Dinner date @ Zest: Really good tasting menu. And very reasonably priced.
Slightly bare reviews when it’s a dinner date… I’m busy being fascinating and making glorious conversation (featuring very blurry photos). *Hinge/Tinder/Bumble sponsorship pending
I have recommended this restaurant to many people after I tried it. My date and I shared the calamari to start with a couple of oysters and then shared the Spring tasting menu. With a steady flow of cocktails, it was the perfect meal (and amount of food). The service was also really good and the inside has a good vibe even if the outside (which has a great view) is cold in the winter. It's cosy and golden inside with an open kitchen and bar.
Lüderitz Oysters with topping - R18 each • Chardonnay vinegar & shallots • Asian dressing • Dark Beer Ponzu dressing
Yummy oysters that were refreshingly iced and super fresh. I coudn’t pick a favourote dressing. I loved the classic chardonnay vinegar and shallot - you cant go wrong with the sharp vinegar and savoury onion paired with the sweet, sea flavoured oyster. The Asian dressing was awesome and the dark beer ponzu dressing had a malty-citrusy tang about it.
Grilled Baby Calamari, olive oil, with herb & caper dressing R95
So herbaceous and mediterranean. The entire dish was glistening with olive oil and the caper and herb dressing was salty and fresh. The calamari itself was tender and soaked up the dressing really nicely.
Hot smoked fish croquettes, apple, garlic & dill aioli
If you’re a fan of smoked fish, then you will love this. It's a crispy croquette filed with a smoked fish and warm fluffy potato mix. The fresh apple cuts through the richness of the smoked fish and crispy exterior, while the garlic and dill aioli gave a savory creaminess. Really nice if you enjoy smoked fish and hot croquettes.
Charred sweet potato, baby spinach, feta, roasted walnuts, & raisins (v)
This was just a really nice wholesome salad. Fresh spinach, creamy feta, crunchy brain fuelling walnuts and sweet raisins. Add those ingredients to a slightly blakend and honey fleshed orange sweet potato and eaten with a vinaigrette…. Really nice.
Grilled Line-fish, lentils, tomato fondue & charred baby marrow.
Fresh, healthy and delicious. It's hard to fault due to it's unpretentiousness and successful simplicity. Nourishing lentils with a sweet and perfectly acidic tomato sauce, the charred baby marrow was somewhat useless to me as it was neither here nor there but it did create a continuation from the previous course which also had a charred element. The fish was firm and perfectly cooked. (What type of fish was it again?)
Kameeldoring wood-grilled beef served with confit onions, cherry tomato, mushrooms & broccoli tender stem.
Not overwhelmingly delicious but not by any means bad. A good plate of food.
Lemon & thyme meringue, lemonade parfait & sour yoghurt.
Dessert was a refreshing spoonful or two of a take on lemon meringue. I loved that it wasn’t cream heavy which isn’t my favorite with lemon, rather the sour yogurt was silky and tangy.
This restaurant is not very visible from the road and you do have to walk past a Spar and it feels a bit hotel-ish as you walk in, but once you're at the restaurant the location is GREAT as well as a bit of a glitzy vibe inside.
Zest opened in 2021 and is headed up by Chef Pavel Dimitrova who also is head chef and co-owner of Utopia, a fine dining restaurant in Cape Town. Zest incorporates elements from land and the sea, honouring each element that is fitting for it’s Cape Town setting which is blessed with land and sea beauty.
5 Course meal R195; Oysters with topping R18 each; Grilled Baby Calamari R95;
2nd floor, Piazza Da Luz, 94 Regent Rd, Sea Point, Cape Town, 8060 https://zestcapetown.co.za
