Restaurant Review: Stables at Vergelegen
STABLES at Vergelegen is a lovely, airy daytime space opening onto the neat, showpiece gardens of this immaculate and historic winery. You approach it through a formal octagonal garden and step into an interior that features colourful elements in the designer chairs and rustic chic in the African animal art, along with a prominent driftwood sculpture of a horse.
There is a generous sense of space to the two lounge areas, both with fireplaces, as well as separate rooms for groups.
Large window-doors open onto a patio with seating and the formal gardens beyond, with nearby plane trees and mountains in the distance.
It’s all very polished and elegant, while hitting the balance between relaxed and sophisticated. In this regard, a wall of deli goods and gifts helps to create a casual air.
The food offered ranges widely through “comfort classics”.
Breakfasts include eggs Benedict and Royale, as well as charcuterie and cheese or health options (about R70) — and there are also the many choices from the bakery section, such as scones, pastries and tarts, making it an equally useful tea shop.
Sandwiches (club and cold roast beef being two options) and salads (chicken and lentil or roast butternut) start the lunch variety, then there’s a pizza list (with “gourmet” options such as hot smoked salmon, and lamb and aubergine), a short list of grills and burgers, and then the “farm favourites”. These include mussels, cauliflower risotto, springbok pie and fish of the day.
Most meals are less than R100 — good value indeed. Also, provenance is listed with a preference for free range and sustainable, a pleasing and contemporary nod to transparency in sourcing.
Kids are welcome and well catered for in the space and on the menu with items such as sticky chicken and mash and rainbow vanilla cupcakes.
Over a number of meals, my conclusion is that lunches trump the breakfasts (which are solid, if a little plain); the steaks are well prepared with fresh sides and the pizzas are bursting with fresh flavour, plus they use decent cheese on them.
The salmon fishcake (with Hollandaise and a poached egg — so it could serve as breakfast too) is delicious, with a good sauce and a farm-laid egg that has a deep orange yolk.
At my most recent lunch, the apple crumble cheesecake was the only average course, the temperature suggesting it was straight from the fridge with the concomitant lack of flavour, but there was a good espresso to finish, from the good local Cape roaster, Truth Coffee Cult.
There is a very well-drilled team on the floor, from the welcome sense of being hosted on arrival to the seating and the waiter. Good wine knowledge is displayed, although the list has only the estate’s wines. A request for tap water was met with a jug left on the table and the “by the glass” pour on the wine was similarly generous.
FOR: Lovely space and reliable food; good service.
AGAINST: Still don’t like the R10 it costs for them to open the boom at entrance.
RATING: Four stars out of five.
• JP Rossouw is editor of Rossouw’s Restaurants, the independent guide to dining in SA. All visits are made unannounced and are paid for.
Stables at Vergelegen
- Vergelegen Wine Estate, Lourensford Road, Somerset West
- Open daily for breakfast and lunch
- (021) 847-2156
- www.vergelegen.co.za
Source: BusinessDay
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