Geraldine Fröhling

Food
Hinterland is a good, honest, authentic South African steakhouse with a modern twist. It’s unapologetically all about the meat and wine. In this respect, Hinterland comes with great credentials as one of its owners also owns Rust en Vrede wine farm in Stellenbosch, SA’s premium red wine estate. According to the manager, they serve only grain-fed livestock sourced from their own Karoo farms and stock a number of other products which the owners produce themselves eg. Bottled water, coffee and olive oil.

Food
It may be a standard steakhouse fare, but it’s all about the quality of the products – and the interesting twists added to some favourite dishes. For instance, there’s an onion ring starter, but it’s no ordinary onion ring – it’s stuffed with beef mince and mozzarella cheese, which is totally moreish!
And the melt-in-your-mouth lamb roast comes not only with the option of ordinary gravy, but also a very flavoursome orange and thyme sauce. The steaks, of course, are the hero of the restaurant, cooked to perfection, tasty and tender. There are a variety of sauces on offer, with the most popular being the béarnaise. All mains come with the choice of shoestring fries, rice, roast vegetables or salad as sides.
Other mains include a tasty-sounding Hinterland burger, made with cheddar, bacon and caramelised onion, seared Norwegian salmon, beef stroganoff and lamb curry.
The dessert menu is pretty sparse, with only three options. However, I can vouch for the crème brulee which was creamy with a perfectly crisp caramelised topping – the perfect way to end the meal.

Drinks
They serve a fine selection of private Cellar Wines, mainly from the Rust en Vrede, Guardian’s Peak, Stellenbosch Reserve and Donkiesbaai Estates. They range in price from very affordable starter wines to some exclusive Single Vineyard wines. They also offer a standard selection of beers (both craft and commercial), liquor and hot drinks, including a South African favourite “Moerkoffie with Kondensmelk”.

Service
Service was excellent with an attentive and knowledgeable waitress, friendly manager and reasonably quick turn-around between courses. It was also great to be served freshly-baked bread as we sat down – a rarity in restaurants nowadays. Another nice touch was that they allowed us to try a few of the wines before we settled for our choice.

Ambience
The ambience is homely and warm with décor of earthy leather and wood and a few industrial touches. A wall of wine bottles separates the butchery from the dining area – all very stylishly designed. Hinterland is the perfect place for a romantic date or for a long business lunch. There is also a butchery on site where you can buy one of the exclusive Hinterland meat products. And don’t forget to order one of their speciality wines to take away with you.

Best for...
Those who love meat and wine.

(2018)

Eat Out critics dine anonymously and pay for their meals in full. Read our editorial policy here.