Cape Town restaurants come and go. So many of my favourites have closed down, leaving culinary gaps that will never quite be filled again. But there are some places that have seemingly been around forever. Places I went to as a kid and loved, and that I can still go to now and still love. One of those places is Den Anker at the V&A Waterfront. And they have just turned 25! Whohoo and happy birthday! We visited them for the Den Anker Perfect Pairing winter special, and boy was it yum.

Memory Lane

Benike and I reviewed Den Anker a few years back and it remains one of my favourites in regards to getting a steak perfectly done (for me). Yes, I’m weird and like my steak well done, but that doesn’t mean burned and dry. It means done well, no pink, loads of flavour, and succulent. And a very happy me!

den anker waterfront view

How’s this for a view?

Winter in CT

Den Anker, of course, attracts loads of tourists, but they are also super awesome because they never forget the locals either, especially over winter! I often think we Cape Townians are a fickle bunch. We don’t like going outdoors when it’s cold and wet. But a great special at a great restaurant, preferably with a fire place, may just do the trick.  And, of course, Den Anker does just that.

den anker waterfront serviette

A classic restaurant

den anker waterfront welcome bread

Welcome bread is always great – and the butter is yum!

Den Anker Perfect Pairing Winter Special

This year, they have called their winter special the Perfect Pairing. At R125, this includes a choice of one of five meals and one of three mini beers. On the food side, you get to choose from mussels in beer or cream, mushroom risotto, meatballs and mash, deep fried hake and chips, and the 125g sirloin. To pair with the food, the beer options are 125mls of Liefmans Fruitesse, La Chouffe, or Duvel.

The Beer

Apart from the traditional sip we pinch from our dad’s beer, Benike and I are not beer drinkers. We did, however, get to try Liefmans Fruitesse mixed berry beer the last time we were at Den Anker, so we went with this fruity drink served on ice again. It’s a light, slightly sweet, spritzy drink with just a hint of that beer taste, which makes it perfect for non-beer lovers.

den anker waterfront liefmans fruitesse

Liefmans Fruitesse

The Food

Food-wise, we both felt like sirloin the day we visited Den Anker. I’m happy to say that my steak was perfectly well done and Benike’s was perfectly medium. So yay to Den Anker. The sirloin is served sliced with a Café de Paris butter on a bed of salad (assorted salad leaves, cocktail tomatoes, cucumber, feta, macadamia nuts, and sesame seeds). It is also served with fries and a portion of creamy mayo, the Belgian way.

den anker winter special steak dinner

Steak and fries

The Verdict

Although very delicious and more than enough for us, it may be worth noting that the perfect pairing portions are not huge and may not satiate those big hungers. Having said that, the R125 special definitely does give you a perfect pairing with some great food and beer. And, after all, what more do you want from a winter special?

The Den Anker Perfect Pairing winter special is available for lunch and dinner, any day of the week (yay), until the end of September.

Visit Den Anker

For all info on the Den Anker Perfect Pairing winter special, see below.

Den Anker

Address: Pierhead, V & A Waterfront

Opening Times: Monday – Sunday (11:00 – 22:30)

Website: www.denanker.co.za

E-mail: denanker@mweb.co.za

Call:+27(0) 21 419 0249

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Written by Sabine Palfi
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Article Date: June 2019

All information correct at time of publication. We do not accept any liability caused by errors, including, but not limited to, changes in price, menu, opening times, address, or other contact details. 

All images, unless otherwise stated, belong to I Love Foodies and may not be used for social media, websites, or any other form of advertising without written consent, unless an image is re-posted to directly advertise and link to this review and with credit given to I Love Foodies / @ilovefoodiesct.