Shhh, the secret’s out

Published Aug 5, 2014

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Cape Town - Here’s the thing with winter - it’s cold, it’s wet and and did I mention it’s cold? No one wants to be dragged away from the couch on a Friday night to go out for dinner - unless the offer is too good to just pass on.

That’s the thing with Cape Town winters, restaurants are chomping at the bit to get you, the customer, through their doors. They’ve even gone as far as to create mouth-watering winter menus for you to oohh and aaah over.

A friend in the hospitality industry once told me if you want to eat at the best eateries Cape Town has to offer, wait for winter. And she’s right. Many of the city’s dining establishments are doing two-for-one specials, set course menu specials, and it doesn’t take away from the dining experience otherwise.

One such place is Tobago’s, Radisson Blu Waterfront’s very own signature restaurant. Complete with fresh, contemporary decor and a winter menu to match, I think it may be one of Cape Town’s best-kept secrets.

We opted to dine there on a Friday evening and I was surprised to notice that we were the only patrons there. Not that I was complaining - it only meant we got five-star service from the waiting staff and our food was prepared in record time.

The menu itself is far from pretentious and unstuffy. The restaurant seems to take pride in making seasonal fare the centrepiece of each dish.

My starter for instance, the Chicken Liver and Orange Parfait was a lightly-textured chicken liver pate, creamy and rich on the palate, but without the heaviness associated with pates. What really got me excited about the dish was the green tomato chutney which accompanied the dish. The sweet and sour added the perfect balance to the pate - a combination I would never have thought would work so well together.

The Hot Smoked Norwegian Salmon Salad is also a highlight on the starter menu, which can just as easily pass for a main meal for the dainty eater.

For my mains, I opted for the Seared Line Fish which happened to be Dorado. I was told that it’s a game fish that’s “an acquired taste”. But it was surprisingly tasty and light. Accompanied by poached egg, new potatoes, snap peas, leek crispies, lime, pass tomato and chive butter, it definitely is a big man’s meal, so come hungry.

My partner’s main’s choice was the Grilled Ostrich Fan Fillet, seared to perfection with a hint of red in the middle. One thing I’ve never seen in a dish are dried spicy bananas, but this ingredient just added another dimension.

The beauty of Tobago’s is their ability to add something exotic and unexpected to a simple dish and turn it into something extraordinary. I hope that the lack of patrons was just the weather keeping them away, because Radisson Blu has truly created something special with the Tobago’s brand.

The prices are reasonable, the menu’s diverse - there’s nothing I could fault them on. The fact that the decor is elegant and not over the top is just an added bonus. So, I guess the secret’s out now... Tobago’s is the place to be. - IOL

 

More info:

Tel: +27 21 441 3414; [email protected]

Opening hours: 6:30am - 22:30pm

Average meal price rangers from R65 to R200.

They currently are running a TGIF winter special R175 per person, valid from May to August

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