The Shortmarket Club

The Shortmarket Club has a luxe old-world feel with many of the dishes presented as modern interpretations of classics. The restaurant works closely with local suppliers for all of their ingredients, which in turn inspire the menus. The opulent space features accents from local artists, married with meticulously-sourced vintage pieces, such as military-style lamps and stained glass. Consistently appearing in Eat Out’s Top 20 restaurants, The Shortmarket Club has set the bar for a more interesting and exciting food scene. For our last dinner in Cape Town, we opted for the tasting menu with wine pairing.

We both started with Tuna Tartare with hazelnut, burrata, aged balsamic and a side of sliced lardo.  It was paired with a light Cape Rock White Blend 2017.

Keith then ate the Duck Liver and Foie Gras Parfait with Venison Carpaccio, burnt honey dressing, Jerusalem Artichoke crisps and poached quince.  This dish was paired with a dessert wine, Jordan Mellifera Riesling 2018.  It seemed unusual at first, but the sweetness helped to offset the rich foie gras.

I enjoyed the Ricotta Ravioli with fig leaf baked ricotta, parmesan velouté and baked celeriac served with a wild mushroom en papillote.  The paper packet was torn open and the mushrooms then dumped on the plate of the ravioli.  There was so much umami flavor in this dish, which paired nicely with a glass of Spioenkop Pinot Noir 2015.

Next, we each indulged in the Butter Roasted Lobster with potato darphin, fennel gribiche, lobster shell hollandaise, fine herbs, and poached quail egg.  This decadent dish was paired with a glass of Julien Schaal Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2017.

Keith ate the Roasted Quail stuffed with pork, dates, and smoked duck liver. It came with pan-fried wild mushrooms, pomme purée, and lentil provençal.  This dish was paired with the same Spioenkop Pinot Noir 2015 that I had with the ravioli.

My vegetarian substitute was a lovely galette of Ratatouille served with a Milanese risotto studded with ashed goats cheese, smoked tomato purée, and preserved summer tomato. This dish was very tasty and comforting. My dish was paired with a glass of Eagle's Nest Merlot 2014.

Finally, for dessert we each ate the Chocolate Glace fried in coconut oil, served with tonka and vanilla cream, and burnt white chocolate ice cream.  This dessert was fabulous and was paired with a small glass of Bosman Dolce Primitivo 2016.

I appreciated the attention to detail and the accommodation to substitute vegetarian options of certain dishes for me. Reservations are required several weeks in advanced, but are easily made online.

Total Rating: 4.23
Food: 4.5, Price: 3, Service: 4.5, Ambience: 5, Accessibility: 4