There are few things in life more satisfying than a snooze in dappled sunlight after a good lunch. Fewer, even, are the restaurants that cater to this impulse. The Table is just such an establishment, encouraging patrons to languish on the lawns, sipping sleepily on wines alongside the vines that gave them provenance, while slowly digesting a hearty meal… comfort food in every sense.
The Table is located on the beautiful De Meye boutique wine estate near Stellenbosch, where, for five generations, the Myburgh family has been proudly ‘keeping things real and personal’. This ethos has been carried over to the restaurant, where only a handful of tables are spread out under the trees in the vast, park-like garden, each receiving the hosts’ personal attention.
Luke and Jessica Grant offer a set, three-course lunch menu using ethically produced, locally sourced ingredients – many of which are grown in the farm’s own vegetable garden.
The seasonality of the ingredients not only ensures freshness and flavour, but picking a product in its prime guarantees maximum nutritional value, providing the body with the enzymes, anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals vital to a healthy immune system. Who needs supplements when you have access to Mother Nature’s pantry?
They start you off with local, wood-fired bread, farm butter and home-made spreads and terrines…
… entice you with crunchy veg (I fell in love with this beetroot tarte tartin with rocket and sour cream, and was chuffed to discover the recipe on their website!)…
… and fill your belly with hearty, slow-cooked meats with seasonal sides…
… before finishing you off with a light, fruity dessert, all accompanied by delicious De Meye wines.
It makes sense for a restaurant to serve food they’re able to produce themselves or source as locally as possible: it reduces costs, lowers the carbon footprint and supports the local economy. It also provides for clear traceability from the plate, straight back to the source, with only the chef’s skilled touch between – keeping things real and personal.
The Table is open for lunch only, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (during the week by special arrangement), and booking is essential. In winter when it’s cold and rainy, the restaurant moves indoors, where a wood burning stove keeps the guests cozy within the lime-washed walls of a quaint old farm building.
For more information on seasonal eating and what’s in season right now, read this informative article by Yuppiechef.
Better yet, head out to The Table and find out for yourself.