The Townhouse Hotel and Conference Centre, located in the heart of the Cape Town CBD, has fast established itself as a first-choice culinary destination for businesspeople, executives and food-lovers.
The culinary offering is split between two distinct offerings, both of which are open to hotel guests and non-residents alike, namely The Lounge, and their recently refurbished flagship restaurant, Trees.
Business lunch at The Lounge
Townhouse Hotel General Manager, Jacqui Williams, says the hotel’s central location and proximity to Parliament and a number of corporate head offices have made it a preferred venue for business lunches.
“Our Lounge and Lounge Bar are very popular among the local business crowd, who enjoy the formal but friendly atmosphere and our selection of a light buffet lunch and great coffee.
“A firm favourite among businesspeople is the Light Lunch Buffet served Monday to Friday between 12H30 and 14H30 at the Lounge. Meat Free Mondays and Organic Thursdays, where we serve a delicious selection of organically-grown vegetables, have also proved immensely popular.”
A culinary treat at Trees
Trees is the flagship restaurant at the hotel, overlooking the leafy avenue next to the Company Gardens. Thanks to its large glass windows and location on the first floor of the hotel, the experience for guests is quite similar to sitting in a tree house.
The 100-seater restaurant has a contemporary look and feel with some striking red accent pieces, a few ladder-back chairs, origami-inspired lampshades and an eye-catching installation at the restaurant’s entrance.
Led by the hotel’s Michelin-trained executive chef Stefan Schmidt, Trees has quickly established itself as a notable inner-city culinary destination since it reopened its doors at the end of 2010.
“Our ethos of using only the freshest locally-sourced ingredients and A-grade South African meat has helped us build a reputation for great food at great prices,” he explains.
Schmidt and his team are serious when it comes to ‘fresh produce’ – they even installed a rooftop herbal plant on the roof of the Townhouse Hotel to ensure a steady supply of freshly-grown herbs, including basil, rosemary, chives, and parsley.
“The first harvest recently took place, and we’ve even served some of our home grown basil. Our herbs have the distinction of enjoying the best view in Cape Town!”
On offer at Trees is an extensive dinner menu as well as some great breakfast options. “From 6:30am we serve a delicious breakfast, with a Continental buffet option or a hot breakfast served a la carte - both with a number of speciality coffees on offer. During the week, breakfast is served until 10am, but over weekends and on public holidays the breakfast time is extended to 11am.”
The dinner menu is a delectable selection of seafood, South African meat, freshly-grown vegetables and surprising contemporary twists to classic dishes.
“Our starter menu includes home-cured carpaccio of local sustainable fish, samoosas of roast duck and fillet crouton. Weight-watching diners can also enjoy one of our snap-fresh salads, such as the peppery rocket salad in balsamic dressing, with pecorino shavings, garlic croutons, sundried tomato pesto and balsamic reduction,” says Schmidt.
The restaurant’s acclaimed gooey dark chocolate pudding is a perfect end to the culinary journey, while an extensive wine list that includes some of South Africa’s most acclaimed wines is the perfect companion.
During the colder winter months, Trees will be offering diners a choice of 250g rump or sirloin steak with a complimentary glass of house red or white wine, or a choice between two casseroles with glass of complimentary house wine for only R125 per person. Each meal option comes with a side dish, and diners can upgrade their steak option to 350g for only R25 more.
The winter special is only available in the restaurant and is not applicable to the room service menu, so diners are encouraged to book by calling the restaurant at 021 465 7050 or emailing [email protected]
For more information about the Townhouse Hotel and its culinary offerings, please visit www.townhouse.co.za