{"id":4812,"date":"2009-10-26T08:43:49","date_gmt":"2009-10-26T06:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=4812"},"modified":"2010-04-14T00:21:52","modified_gmt":"2010-04-13T22:21:52","slug":"cru-cafe-wine-bar-creates-terroir-in-cape-quarter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/cru-cafe-wine-bar-creates-terroir-in-cape-quarter\/","title":{"rendered":"Restaurant Review: Cru Cafe’ wine bar creates terroir in Cape Quarter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Cru Cafe’ is the first restaurant to have opened in the new extension to the Cape Quarter, and is a wine bar serving meals, rather than a restaurant that has a winelist!\u00a0\u00a0 With more than 120 wines and 20 wines-by-the-glass\u00a0on its extensive winelist, handpicked by its director Elsie Pells, a Cape Wine Master, it\u00a0makes a serious statement about its commitment to wine.\u00a0\u00a0A wine shop forms part of the\u00a0restaurant.\u00a0\u00a0 The restaurant space is\u00a0their “terroir”, says Elsie.<\/p>\n

Elsie Pells is charming, and a first meeting at the Portofino launch forms the foundation for a chat when she sits down at the table, and tells us about the wines and the restaurant.\u00a0 She has a strong hand on the wine and food serving.\u00a0\u00a0 Previously with NMK Premium Global, she\u00a0now works\u00a0as a wine consultant, sourcing wines,\u00a0designing wine\u00a0lists, and is soon to jet off to Prague, where she will help a local importer select the best South African wines to import.\u00a0\u00a0 She explains that Cru Cafe’ has selected twelve wine partners, who will provide wines to Cru Cafe’ for the next year, in return for more than one variety of the estate being carried, and these include Delheim, Boekenhoutskloof, Meerlust, Laibach, Joubert Tradouw, Kaapzicht, Paul Cluver, Graham Beck, Klein Constantia and Cederberg.\u00a0 She is proud to have selected a number of Platter 5-star wines on the winelist, before Platters announced its\u00a0 2010 5-star list.<\/p>\n

White wines range from R 80 for the Vergelegen Vin de Florence to R 460 for a Sterhuis\u00a0Astra Sauvignon Blanc\/Chardonnay.\u00a0\u00a0 The red wines range from R 90 for the Delheim Cabernet Shiraz to R 580 for the Kanonkop Paul Sauer.\u00a0\u00a0 Boekenhoutskloof’s 2006 Syrah costs R 480, and the Meerluct Rubicon 2004 costs R 490.<\/p>\n

Elsie explains that in wine, “cru” is usually linked to “grand”, meaning ‘great growth’, and this is what Cru Cafe’ hopes to achieve: serving high quality food, wines and offering quality service.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The chef Wesley Petterson is from the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Vineyard Hotel, and Elsie is clear that only lunches and dinners will be served, to match their wines.\u00a0\u00a0 Breakfasts are to be eaten at other restaurants in the Cape Quarter, she says.\u00a0 The menu has a smallish selection of about 6 starters, salads, mains and desserts each, as well as about ten tasty-sounding tapas\u00a0choices.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The most more-ish homemade cheese sticks are served prior to the meal coming to the table.\u00a0 The steak was good and\u00a0the dried seaweed on the steak was a reminder of steaks enjoyed at Tank across the road many moons ago.\u00a0\u00a0 The Delheim Shiraz by the glass was excellent.\u00a0\u00a0 The waitron service still needs some help, especially on the wine side.<\/p>\n

A most annoying discovery was an automatic addition of 10 % “commission” to the bill.\u00a0\u00a0 The manager graciously took it off the bill.\u00a0\u00a0 The service is not yet at the level to deserve a 10 % tip.\u00a0 Tips should be a discretionary payment by the diner anyway.<\/p>\n

Tom and Jacques Castelein are the owners of the restaurant, which has a name-sake in Chicago, and they previously owned Tasca de Belem in the V & A Waterfront.<\/p>\n

Cru Cafe’ is in the Cape Quarter extension\u00a0at 27 Somerset Road, De Waterkant, tel 021\u00a0418 6293,\u00a0www.thecrucafe.com<\/a>.\u00a0 Parking is available in the building, and is currently free of charge.<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio www.whalecottage.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cru Cafe’ is the first restaurant to have opened in the new extension to the Cape Quarter, and is a wine bar serving meals, rather than a restaurant that has a winelist!\u00a0\u00a0 With more than 120 wines and 20 wines-by-the-glass\u00a0on its extensive winelist, handpicked by its director Elsie Pells, a Cape Wine Master, it\u00a0makes a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[3,124,20,21,19],"tags":[389,1778,2421,1373,32378,2490,2077,2489,2420,226,2492,405,1963,413,2491,401,2488,58,2493,2294,252,2498,1512,1074,2497,447,690,2496,2495,2499,173,2494,32373,2487,2500],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t