Planet Restaurant at the Mount Nelson

If you’ve ever wondered why an egg should be slow cooked, try this one with cured ham, nice sharp cheddar and a pinotage reduction. Or for something different, start with three different kinds of smoked salmon trout: confit, tartare, and parfait. Mains could be superb flame-grilled beef fillet with sautéed exotic mushrooms; mussels and calamari with pea risotto; or pasture-reared chicken with curried barley. Finish with the delicious macadamia nut tart with brandied peach and vanilla ice cream. You can try one of the two degustation menus – vegetarian or meat/fish, with matching wines – which are appropriately named ‘journeys’, or dine à la carte if you prefer.

A very extensive list of some of the best the country has to offer and from further afield, all presented by a knowledgeable sommelier. If you’re splurging, look for the Vin De Constance 1988 at R22 000, which will definitely impress someone.

Old school elegance: very attentive but discreet, just the way the cognoscenti like it.

Chef Rudi Liebenberg has pulled out all stops to fill this beautifully renovated, large and airy space. Gone are the colonial allusions: they’ve been delightfully replaced by celestial themes and elegant clusters of star-shaped crystal chandeliers. It’s superbly elegant and still, with a grandeur demanded by guests of this famous hotel.

Have a cocktail in the very popular Planet Bar before dinner, just to set the mood. Their Bombay Sapphire martinis are the ultimate pick-me-up. (GL, June 2011)

Mark
8-Dec-2011

Delicious food, top-notch service, a convivial atmosphere and great company combined to make a dining experience to remember.

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