There are so many restaurants in Cape Town I haven’t been to. Obviously. I try my best to get around in the foodie world, but Cape Town keeps on growing and I just can’t keep up. So when I recently got to experience the Klein Constantia Bistro, I was pretty excited. Yes, yes, ok, I’m always pretty excited when I get to experience a new place – but only rightfully so. Because there’s lots of goodness to be had.
I’d never been to Klein Constantia before. I’m very familiar with Groot Constantia and it’s a spot I visit quite often, but Klein Constantia is its smaller, less-known cousin. And that’s probably where the appeal lies. The estate is astounding – miles and miles of green, with the Klein Constantia Bistro and tasting room nestled amidst the lush nature.
The Winter Menu
The Klein Constantia Bistro is offering a delicious winter lunch special, with two courses available for R220 and three courses for R290. This includes wine or cordials. Standard lunch prices are R300 for two courses or R400 for three courses. And it’s this lunchtime offering that I got to experience.
Starting off with some delicious bread and butter – and wine
Country Pork Terrine
I started my dining experience at the Klein Constantia Bistro with the Country Pork Terrine, which was fantastic. I’ve obviously been in love with terrine lately, and this is just another one to add to the list of good options.
Delicious country pork terrine
Beet Fillet And Cooking Sous Vide
For mains, I went with the Beef Fillet, served with fondant potato and café au lait. And I’ll pause here, which would have great dramatic effect if I were recording myself talking about this. But the written pause will have to be imaginary on your part – and due to the fact that this meal was delicious. Without a doubt, one of the best beef fillets I have ever had – deliciously soft, yet perfectly done. How, you may ask?
Sous vide. You may have heard this term before, referring to the cooking method where food is vacuum-sealed and then cooked to a precise temperature in a water bath. It sounds gross, right? But cooking with this technique results in flavours and textures that are impossible to recreate otherwise. And that’s exactly what the Klein Constantia Bistro does with their fillet, resulting in a perfectly cooked steak from edge to edge. After cooking, the steak can be seared to add a little crunch, but it’s the sous vide method that creates the perfection.
The perfect beef fillet
Winning With Vin De Constance
While the steak impressed me so, the dessert course would impress me equally. Here we wandered down to the cellar to feast on a cheese platter … but the real winner was the Vin De Constance we enjoyed with it.
This dessert wine was first introduced in the 19th century and quickly became one of the top-named dessert wines in 19th century literature, mentioned in works by legends such as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. The wine was lost for many years, and only re-introduced in 1986 after the Klein Constantia team devoted itself to study records and re-create it. Since then, it has once again become one of the top sweet wines in the world.
I fully understand why the Vin De Constance is so world-famous. It’s beautiful. Sweet, thick, and truly excellent. It goes for a pretty penny though. The cheapest I found was at Cybercellar for R895 – but, unfortunately, out of stock. Just evidence of its popularity, I guess, I can’t wait to have some more of this beautiful treat.
This is Klein Constantia
The famous Vin De Constance
Visit The Klein Constantia Bistro
Klein Constantia surprised me. It’s unassuming but beautiful, with a perfectly relaxing ambiance, fantastic food, and the best dessert wine you could find. I can’t wait to come back.
Klein Constantia
Website: www.kleinconstantia.com/the-bistro
Call: +27 21 794 5188
E-mail: info@kleinconstantia.com
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Written by Benike Palfi
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Article Date: June 2018
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.