pastis brasserie

went out for lunch yesterday, at this spot in constantia called pastis, had one of the best burgers i have had in a while – bacon and cheese, really recommend it and so does the write up from winemag below, check it out…

Where do professional chefs eat when they're not on duty? Quite a few of them can be seen these days at Pastis, Hugh von Zahn and Rudi Minnaar's new venture in the High Constantia Centre. Franck Dangereux, Frank Swainston and Peter Goffe-Wood are all singing the praises of this traditional brasserie.

It opened in mid-June and was an immediate hit in the valley. A Tuesday night visit in the middle of the Olympics found it full to the brim with locals and folk like me who'd made the trek from our normal habitats. Not just busy, but also buzzing with conversation and laughter. And that's how a brasserie is supposed to be.

Characteristically large, noisy, casual and affordable with good country wines and lots of beer, a large part of their charm is that you're surrounded by people who're obviously enjoying themselves hugely and don't mind who knows it.

Simply decorated with red and white checked tablecloths and French art posters on the wall, the place is cheerful and the ambience almost commands diners to relax and have fun. They serve the kind of fresh ingredient-based, simple but tasty food that is typical of a brasserie. Hugh von Zahn believes diners are tired of fancy food and exotic combinations presented with the flair of an interior designer. He believes they are hungry for a return to a simpler plate, with food they recognise and could possibly cook themselves, but prepared with the attention most domestic cooks simply don't have time for.

You can breakfast on croissants (baked daily on the premises); or omelette aux fines herbes with either ham and mushroom or brie and chilli jam; or sautéed mushrooms on croustade.

The lunch menu consists of a selection of salads and sandwiches. The tomato, chèvre and olive salad with tapenade toasts is crunchily delicious, and the roasted chicken salad and buttermilk dressing is a medley of colour, texture and glorious taste. Try the traditional open croque monsieur of France, or equally traditional Creole fried prawn Po'Boy and transport yourself to New Orleans.

The evening starter menu includes, of course, onion soup gratinée, tomato tart provençal and escargot. Our table was particularly taken with the tender fried calamari served with harissa mayonnaise. Entrées include moules mariniere, bouillabaisse provençal, a casserole du jour and a baked fish in tomato and olives that was pronounced just-from-the-sea-fresh and delicious.

There were also Gallic moues of delight at the tenderness and tastiness of the core brasserie dish - entrecote with a béarnaise sauce and frites. The chocolate nemesis is the dessert most often ordered and at our table it disappeared in record time. The lemon tarte with mascarpone had just the required degree of, well, tartness, and the only, tiny, disappointment was the top of the crème brûlée. Although the crème part was pronounced very good, the topping was a bit lacking in the burnt sugar taste department.

The winelist is basic - but all the more common cultivars are represented by well-chosen examples. Most bottles are priced somewhere between R60 and R100, with good value offered by the Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc (R68), Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc (R88), Darling Celllars Shiraz (R86) and Saxenburg Guinea Fowl Merlot (R88). A 1 litre carafe, both blanc and rouge, for R64 is available. I was a little disappointed that only two wines from the Constantia Valley were featured.
Average three-course meal: R130.

Province :    Western Cape 
City/Town :  Cape Town 
Address :  HIGH CONSTANTIA CENTRE, GROOT CONSTANTIA ROAD, CONSTANTIA. TEL 021 794 8334. BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER DAILY. BYO R20. SMOKING IN THE BAR. STREET PARKING.

Food :        * * * *
Winelist :    * * *
Ambience : * * * *   
Service :     * * * *
Value :        * * * *