As restaurant destinations in the Cape Winelands go, Idiom is pretty hard to beat. Idiom Restaurant & Tasting Centre recently celebrated its second anniversary in style with a grand celebration lunch to launch the coming season’s events and special dining experiences. I was there and it was fun!
This iconic food and wine destination perches high above the surrounding estate vineyards, with 180 degree panoramic views of both sea and mountain. Simply breathtaking, it is much sought-after by local and international cognoscenti. Events, launches, lunches and wine tastings, weddings and celebrations – Idiom’s where you want to have it.
Spectacular contemporary cuisine is served with a wide range of top wines to match, plus some delightful dining surprises and seasonal events. This festive season brings the Summer Sensation Macaroon and Wine Pairings R180 pp, Idiom Expressions of Regional Blends R200 pp, Idiom Single Varietal Wine and Canapé tasting R200 pp , the upcoming Prosecco Weekend 24-25th November (book now!) and the rare Italian Wine Experience in the Vinotria.
For enquiries and bookings contact Idiom reservations@idiom.co.za 021 858 1088.
Situated near Sir Lowry’s Pass, Idiom is one of the southernmost vineyards in the Stellenbosch appellation with a positioning on the upper slopes of the Helderberg Basin. The elevated vantage point offers a unique coastal perspective of the full profile of the Cape Peninsula across False Bay whilst having the green, windswept vineyards and rugged, fynbos-covered mountainside as a backdrop to this unique Cape Winelands destination.
The restaurant space acts as a theatre from where the beautiful landscape can be observed in its different moods. The interior design is reserved in its almost Scandinavian simplicity, offering a calming, sheltered place to taste Idiom’s superb range of wines and enjoy a leisurely afternoon with friends and family. The dining experience continues to ensure that clients get a wonderful balance of flavours, with visual presentation showcasing the impeccable technique and the young talent being developed in the kitchen.
CONTEMPORARY DINING
“Our focus is on contemporary cuisine bringing to life a fusion of our family’s Italian heritage as well as modern flavours and textures of the Cape. We have seventeen different grapes varieties from all over the world planted at Idiom, giving us plenty of scope for inspiration”, notes Roberto Bottega, who has headed up the project of developing the signature Idiom Tasting Centre. “Over the last two years, we have been working to establish the identity and desired direction of our Restaurant and Tasting Centre. Our main trading window is lunch, to take advantage of the views. Our primary goal is to create a top class food offering to match the scenery and complement and showcase our Idiom wines. We offer a ‘Contemporary Dining’ experience, which is a 2- and 3-course seasonal menu, with a recommended wine pairing for each dish. We want customers to have a memorable visit to Idiom.”[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9weOa71LWAE[/embedyt]
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“Each Idiom wine has its own unique character and flavour profile and we actively try and express those characters in the culinary offering, often using the colour spectrum as a guide,” adds Bottega. “Our current team in the kitchen, under the leadership of Calum Anderson, has a good understanding of this concept. The cured trout starter paired with Idiom Viognier and the lamb ragu paccheri paired with Idiom Zinfandel are two of my current favourites on our chef’s new menu.”
Guests can also request older vintages from Idiom’s library, and enjoy wines at close to cellar door prices, and which is an added benefit compared to eating in other top end establishments.
This season’s 2-course menu is priced at R315 per person and the 3-course is R390.
Wine pairings range from R30 – R90 per course depending on the wine.
reservations@idiom.co.za | 021 858 1088
Below are some photos from the new season’s menu
