Image above of the Chef’s Table experience at Planet Restaurant at the Mount Nelson Hotel, taken from the Planet Restaurant website
Article by Amy Green, Client Services Director for Hills of Africa Travel
On a recent trip to Cape Town, we stayed at the Mount Nelson Hotel, a historic hotel in the middle of a vibrant, trendy section of town. From high tea (we felt very British!) to dinner at the Chef’s Table at the hotel’s Planet Restaurant, our taste buds were delighted.
My husband’s savory selections at “Tea time at the Nelly”
We wanted something fun to do for dinner that we probably wouldn’t ever have the opportunity to try at home. We were not disappointed! Dinner at the Chef’s Table was a fantastic decision. We were seated right in the kitchen and encouraged to walk around and ask questions. There was so much going on, we felt it better to sit tight and watch from the sidelines. There were 8, I repeat 8 courses! See below for our course listing and pictures. Each course was presented by the different chefs with great fanfare and descriptions. Unfortunately, most of the describing was lost on us and we were happy to pretend we understood just what they were telling us and enjoyed our food and drinks.
Course 1 – bread, butter, and duck with jelly
Course 2 – seasoned oysters on the half shell served on a salt block with rock salt
Course 3 – bread with pate, sauces, and chutney:
Course 4 – Crayfish tail with fried crayfish legs, lentils, and yellow jalapeño sauce:
Course 5 – Sole (fish) with mashed potatoes, veggies, and tomato chutney:
Course 6 – Beef loin and stuffed tomato topped with mushrooms and artichokes
Course 7 – Cheese course
Course 8 – Dessert- baked apples with ice cream and praline topping
I highly recommend this dining option if you are ever in Cape Town. Not only was the food delicious and the experience loads of fun, but it was also a steal in comparison to what such a night out would cost here in the United States. I’m now obsessed with searching for chef’s table options for us to try at home!
After several days exploring the city and sadly realizing we couldn’t get a table at The Test Kitchen (they fill up 6 months out!) we moved on from South Africa to embark on a Zimbabwe safari vacation . . . I’ll share that blog post with you soon, so stay tuned!
