Executive Chef Phillip Senoamadi curates Cape Point Vineyards' Winter Menu

JANE MAYNE

The expansive estate drive up to Cape Point Vineyards’ restaurants leads you past neat rows of vineyards before revealing a magnificent setting framed by mountains and sweeping views across the Atlantic Ocean – this is undoubtedly one of Cape Town’s most spectacular dining destinations.

The farm is renowned for its cool-climate wines, with the maritime location playing an integral role in shaping both the vineyard and the visitor experience. World-class cuisine adds much to the allure of this Noordhoek gem, and the arrival of their Winter Menu is a welcome invitation to settle in and savour the season in the Deep South.

Head Chef Phillip Senoamadi

Executive Chef Phillip Senoamadi’s approach celebrates local ingredients with creativity and finesse. He explains that, “We’ve tapped into the warmth of seasonal vegetables with these dishes, which have been chosen and adapted from our main menu to give guests a taste of what we offer. This is feel-good fare, perfect for cooler days.”

Guests can also choose to start the experience with a new oyster and Sauvignon Blanc pairing in the Tasting Lounge. Here three beautifully dressed oysters are matched with Cape Point Vineyards wines. Moving from the lounge to the restaurant diners, can make a selection from the set winter menu: This is R295 for two courses, or R350 for three courses – you have a choice of starters, main courses, and desserts.

Take a look at the full Winter Restaurant Special here.

Standout Winter Menu dishes

Starters are beautifully executed: Yellowtail Tartare is served inside a light, crisp golgappa, where lime aioli and capers add brightness and a welcome burst of salinity to the delicate fish. A baby Rainbow Carrot Tarte Tatin features caramelised carrots paired with creamy whipped feta and fresh chives, creating a balance of sweetness, tang and buttery pastry. For heartier appetites, the Hoisin Glazed Pork Shoulder is complemented by a silky beetroot and apple purée, smoky charred onion and crackling.

Main course options begin with a divine crispy-skinned chicken breast with smoked cauliflower purée, rainbow carrots, charred leeks, and thyme jus. Herb-crusted line fish of the day is served on creamy barley with charred leeks, spinach and leek velouté, with a grilled lemon to elevate everything with a touch of zing. Vegetarians can opt for roasted butternut spinach ravioli with feta and spring onion, a butternut velouté and an umami punch of parmesan.

Pastry chef Samantha van Sitter has crafted the desserts. Seasonal sweets include Malva Pudding with preserved fig, and dreamy crème fraîche ice cream; a delightful Citrus-centre Parfait enrobed in a mirror glaze; and a Red Wine Poached Pear served with cinnamon and orange sorbet and a citrus crumble.

A full à la carte is also available. Notably, sides are generous enough to be enjoyed as a starter, or as a selection to share.

The winter set menu special is available Tuesdays to Fridays and runs until the end of August 2026. Book via Dineplan, or call 021 789 0900.

Palate cleansing wine and oyster pairing

CPV’s CEO, Lizanne van der Spuy, comments that, “As a farm that’s two kilometers away from the ocean, we’ve got the ideal terroir for Sauvignon Blanc. When we started the farm years ago, we tried some pinot noir, but the Sauvignon Blanc was the one that completely stood out, and we decided to focus 100% on that.”

“That led us to the question as to what do we serve in your tasting room, as there’s not many cheeses that really go great with that. So, we thought of the idea of doing a wine and oyster pairing, which we have been offering for some time, but we recently decided to bring the whole concept of the ocean and our closeness to it even more out in the pairing. Our first oyster goes with our lifestyle Sauvignon Blanc – it’s got beautiful fresh fruit-forward notes with fish stock, and lemon and cucumber granita.”

The second oyster is offset by grapefruits pearls with beetroot tuile. This is served with Noordhoek Sauvignon Blanc, which is picked from all over the farm. Lizanne expands: “It’s stainless steel fermented, and has beautiful creamy flavours. It’s all one grape, but from different vines with very different profiles. It’s also got beautiful floral notes, but I do taste a lot more fynbos in this wine and you do pick up hint of the salinity from the ocean nearby, and of course, the beautiful acidity that our wines are known for. It’s a got a little bit of Sémillon, about 5%, but mostly stainless-steel fermented Sauvignon Blanc on gross lees.”

The CPV’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc complements oyster three. “These grapes we pick from the top part of the farm on the mountain slope. They are in shade until 9 or 10 in the morning and then they get a very long afternoon sun. Its right in the teeth of the wind. During harvest you can actually even see a thin layer of saltiness on top of the skins. Small bunches with thick skins give you lots of beautiful flavours. We barrel ferment the Reserve for 14 months.”

“We’re pairing this with our high tide oyster which has got a brioche crumb, and a jelly that’s made with oyster brine and pomegranate; and we added charred lemon dust, which highlights the smokiness of the wine.”