For starters we chose to have a Antipasto Misto for one.  When the plate came we were concerned that they had by mistake made it for two.  It was huge.  There was a perfect balance of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and spices on each of the items.  There was some salami, pickled carrots, aubergine, courgettes, olives, and roasted peppers.  Each of the flavours was its own, but they complimented each other perfectly.  Well done chef.

The main courses came out a little fast but the taste of the food was excellent.  We had a plate of Vittelo al Limone and a congitelle with ricotta and pumpkin baked in the oven.  Delicious on both accounts.  The food reminded me of the family owned restaurants in Italy.  No pretentiousness in the presentation, just a hearty meal made for gastronomic delight.  The veal was tender and the sauce was tangy and sweet at the same time.  The vegatables were well seasoned and the baby roast potatoes were delicious.  The congitelle was rich and flovoursome.  Sweet and creamy.

This was in all a superb meal, topped off by a strong, bitter  espresso.

I would suggest this trattoria to anyone looking for great ambience, great food and superb service.

Service: 8.5 / 10

Taste: 9 / 10

Speed of Service: 7.5 / 10 (was too fast!)

Ambience: 9.5 / 10

Overall Impression: 8.9 / 10

Total Score: 8.7 / 10

I entered the hotel wanting to eat an early dinner, however the kitchen was yet to open.  This was not a problem, I sat by the pool in the quiet garden sipping on a refreshing drink while I waited for the restaurant to open.  I am glad I decided to stick it out and wait for the kitchen to open.  A delightful Maître De escorted me through to my table.  I had spoken to him before going through to my table and found out that the menu had just recently changed.  Interestingly enough the menu never changes entirely as this is too difficult on the waiters and the chefs.  I had perused the menu before and I asked his opinion of what was best to eat on the menu.  I had chosen all the new meals on offer.

In the end I had chosen a light (or so I thought) green asparagus soup with Parmesan and white truffles grown on the neighboring farm, Morgenster, for starters, a main course of loin of lamb with carrot and sweet potato mash and tempura style green beans and top with a classic lamb demiglas with chocolate and chili, and finally for dessert I chose an old favourite of mine, a chocolate fondant.

The soup arrived and it was very nicely presented with a swirl of truffle oil decorating the top and some deep fried basil (a strange flavour to have with asparagus I thought).  The soup I was told would be a light soup, however, I found the flavour to be incredibly rich and heavy as there was a lot of cream in the soup.  The flavours were interesting, and I am not sure if that is a compliment.  The asparagus was completely overpowered by the flavour of the truffles and truffle oil.  The parmesan cheese also overpowered the flavour of the asparagus.  This was disappointing as the asparagus should by all means have been the primary flavour in the soup.  The truffle is an incredibly difficult item of produce to cook with as the flavour is so unique and so unbelievably strong.  The starter for me was somewhat disappointing.  This was a superb concept and I feel that given time, this could be a great dish on the menu.

The main course was, in my opinion, a work of genius.  The sauce was rich, piquant, smooth and perfectly seasoned.  The tempura beans were crunchy and bursting with flavour.  The mash of carrot sweet potato was flavoursome and the texture was perfect on the palette.  The lamb had the most amazing texture and flavour (one gripe about the lamb, however, was the chef did not let it rest long enough and the juices from the lamb had not yet fully absorbed back into the meat).  This dish is a well conceived idea of the chef, and top marks for his presentation and flavours.

The dessert was good.  I can’t say it was brilliant and I can’t slam it.  A chocolate fondant is difficult to make and the dessert chef did a superb job of making the fondant so that it was firm on the outside and gooey in the centre.

Overall this was a great dining experience.  The meal came to a final cost of R300.00 for one, including tip, but excluding wine.  In the restaurants defence however, I did choose the most expensive menu items.

Highly recommended!

Service: 7.5/10
Taste: 8.8/10
Speed of Service 9/10
Ambience 7/10
Overall Impression 9.5/10
Total Score: 8.4/10