Linda Scarborough

Food
This is pure escapism; a world of tiny forks, whimsy and beauty just for the sake of it. Chantel Dartnall’s dishes are inspired by Mother Nature, with thoughtful missives penned by the chef on each, exploring memory and her worldly travels.

Mosbolletjie dunkers, almost unbearably fresh, are the prelude of the bread accompaniments paired with each course. You’re invited to tear them up and dip them in parmesan cream, the memory of which is enough to make you weak at the knees. Knysna Oysters are served in champagne foam, hinting at the lightness and luxury to follow. In this fantasyland it’s no surprise to see that mushrooms make a regular appearance: in tartlets, in bread, in truffle bombs. To say the mains are accomplished would be an understatement, but this is where to find familiar ground after a series of skilfully plated bon bons and magical mini things.

Halibut is cooked perfectly, with crisp skin laid like lace over the top, and accompaniments of white beans and fennel showcase the purity of flavour and good ingredients. In the perfectly named Under the Veil, a prawn is curled up under a pink hat of hibiscus and complemented by flavours of white peach. Sweet, pure and fresh. The Angus beef is like butter, with exploding spheres of jus, braised tongue and sweetbreads. Umami abounds.

The green fairy makes an appearance, floating in her own botanical holder, before the slices of Comte, trembling and transparently thin, paired with mouth-rounding flavours of toasted seeds, figs and honey.

An orchid made out of delicate chocolate brings to life flavours of tonka bean. The pavlova is tiny architecture; a house of meringue with lemon and marshmallow flowers. And the cheese – oh, the cheese! Your selection of South African and top imported options will include the fudgy, nutty, creamy and tangy. Ask for advice on what to choose from the trolley and you’ll be guided on your cheese dreams. Share slivers of each, going around and around, until every last morsel is gone.

Drinks
You might see leather-bound tomes of all the vintages in the extensive offering here as part of the décor, but allow yourself to be guided by expert pairings with each course, for enthusiasts or connoisseurs, by award-winning sommelier Moses Magwaza.

Service
Truly wonderful. You feel looked after, but are the welcome recipient of discretion and perceptiveness. The menu, a ribbon-bound booklet, is yours to take home as a memento of the experience you will never forget.

Ambience
Restaurant Mosaic is like an enchanted castle, where splendour is the only rule. With indoor water, gleaming wood, gold and glass, and the curl of leaf motifs, it’s the fanciest place you’ve ever been, but never stiff. Put away your timepieces and lean in.

Best for…
An otherworldly adventure.

(August 2019)

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