Winter is here, but that just means it is the season for comfort food and red wine alongside a crackling fire.
From an inner-city eatery to a Winelands bistro or fine dining above Camps Bay, these restaurants with fireplaces make for the perfect winter’s dining destination.
Choose your ideal hideout and nestle in.
1. Upper Union
Situated within the eclectic Kloof Street neighbourhood, Upper Union delivers a casual contemporary dining experience inspired by the simple joy of a Sunday lunch.
Gather around a table, next to one of the eaterie’s two green and white tile-clad fireplaces and indulge in chef Amori Burger’s ‘chef’s menu’.
A host of flavourful dishes are designed to be shared amongst the table and enjoyed together in abundance.
Burger’s current menu is well-suited to the occasion with a main of 35-day dry-aged Bonsmara tomahawk served with smoked garlic-brown butter and accompanying sides including the likes of an eight-hour roasted “walla walla” brown onion with pickled fennel and “Gay’s” Queen Victoria mature cheddar and parsley emulsion, along with candied summer pumpkin, crispy chicken skin, bearnaise, and puffed grains.
It is big, flavourful, and hearty cooking that still manages to be elegant, refined, and balanced.
It is exactly the type of food you want to share with friends and family, next to the warmth and glow of a fireplace.
2. Salsify at The Roundhouse
Above Camps Bay, with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean and Lion’s Head as a backdrop, is where you will find, Salsify at The Roundhouse and some of the most exciting cooking happening in South Africa right now.
The fine dining restaurant housed in a heritage building dating back hundreds of years, is where chef Ryan Cole and team serve up their fine fare.
Inspired by nature and driven by the seasons, the restaurant’s hyper-local menu changes according to the time of year and the produce available at the given moment.
The tasting menu runs 10-courses long and includes the likes of sustainable West Coast abalone with toasted garlic emulsion and white sturgeon caviar, pan-roasted line fish (caught by the chef himself) with elements of lime leaf and rice as well as slow-cooked duck breast with African potato, pear and celeriac.
Salsify’s centre chamber is where you will find the seasonal room – where the current installation of sea-inspired walls and a ceiling covered in florals mirrors the beauty of that outside.
It is here where guests are invited to pull up a chair next to the fire and experience Salsify’s magnificent offering.
3. Farro at Gabriëlskloof
Nestled within the picturesque surrounds of Gabriëlskloof wine estate, Farro enchants guests with its seasonally-led, constantly evolving menu.
Embracing simplicity in dining, Farro brings forth a sensational array of comforts and classics that leave patrons yearning for more.
Chef Alex Windebank’s modern European cooking sees a menu that includes the likes of creamy duck liver parfait, roasted butternut risotto, and melt-in-the-mouth pork belly served with braised cabbage and a mustard sauce.
As diners relish the exquisite dishes, their senses are further heightened by the warmth emanating from the crackling fireplace, which casts a cosy glow upon the elegant surroundings.
The combination of delectable cuisine, views of the Overberg, and the inviting hearth creates an unforgettable experience at Farro, making it a must-visit destination for those seeking a harmonious blend of culinary excellence and a comforting, warm ambiance, well suited to a winter day excursion.
