The most famous restaurant in Cape Town during our visit was Test Kitchen, which has won a spot on the World's 50 Best Restaurants for a number of years. Even though we tried months ahead to reserve a table, we couldn't get it (and we were told later that you need to try at least 6 months ahead to secure a reservation). So instead we tried its Asian-influenced sister restaurant, The Pot Luck Club , which is located in the same area, Old Biscuit Mill . The lunch was good but wasn't great, so even till today we still wonder how different our experience would have been had we gone to Test Kitchen. Luckily, our dinner at The Greenhouse that night more than made up for the small disappointment at lunch.
The Greenhouse is located a bit out of the way at the Cellars-Hohenort , a beautiful Relais & Chateau member property . The experience was well worth the drive out there. We had the 8-course tasting menu and it was an excellent meal all round - the modern European cooking with inventive African-influenced twists, the classic dining atmosphere in an airy space, and the understated, professional yet friendly service. We knew we were in for a treat from the very beginning when they served us the freshly baked bread in a nest with the "balsamic" infused butter. The 8-course tasting menu with wine pairing came out to ~$100 per head which is a fraction of the cost for a similar-quality meal in New York City.
Go a bit earlier than your reservation so that you have some time to roam around the beautiful grounds of The Cellars-Hohenort. After doing that ourselves, we hope to stay there on our next Cape Town trip!