Foxcroft: Flavour Bombs & Food as Couture

Fancy food makes me nervous.

I worry I won’t get enough to fill me up, or that I’ll be too dim to understand it.

Fear not at Foxcroft. The chefs there slay. You’ll be enchanted, sure – the plating is bewitching – but these are cooks who aim to please a hungry eater. They serve you up a meal you’ll plough through like the famished horde, just stopping short of picking up a plate to lick it.

Actually, I did. I licked my fingers, after dragging them through the remnants of a sauce. Why not? When food’s that good, you want to savour every morsel.

Some gentle nudging on my part of PR Luxury Brands – OK, I dropped heavy hints – resulted in an invitation to try out Foxcroft’s fab new Winter Lunch Special. From now till 31st July, on weekdays only, you can feast on some prime Foxcroft favourites. R195 – R295 buys you 2 – 4 small plates from the tapas menu; perfect for a quick midweek bite and a glass of vino. Nothing stops you from ordering more, of course, and as my experience taught me, you’ll want to order the entire menu.

Just before leaving home for lunch yesterday, I pored over the website to read the menu and study the gorgeous photos of the food. My enthusiasm gave way to mild panic as I realised: this is serious cooking. Fancy, too. What if I don’t like it? Or, worse still, what if I don’t understand it at all? That would be awkward.

Because I have been that customer who sat in a restaurant, so bewildered and confused by what I had just eaten that my sole response was to slap a fat tip on the table before shooting out the door. A good friend who is a serious wine lover joined me for lunch and while driving to Constantia, we discussed the likelihood of our imminent disappointment. Maybe intimidation, too.

I need not have worried. The very instant I set foot inside that lovely room at Foxcroft, all reserve resolved, melting away like a coat dropped to the floor. A low-lit, tony oblong room with open kitchen running all along the back, it’s a space in which good feelings naturally arise. The vibe is easy, warm, relaxed and welcoming. Service is superb: knowledgeable, on point, smooth and personable without veering into suave.

The location is spot-on for its clientele – a worldly, well-heeled crowd who know how to enjoy the finer things in life and make no bones about it.

It’s a place for business, too, for meeting friends and celebrations. I was charmed by two sets of first-time parents at the tables next to us, both pairs having their first treat meals out together with their newborn babes in arms. Foxcroft is that place where food memories are made with love.

Chef Glen works with deft assurance, skill and technique to put beautifully composed plates before you. He cooks with humour and joie de vivre; nothing studious or belaboured. There’s layered depth, texture, colour, taste and fun with huge flavour bombs popping everywhere. Vivid food that satisfies on every level. This is food as haute couture at pret á porter prices, a rare treat to be savoured.

‘And he doesn’t try too hard you know,’ my friend quipped at the end.

Truly of the best lunches I’ve ever had, and I take lunch seriously!

The feast we had is shared in photos posted below. Dreamy? Yes. Delicious? Oh man. Beyond.

Was I let down or intimidated? Not at all, I had a blast. I felt entertained and energised, comforted and nourished all at once in a happy, friendly space. And that’s a lot for lunch. You should try it too.