Cafe Del Sol Classico

My first experience of Cafe Del Sol in celebration of my friend Jadene's 30th. The party was held at the Landmark Bar which forms part of Cafe Del Sol Botanico in Bryanston. The cocktails menu was as long as it was delicious and the bruschetta, truffle popcorn and other snacks were a tantalising hint at the potential delights of the main menu. I will admit to taking out a beautiful Le Cruset pot plant with my ever expanding rear after maybe a touch too much festive cheer but then I probably would have done the same without any festive cheer knowing my clumsy ways. 

 Kyle and I have been keen to go back to where it all started at the Olivedale Branch or Cafe Del Sol Classico as it is now known. Getting a booking, however ,is no easy task; especially, if like us, you tend to follow your cravings rather than plan eating out well in advance. In a stroke of luck, on Friday, Jadene (who incidentally is friends with the owners and an ardent fan) managed to secure a last minute booking for four of us at Classico. 

Right off the bat we were impressed with the comprehensive wine list which is a nice mix of local and imported wines and includes both value for money and small batch boutique wines. As it was an unusually wet winter evening, we opted for dark and fruity Paul Wallace 'Black Dog Malbec' out of Elgin and a Beyerskloof Reserve Pinotage, both of which we really enjoyed. 

Dinner Delights - Pictures by Jadene Tager

My favourite dish of the evening was the Porchini Risotto which was deep and earthy; laced with the decadent flavour of truffle oil. We also enjoyed the Ameretto Semifrodo and the Chocolate Tart (both pictured above). Kyle and I shared a starter of ravioli filled with butternut and amaretti biscuit in a creamy walnut sauce. We felt this dish lacked balance but this was remedied with a sprinkling of salt. I must note that the manager, Jaques, did advise that he preferred the ravioli with a burnt butter sage sauce (not the standard sauce but available on request) which probably would have given the dish the balance we missed. 

Speaking of Jaques, we were very impressed by his attentiveness and passion. At one point he invited me over to the kitchen, where I was taken through a tasting of some of the sauces which was a lovely personal experience and a great chance to experience more of the menu. In fact all of the staff,  and the service in general, were outstanding. 

Overall we had a great evening with lovely company and a great start to our newly formed (after the second glass of wine) supper club.