Food
La Colombe is better than ever with chef Luke Dale-Roberts now firmly entrenched at the finest establishment in the Cape (if not in the country). Since taking over the reins at the end of 2006, he has made his mark with exciting Asian elements added to the classic French-style menu of old. Lucky diners are likely to start with a Chinese spoon canapé followed by an amuse bouche, before tucking into their choice from the à la carte menu, which features the likes of confit duck with cep mushroom and foie gras cream and a truffle and pickled mushroom dressing. The tuna tataki with marinated chickpeas and brinjal and the unexpectedly satisfying combination of miso-marinated cream cheese comes highly recommended, as does the main of pan-fried sweetbreads with almond and cardamom cream, savoy cabbage and pancetta with verjuice-glazed Muscat grapes.

Wine
Oenophiles could spend the entire meal just paging through this wine list. It features a huge variety of estates and vintages – enough to satisfy the most discerning palate. It’s beautifully bound with pictured labels to make selection easier.

Service
Just as you might expect – attentive, informed and professional. In fact, as the chalkboard menu is now in English, waiters don’t hover over the table translating the entire menu, which could take up to 15 minutes.

Ambience
The restaurant is beautifully decorated with florals and stripes in salmon pink. The interior looks into the open kitchen and the covered veranda overlooks a secluded courtyard. The Palm Room at La Colombe is set apart from the main restaurant, which makes it perfect for private parties of up to 40 people. It has old-world colonial charm, its own bar and an elegant dining table for special events.

And...
The winter specials are not to be missed: a canapé, amuse bouche, three courses, and truffles at the end of the meal. (BlR)