Bistro 1682 launch
I’m creating another new category for this post. I don’t normally post about a new spot until I’ve been there to review it, but I realise that it could be a while before I get there and sometimes you need to know about it! So I will start telling you about new places I’ve been to but may not have reviewed yet.
This week I went to the launch of the new restaurant on Steenberg estate, Bistro 1682. Those of you familiar with Steenberg will know that it is a top notch estate where every aspect is stylish and classy. I have reviewed the excellent and reputable Catharina’s restaurant before.
Bistro 1682 continues in these high standards, not only through the venue, but through the menu too. The venue consists of a tasting lounge, and restaurant which each boast a large al fresco area with lovely pools and gardens.
Here are some pictures of the restaurant, tasting room and tasting lounge, but bear in mind the pictures do not do the place justice. It is a huge space and decorated in a summery, light style.
We ordered off the menu for lunch which is a great way of finding out what the restaurant food is all about. I find it strange when restaurants have launches and you don’t get to taste the dishes on the menu. I ordered the duck salad starter (we didn’t see the prices). The other diners at the table ordered the crayfish souffle, the asparagus spears and the beetroot salad. We weren’t unhappy with our starters, but the mains stole the show. Well, my main in particular.
I had the beef tataki (pictured below with the charcuterie platter) and it was amazing, everyone who tasted it loved it. The salmon sandwich was a little disappointing, the rib-eye steak with bernaise sauce was pretty good and the charcuterie platter was excellent, showcasing local cured meats.
I did get a look at the breakfast menu, because I will definitely be coming here for breakfast. Apparently they make their own bacon, which already interests me. Bacon and eggs is R52, eggs benedict, R55 and scrambled eggs and salmon R58. I’m told (by the chef) the scrambled eggs are the best in the world.
They are not open in the evening but serve a tapas menu from 5pm to about 7:30pm. It looks very enticing, with hints of authentic Spain. Options like chorizo, baby octopus, gambas, sardines and whitebait are on offer along with the beef tataki, anti pasti plate and several more. Prices range around R40 to R45.
One thing which I was really impressed with was that the wines are available at cellar prices. More estates should do this, it would make them much more appealing. To be able to order a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for R50, makes dining at Bistro Sixteen82 (which is apparently how it is written) a very reasonably priced experience. More money to spend on the awesome food.
Go and check it out, if you time it right, you’ll see me there!
Bistro Sixteen82
Steenberg Estate, Tokai
Tel: 021 713 2211
www.steenberg-vineyards.co.za
November 20th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Looks good; will check it out soon.
I can only agree that restaurants on winefarms should serve the wine at cellar prices. Another great place for this kind of lunch is the restaurant at Beyerskloof.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:56 am
I recently went to Bistro 1682 and I have never in my life waited longer for my meal. Im not going to mention names/ who served us but we arrived at 2pm to find we could only order measly Tapa’s. After booking a table which was not available (or clean when we arrived) we waited in the back section of the wine tasting area for two hours. Eventually, parched and ravenous we were seated and starving by this point. They did not even serve us bread to nibble on while we waited!!!
We ordered a couple of oysters and platters but only got our food around 7 ish. a whole 5 hours after we had arrived!
it seemed like we were shuffled out for the next people to come in at 8.
The restaurant was extremely busy but it felt like we didn’t get the time of day!!!
I like the decor but that massive chandelier as you come in the entrance is hideous and has got to go!!!
November 21st, 2009 at 9:43 pm
That sounds like a very unpleasant experience, let’s hope we can chalk it up to teething problems because I would hate such a lovely place to be ruined by bad execution.
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Good morning Bernice.
Thanks for your feedback Bernice. I would like to apologise for your experience. There must also have been a miscomunication with regards to times of service. The bistro hours for lunch are from 12:30 to 16:00 and tapas are only served from 16:30 untill 19:30.The restaurant closes at 20:00. We do not have a dinner service. I would also like to mention that it is not our policy to shuffle people out to get the next lot in,in fact the opposite is our policy; that if a guest arrives before 19:30 but is still here after closing time we accomodate them.
Please could you contact me at brad@bistro1682.co.za or
021 713 2211
Regards
Brad Ball
Executive Chef
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Just come back from this place for lunch and comments as follows.
Beautiful setting as expected, and the interior is a wow 10/10 however the rest just lets it down.
We arrived at 12.15 to be told that lunch doesnt start until 12.30, it opens for breakfast till 11.30 and then closes for an hour for food which is quite biazzare, why isnt it open all day, isnt this the idea.
Very limited menu with no real imagination or razz, it seems confused, is it a bistro or not, where are all the usual bistro favourites, out of the 6-8 main courses i only fancied 1-2 of them.
And please tell me why restaurants have Sole as the fish of the day, arent there so many local fish which are better.
We asked for bread and where served cold stale mass market rolls with burnt garlic topping which we couldnt eat.
I asked for a caeser salad and was told that i could have one but it would have to be without eggs as they ran out.
I then asked for gravalax which they said they had run out as well, then after i ordered the waitress came back 10 minutes later and said they did in fact have gravalax.
We placed our order at 12.20 and didnt get out food until 12.50 when i had to ask for it.
I asked for the meat platter which was good but the only mustard they could offer me was spicy hot, no dijon whch again is an error.
We left after an hour, unimpressed, hungry and wont come back.
its such a pity as its an amazing building with a great feel, the reason its so busy is the usual case in our city, its the place to try at the moment, will be very interesting to see how full it is in 3-4 months.
Poor at best, so many better places to eat in CPT
3/10
December 7th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
We’ve booked our Xmas lunch there on the 17th Dec. and having looked at the two reviews above, I wonder if I’ve done the right thing?
December 7th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I’ve been to the Bistro at least 5 times since opening and in my opinion, because everyone is welcome to their own, it is the best restaurant in the valley bar one or two. The service, food and ambience is wonderful. The best gnocchi I have ever had and the tataki is a taste sensation unlike any other i have had. Wine prices are extremely reasonable. I am yet to have a bad experience at the bistro.
I’v booked for Christmas lunch and won’t miss it for the world. I usually go to constantia uitsig but wanted a change this year.
December 7th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Hi Adrian
If you are after style rather than substance and you dont really have expectations with regards to the food then you should go, as i said in my review it is a stunning place and a great setting but the food just does not reflect the hype.
Darren
December 7th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Adrian, I think that as a group you will get focused attention. I’m sure you’ll have a lovely experience. Have the beef tataki!
I look forward to hearing your feedback.
December 8th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Hi All
Thanks for all of the feedback and reviews, and thanks Dax, for your wonderful support.
Although I can hardly offer this as an excuse, I can only say that we’ve been through an immensely steep learning curve, with 1000′s of teething problems, probably high-lighted by the fact that we opened in season (delayed building). Our very first lesson (and challenge) was that it’s hard to find experienced staff this time of year – it’s like leaving your job before getting your bonus! Our staff’s been put through three weeks of training, and it was only a matter of time before they found their confidence and groove!
We fell into a rythm of having constant meetings, addressing the complaints we got (another thing we learnt: complaints in the wine industry hardly exists! Not so in the restaurant industry!), and fixing the problems, constantly.
I guess what I want to say, about three weeks after our opening, is this: we’ve listened to all of you, we are STILL listening to all of you, we’ve addressed the problems, and we will keep on addressing them. If you care to give us another try, I am confident that you will find our waiters friendly, more confident, service faster, portions generous, and food delicious.
Adrian, please feel free to contact me on (021) 713 2211 – I am most happy to assist in making your Xmas party an unforgettable one.
Anetha Homan
Marketing & Sales Manager, Steenberg Vineyards
January 4th, 2010 at 9:07 am
We ate there on Saturday — the classic long lunch. And I would be remiss in not adding to this post to say: The service was UNBELIEVABLE!!! Never have I had such excellent service, so accommodating, the waitress in fact said: Don’t worry about me, you’re the most important (when we made a request that might’ve put her out). My fear of eating in fancy restaurants is that the serving staff have such airs and graces and make me feel as if I have to tiptoe around them. Not here. Thank goodness they didn’t “dress” me with the serviette — my pet hate!!
The food was very nice, although the side salad too salty. But we were so happy, we didn’t even think of commenting to the staff. Asparagus starter was delicious, I wanted to lick the sauce off the plate. Which actually makes me wonder why they serve off fluted plates, the sauce becomes trapped! And the washing up must be a nightmare.
We were two vegetarians (three at our table), and we ordered all the veg options. Nice that we had a selection. The meat eater at the table commented that the mushroom risotto was too mushroomy, and yes, perhaps too much mushroom stock (if that’s what they used — they assured us it was not chicken stock). But what a pretty selection of mushrooms.
Creme Brulee was deliciously creamy, and the blood orange flavour was superb.
The waitress blew us away when she said they didn’t have peppermint tea, but would I like to have fresh mint leaves in hot water. Clever thinking! Beautifully presented in a glass teapot.
It was so hot on Saturday, we felt we might be singed off the earth. So we were brought bowl after bowl of ice, and carafes of water with lemon and fresh mint, with not a ounce of “you’re wasting our time and we can’t even charge you for this”.
Although I don’t usually like industrial-style architecture, the double-volume doorways beautifully and majestically frame the outside rural scene. And that chandelier is spectacular.
Prices were surprisingly reasonable for such a grand place, particularly the wine — couldn’t believe how cheap it was by the glass.
With such accommodating and delightful service, definitely a place to return to.
January 4th, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Thanks for that feedback, I’m glad to hear that they seem to have sorted out their service issues. I’d like to get back there for brunch sometime soon.