Cape Town, South Africa, Aug 2009

Situated in Mount Nelson Hotel’s original dining hall and featuring an eclectic décor scheme of imposing vaulted ceilings, antique chairs (which once resided on the deck of a Union-Castle Line ship) and table-lamps (from the original Orient-Express train), and a dramatic hand-painted mural depicting scenes of historical Cape Town, Cape Colony Restaurant is one of the city’s iconic eateries and the restaurant of choice for family dinners, celebrations and romantic occasions.

Executive Chef Rudi Liebenberg, Restaurant Chef Carl Tichart and their team of specialist chefs, looked to the hotel’s rich heritage for inspiration when they developed the restaurant’s new culinary direction. The result, as Rudi explains, is “an á la carte selection of dishes based on the finest ingredients available in South Africa and the Western Cape, with each item informed and inspired by contemporary tastes, but with its roots planted firmly in Mount Nelson Hotel’s culinary tradition”.

Flavours reflect the past reinvented, with an emphasis on seasonal, local ingredients (organic when available), with starters including the likes of Ostrich Carpaccio with biltong dust, aioli, and a sweet and sour butternut and apricot compôte; Warm Pickled Fish, and Saldanha Bay Mussels in a creamy saffron and crayfish sauce served with toasted French bread.

Mains continue the theme with hearty dishes like Springbok Loin glazed with beetroot and honey and served with a Springbok shank pie, butternut purée, warm bean salad and a chakalaka stuffed onion; a Vegetarian Compilation of lentil bobotie, roasted ratatouille, pea salad and ricotta and spinach dumplings, and Beer Batter Fried Crayfish with Steamed Trout, mushy peas and a sweet corn velouté.

And for dessert, Pastry Chef Vicky Gurovich has also looked to the classics for inspiration with Pannekoek (pancakes) layered with a banana emulsion, cinnamon ice cream and naartjie jelly; Vanilla Crème Brûlée with mocha sorbet and hazelnut shortbread, and Chocolate – a fantastical composition of thyme chocolate tart, cardamom chocolate sorbet, cumin chocolate fondant, chocolate crème, salted caramel and chocolate curd.

Also on the menu is a seasonal special offer available until the end of September, which features three courses for just ZAR 199 per person.

A comprehensive selection of local and international wine is available to compliment each dish, with the majority available by the glass.

Cape Colony Restaurant is open Monday to Sunday from 19h00.
Contact +27 0 21 483 1948 for Reservations.
 
For press assistance contact Benita Kursan on +27 0 21 483 1930, email bkursan@mountnelson.co.za.

For more information on Orient-Express visit www.orient-express.com, and for more information on Mount Nelson Hotel visit www.mountnelson.co.za.

Orient-Express (www.orient-express.com) is a hotel and travel company focused on the luxury end of the leisure market with many iconic and highly acclaimed properties.  Founded in 1976 when the company acquired the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Orient-Express has grown to encompass 51 businesses, including 41 highly individual hotels across five continents, two restaurants, two river cruise operations and six tourist trains, including the fabled Venice Simplon-Orient-Express which operates through Europe, linking London, Paris and Venice. 

Orient-Express chooses to own or part-own and manage its businesses, and continues to seek out unique properties with expansion potential and to introduce new experiences, restoring romance, glamour and style to international travel.