book it! (this was around 11pm on a Friday evening & by some luck we were able to get an 18:30 early dinner sitting for that Sunday using their online booking system).
We did sober up just a tad when we had to put down R600 to secure the booking (they require R300 deposit pp – which of course comes off your bill on the night – but yeah, was a bit taken back by that). But we persevered!
And I’m so so glad we did… This was a foodie experience like no other and I was super happy that I finally managed to tick it off my list…
Some of you may remember that La Colombe used to be located on the Constantia Uitsig Wine Estate, but when the estate was sold a few years back, they had to find a new home. Today they’re located on the Silvermist Wine Estate at the top of Constantia Nek which has some pretty great views of the Constantia Valley.
There was also space for Executive Chef (and part owner), Scot Kirton, to grow his very own organic garden which of course supplies the restaurant and ensures that there are always lots of interesting things on your plate.
Here’s a quick look at their sexy new space (just as a side note: we arrived early to take some photos, hence the emptiness – about 30min later the restaurant started filling up & by 8pm it was packed):
Now let’s talk bragging rights: Currently La Colombe is ranked number 2 on Eat Out’s Top 10 Restaurants in SA list AND on top of that Scot is the current Eat Out San Pellegrino Chef of the Year. So you just know you’re in for something extra special.
Their Gourmand Dinner (view the menu online here) comes with the following options:
- R690 / R990 – depending on whether you for 10 courses or the full 14
- Or R1270 / R1780 if you opt for the wine pairing – but I always find wine pairings end up being waaaaay too much wine and a lot of it goes to waste by the end of the night, so I prefer just ordering a bottle I love instead.
We figured it was a case of “go big or go home”, so we opted for the full 14 courses. At first you’ll see the portions are very delicate, so you’d think 14 courses would be easy. But trust me, about 11 courses in you do start feeling it. It was worth every single calorie though.
Let me take you on a visual journey through food awesomeness:
And trust me, this was certainly not a case of “just a pretty face” – each of these dishes were incredible in their own right, so much so that I can’t really pick a favourite.The La Colombe experience without a doubt gets a top score of on my Miss K Kiss-o-Meter scale. In fact, if I could, I would give it a 6 out of 5 – it was that good.
I do understand however that this price point isn’t going to be for everyone. Their Gourmand Lunch is a little easier on the pocket at R590 / R890. And then they’re also running a Spring special which kicks off this Thursday (valid for lunch only – Mon to Thu):
- FROM 1 September 2016 to 27 October 2016
- R395 per person – 4 course menu
- R350 per person – 3 course menu
So that’s definitely something worth considering.
To book your table (and I highly recommend that you do!), you can contact them on:
- reservations@lacolombe.co.za
- Tel : +27 (0) 21 795-0125
Or you can book online over here.
Then just regarding that R300 deposit – if you cancel at least 24 hrs before your booking, they will gladly refund you.
xxx