Bistro Sixteen82, Steenberg Estate

In many  ways, what you get out of a visit to Steenberg Estate’s new showcase eatery, Bistro1682, is everything you would expect of one of Cape Town’s more renowned gastronomical establishments, already made famous by their flagship restaurant, Catharina’s.

And so it was that we decided to go there for brunch this past Saturday. It was one of those glorious, reconciliatory Cape Town days that made us instantly forgive mother nature for whatever beastly weather she had sent our way the week before. So off we went with a sunny Saturday morning spring in our step.

The super stylish decor has been respectfully and carefully thought out, and orchestrated into a melange of textures and characters that create a very intriguing, intelligent and pleasant space.

The gourmet coffee was superb, and the melt-in-your-mouth brioche they brought out while we waited for our food to arrive was soon reduced to one lone crumb. And my eggs royale definitely hit the spot (poached eggs served on a potato rosti with smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce). Oh, and despite what you might think, our meal was seriously good value with most breakfast mains coming in at between R55-60. We even had a champagne tasting thrown in for free when we wondered over to the outdoor area of the adjacent tasting room by mistake, and were lucky enough to sample the 1682 brut.

A small part of me thinks that it would ooze even more appeal in the ‘long lunch with a glass of estate sauvignon blanc on the sunny outdoor patio’ category. I have tried to tell Rob that he is going to have to take me back there for lunch asap to test my theory, and I think I might just be able to twist his arm. It’s absolutely true though, otherwise I just don’t feel I will have done my homework properly. And we can’t have that now can we?

PS The wines here are available at cellar prices. Yip.

Bistro Sixteen82
Steenberg Estate, Tokai
Tel: 021 713 2211
www.steenberg-vineyards.co.za