While everybody loves an underdog, La Petite Colombe defied all expectations of being overshadowed by its older, more famous sibling, La Colombe; opting to burst onto the scene and nabbing the coveted Eat Out Retail Capital New Restaurant of the Year award months after its opening. Now, after a full year, La Petite Colombe has not only settled into the ring but, if the reviews and hoopla are anything to go by, it has obliterated most of its competition with artful, classic French cooking, making chef John Norris-Rogers one of the new chefs to watch.
Food
Head chef Norris-Rogers, under the guidance of celebrated chef-restaurateur Scot Kirton and La Colombe’s head chef James Gaag, has devised a menu born of La Colombe, yet decidedly its own blend of whimsical. Caraway sourdough bread with home-churned butter, sesame and roasted yeast kicks off the menu but only upon the serving of the popular Yellowfin tuna, aubergine, miso, naartjie and avocado starter does the epicurean splendour really take off. The gochujang-glazed pork, scallop and celeriac with wild garlic and horseradish is rich without being overly unctuous; while the ravioli of langoustine, curried hake veloute, cauliflower and coriander will have you seeing the culinary pearly gates. It bears mentioning that part of why La Petite Colombe’s dishes are so revolutionary is the understated manner in which they are served. Limited use of theatrics ensures guests are kept curious until that first bite, and oh my do these bites deliver!
Like a well-orchestrated dining performance between the starters and the palate cleansers ahead of the main course, diners are ushered to the kitchen’s ‘chef’s table’, complete with a live foliage display. Here diners enjoy an interactive course that is completed before them as well as a quick rundown of the kitchen, chefs and various stations. It’s a neat way to get guests to stretch their legs ahead of the main courses and also offer an up-close look into the behind-the-scenes of the kitchen. Having to choose between the fish course and red meat, usually Cape Wagyu sirloin, can prove a task too unfair for any food lover. Strong-arm a fellow diner into picking an alternative dish so you both get to taste the dishes.
For dessert one has the choice between a cheese-inspired dessert and a traditional sweet dessert. Opting for the cheesy option gives a wonderful glimpse into the pastry chef’s nuanced skill at crafting a keenly balanced dish. One such example was the Foxenberg goat’s cheese, goat’s milk caramel, kouign-amann and guava and tamarind served with Miles Mossop’s ‘Kika’ 2017 – a pairing triumph.
Drinks
Craftily curated by head sommelier Andrew Cook, the wine pairing not only complements, but also enhances every dish’s flavour while revealing latent characteristics of the wine itself. I can’t be recommend it enough.
Service
Hospitality veteran Morné Wessels might have left, but his legacy lives on – La Petite Colombe still offers some of the most polished service in the Cape.
Ambience
The refurbished space is airy and muted, with a sensibly sagacious use of the ample light it enjoys.
Best for…
Date nights or for getting inspiration and falling in love all over again with the purity of elevated French cooking.
(August 2018)
Eat Out critics dine unannounced and pay for their meals in full. Read our full editorial policy here.
User reviews
★★★★★
2 Reviews
Graham Hamilton
★★★★★
La Petite Colombe was a delight for an evening meal on Sunday. We had been last year and noticed quite a lot of changes but the overall ambiance is still very nice.
We started with a Saldanha bay oyster with tomato water and jalepeno which was very nice followed by the signature dish of yellowfin tuna which i must say was better than last time it has been refined a lot and was really delicious with it dots of various flavours incuding kimmchi, avocado and miso. The next dish was absolutely delicious it comprised of pork belly and scallop in wild garlic with a Vietnamese glaze. Raviolli of langoustine followed then a trip to the chefs table where we had the opportunity to speak to one of the sous chefs and have an egg and soldier but not as you would think it the soldier acctually had foie gras in it, yummy. A palate cleanser was followed by Mauritian sea bass with a tempura mussle and squid with a beautiful sauce, then the main course of herb crusted lamb with lamb neck rolled in puffed rice. The cheese course was goats cheese and tamarind gell and finally a nectarine dessert.
Overall this was another exceptional meal and certainly in our top 3 South African experiences of food.
