THE expectations for our lunch at Foxcroft, part of the multi award-winning La Colombe group, were admittedly high. Standards have been set after all. But there was nothing but confidence that the restaurant would meet, even exceed them.
A move longer in the making than you’d think, Foxcroft and its new sibling, Little Fox, are now open at Constantia Nek. Two restaurants, two vibes. I deliberately didn’t go peek inside Little Fox because we’re lunching there tomorrow and I’m looking forward to a happy surprise, having seen both sides during construction. Foxcroft is elegant and sophisticated, with a stunning ceiling installation and a view over Constantia Valley to sigh for. I’m obsessed with the bathroom too, which I’ll put into the Instagram post I am planning.
Beautiful interior, check. Well trained staff, check. Set menus, Chef’s and Reduced, check. Classic and Iconic wine pairings, check. Does the food and its presentation live up to all this? Definitely yes, hard check.
It begins with herbed salt bread, still warm, with two butters, or if you’re rich, caviar with smoked snoek, bokkom furikake, apricot and crispy potato. We are not rich, but the aroma of that bread took our minds off that sad fact, as did the truffled cauliflower dusted with roasted yeast.
Next up, three gorgeous little nibbles: market fish ssam, celeriac noodle soup and a garden tartlet crammed with vibrant summer flavours (above). On the Reduced menu, there is a choice of Namibian crab and tomato kimchi or tuna ceviche with coconut ad mango; on the full Chef’s menu you get both. Being two of us, we could share.
The crayfish with jollof and berbere spice and mushrooms (above) was my favourite (this is important later), followed by the table side preparation of a litchi, rose and coconut palate cleanser, in the most delightful receptacle I’ve ever seen (pictured below) and which we had so much fun with. I marvel at the creative minds that come up with things like this. It’s so clever in its execution, and beautifully practical at the same time. I’m not going to explain how it works, you must discover the joy yourself.
Main meaty courses are cannon of lamb or wagyu with shavings of black truffle. Oh the luxury of it all. Both are served with denningvleis on the side, and turnip, and the wine was served from a cunning device called Winnie which is controlled via a phone app for the perfect pour. What a time to be alive. No space for a pic, again you can find out when you go.
The dessert was a Mont Blanc with chestnut elements, mascarpone and burnt vanilla and I loved it so much, with its creamy and crunchy textures. They have A Guy who collects the chestnuts from the nearby forest, and I feel like it’s the first time I’ve had them; if it wasn’t the first time then the previous dishes were clearly not memorable. This one will live on in my head.
Of course, dessert is not the end. A trolley is wheeled out with a doll-size house. Inside are many little drawers, each containing a secret. You are asked which was your favourite dish and you will get a chocolate inspired by that. Just the one, which makes me so curious about what else is in there. Well obviously all the courses but how do they translate from savoury to sweet? There’s a lot of sorcery going on here.
We were treated to many very special wines and their stories, and there was just the right amount of theatre and drama with visits from the kitchen. It’s such a fine line between deft charm and completely overdoing it. Soigné (which chef patron Glen Foxcroft Williams has tattooed on his arm; it was his first) means everything at Foxcroft is prepared with great attention to detail, showing sophisticated elegance. It’s the guiding principle of the restaurant and is no idle boast.
For more information and to book online (please use the Dineplan link on the website), click here.
