I’ve never had a bad meal at Durbanville Hills (they were recently named Restaurant Week’s Best Restaurant in the Winelands) so I didn’t hesitate to hit the road when invited to try their new Chef’s Platter.

As far as great restaurant specials go its a real gem ‘cos, for just R690, both you and your dining buddy are treated to a giant platter boasting a selection of their lunch menu’s best offering plus a dessert platter you probably won’t finish and its paired with wine – their lovely new MCC Blanc de Blancs on arrival, a glass of Rhinofields red with your mains and a sweet ‘dessert’ wine (Durbanville Hills Noble Late Harvest) to finish things off.

But first let’s talk about their slightly sweet, spicy bread, which is a veritable course on it’s own. My friend Nicola and I knew eating every single slice would be the dumbest thing we could do, considering what was coming so that’s exactly what we did. Ha!

As far as the platter goes, all meat it contained was magnificent but the slow-cooked sous vide pork was definitely the hero. You only had to touch it with your butter knife for it to fall apart! I also really enjoyed the grilled beef fillet (again, tender as all hell) and was surprised by how much I liked their homemade chicken sausage. Despite being made with brie, fig and almonds, it has a bit of a blue cheese flavour to it and, even through I was almost completely stuffed, I devoured every bite.

Wine-wise, we got to taste both Durbanville Hills’ Rhinofields pinotage and merlot and most enjoyed the former, a rich, velvety wine with notes of black currant, vanilla, cherries and cinnamon with just the teensiest hint of tobacco.

When it was time for dessert, I was super glad I’d worn a tent of a dress and merrily shoved a wedge of spiced boerekaas into my face, dug out all the meringue bits and then got stuck into the pear and almond tart while Nicola dived straight into the chocolate one.

Once our meal was done, we basically rolled out of their but were happy as clams. Durbanville Hills’ new platter is a decadent, great value for money experience I can whole heartedly recommend to anyone. Just make sure you arrive hungry!

Deets you need to know? The special currently runs from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and doesn’t have an ‘end date’ in sight. Still, it’s always a good idea to book so best you give them a ring on (021) 558 1300 before you go.

Love, love

Leigh