In the melting pot that is Cape Town’s food scene – where American-style diners, anti-cuisine and casual eating have taken hold – the uber-successful restaurateur team of Neil Grant, Barry Engelbrecht and executive chef Annemarie Steenkamp, who brought us Bocca and Burrata restaurants, have opened the highly anticipated Open Door restaurant in Constantia Uitsig. Steenkamp’s modern haute cuisine menu is a slight departure from the Italian roots of the preceding ventures.
She successfully merges distinct flavours into the most innovative dishes while the wine list is expertly prepared by co-founder and chairman of the South African Sommelier Association, Neil Grant. In addition to the signature a la carte lunch and dinner menu, the restaurant also offers a casual lunchtime café menu suitable for the whole family. Refreshingly, the highlight comes courtesy of a vegetarian dish of roasted pumpkin with curried fritters, seed crumble, buttermilk labne and ginger.
August 2015
Vegetarians well catered for at Open Door
In the melting pot that is Cape Town’s food scene – where American-style diners, anti-cuisine and casual eating have taken hold – the uber-successful restaurateur team of Neil Grant, Barry Engelbrecht and executive chef Annemarie Steenkamp, who brought us Bocca and Burrata restaurants, have opened the highly anticipated Open Door restaurant in Constantia Uitsig. Steenkamp’s modern haute cuisine menu is a slight departure from the Italian roots of the preceding ventures.
She successfully merges distinct flavours into the most innovative dishes while the wine list is expertly prepared by co-founder and chairman of the South African Sommelier Association, Neil Grant. In addition to the signature a la carte lunch and dinner menu, the restaurant also offers a casual lunchtime café menu suitable for the whole family. Refreshingly, the highlight comes courtesy of a vegetarian dish of roasted pumpkin with curried fritters, seed crumble, buttermilk labne and ginger.
Image: Sean Calitz
Steenkamp declares “Vegetarian dishes are my favourites to prepare”, a remark many alternative eaters will applaud as so often the menu climax is the meat dishes. The exquisite turn-of-the-century heritage manor house has been tastefully renovated and restyled by InHouse Brand Architects into a warm contemporary space full of light, glass and bespoke upcycled wooden fittings.
The sprawling house has various rooms, all styled with a twist but the central dining room, with its masculine gunmetal-slate walls, artdeco bar and open-plan kitchen, is the true piece de resistance. During the winter the restaurant
keeps it gorgeously cosy with a roaring fireplace but, come summertime, all the dining rooms will open onto wooden decks perfect for taking in a bit of sun and the glorious surroundings.
Constantia Uitsig, Cape Town
021 794 3010 / info@opendoorrestaurant.co.za