Chef Gordon Manuel prepares a new menu every week for you to EnJoY.
Find the fresh menu on The Restaurant At Wildekrans’ Facebook page
Booking is essential!
This is the menu as it was at the time of our visit in June 2021. It changes weekly.
MENU
STARTERS
Sweet Corn Chowder R95
Crispy Pork, Softened Potato, Corn Kernels, Croutons
Heirloom Carrots R90
Salt Baked Baby Heirloom Carrots, Citrus Humus,
Toasted Pistachio, Fine Herbs, Sultana Dressing
Citrus Cured Sea Bass R95
Pickled Cucumber, Baby Beets, Fine Herbs,
Capers, Wasabi Crème Fraiche, Soy Dressing
Prawn Pakora R95
Date & Tamarind Ketchup, Cucumber Yogurt, Curry
Leaf & Chilli Oil, Coriander
Beef Nicoise Salad R100
Beef Chimichurri, Anchovy, Green Beans, Parsley
Potato, Dressed Rosa Tomatoes, Olives, Herb Aioli
Charcuterie Board R130
Selection of Cured Meats, Duck Liver Pate, Local
Cheese, Preserves & Home Baked Bread
MAIN COURSE
Chargrilled Beef Burger R150
Crispy Bacon, Jalapeno, Cream Cheese, Pickled
Red Onion, Tomato, Seeded Bun, Hand Cut Chips
Chargrilled Beef Fillet R230
Braised Oxtail, Rarebit Pap, Wild Mushrooms,
Baby Vegetables, Pearl Onion & Brandy Essence
Slow Roasted Pork Belly R210
Crispy Crackling, Compressed Apple, Wilted Greens,
Cauliflower Puree, Roast Carrot, Burnt Sage Butter
Pan Fried Line Fish R220
Herb Gnocchi, Oven Baked Ratatouille, Smoked
Olives, Tomato Beurre Blanc
Guinea fowl Mosaic R210
Cranberry & Pistachio, Crispy Skin, Corn Puree,
Tender stem Broccoli, Thyme Jus
Selection of Wild Mushrooms R195
Char-grilled Wild Mushrooms,
Pak Choi, Chilli, Cashew Nut, Fine Herbs
Roasted Butternut Risotto R185
Roasted Root Vegetables,
Truffle Crème Fraiche, Pecorino, Fine Herbs
TO END
Lime Pannacotta R90
Lemon Curd, Meringues, Raspberry Sorbet
Peach & Frangipane Tart R90
Granadilla Yoghurt Ice Cream,
Overberg Honey, Berry Essence
Valrhona Chocolate R100
Spiced Chocolate Mousse, Shortbread Biscuit,
Caramelised Walnut Ice Cream, Fresh Berries
Local Cheese Selection R110
A selection of Local Cheeses, Fruit Preserves,
Toasted Nuts & Breads
See the wine offerings here: https://shop.wildekrans.com/
To gush or not to gush! In this case there is no option. If you happen to have the superior experience of eating at The Restaurant at Wildekrans and you do not gush, you might have to check your pulse for a sign of life.
The Restaurant at Wildekrans ~ an experience you do not want to miss!
Trust the inimitable Wildekrans Restaurant Team to passionately execute the brilliant concept of “Authentic Dining”!
Chef Gordon Manuel exudes a tranquil passion for sustainable gourmet practices and authentic quality food served with wildly beautiful, creative and bewitching plating.
I suggest that you book your place immediately – once the word is out, there will be a waiting list of foodies, eager to experience the best restaurant experience in the Overberg! I have been impressed by some good fine dining restaurants, such as Waterkloof (Somerset West), and Springfontein (Stanford), but The Restaurant at Wildekrans has shot itself through the roof of my favourites list.
Labeled indigenous trees, white rocks and white strips around the bottom of the trees lead the way from the wide, welcoming gates all the way down to the Restaurant at Wildekrans. The beautiful Overberg vistas unfold and somehow embraces one at the same time as inspiring really deep breathing. It is a beautiful setting. I distinctly got the feeling that my mother was there júst the day before, re-telling all staff how to tenderly tend to every single little detail. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Well – no wonder one is welcomed with the sense of sublime open-lung breathing – even the air is clean on this beautiful award-winning wine estate & farm.
“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” ~ Aldous Huxley
My superior culinary experience at The Restaurant at Wildekrans
There is always a little trepidation of spirit when visiting a new place or a beloved place with a new chef. We all hate to be disappointed – and have to pay for it anyway. At The Restaurant at Wildekrans there were absolutely no disappointments. Not one. On the contrary! The staff is well informed, friendly, elegantly eager to please, and enthused with their endearing passion for authentic fine dining which shines through in everything they do. That in itself is inspiring, relaxing and soul-calming. You feel to be in very good hands.
We were lucky to meet the new head chef Gordon Manuel and his inimitable wife, Emma. His kind, calm and collected presence could not remotely prepare us for his absolute passion and prowess to deliver plate after plate of farm to table culinary marvels.
Brilliantly balanced & daring flavours, colours and textures.
Befitting to the Overstrand being a UNESCO Creative Area of Gastronomy, the spotlight is on sustainability and growth of the area. The Restaurant at Wildekrans’s produce is mostly sourced from local artisans and farmers. Their chefs prepare it daily using old world techniques with modern inspiration and follow the ethos of promoting a sustainable, authentic and unique dining experience.
Gordon Manuel: “I don’t believe in any smoke and mirrors and all that type of thing. It’s really earthy good cooking, presented in a subtle way.the main thing for us is, the produce must speak for itself.”
The Welcome At The Restaurant At Wildekrans
AND SO IT BEGINS
Home-baked sourdough bread and the crunchiest, most delicious seed loaf in the world, served with perfect little domes of rosemary butter. A bowl of Wildekrans’s renowned olives tossed in gentle chimichurri. On the side also some award-winning Wildekrans olive oil and balsamic to dip the bespoke bread into.
Marveling at the tranquil surrounds, we settled into our chairs to study the enticing and refreshingly non-greedily priced menu-items. A fresh and frosty, ice-cold glass of Wildekrans Brut MCC 2015 arrived as a welcome, followed by some teaser pre-entré amuse-bouche delights.
The Amuse-Bouche
Cold Avocado Soup
A delicious Chilled Avocado Soup, served in elegant little glass balls with a Tomato & Cilantro Salsa, Sour Cream and Crispy Prosciutto.
Beautifully presented and as dreamy and promising of more to come as a yearned for commitment ring. This Game was ON, with all my senses fully engaged!
Ensalada Caprese
A little spoonful of ensalada caprese constructed out of the elements of a big salad. One perfect mouthful of magic. A synergy of flavours, served on a porcelain spoon. You actually have to close your eyes and shut out all exterior interruptions, wanting to savour and swallow in slow motion. Made with crumbed, deep-fried bocacinni, some chickpea hummus, some olive tapenade, and some marinated tomato. Then finally to finish it off, balsamic pearls which explode in your mouth, setting free yet another layer of flavour.
The Starters
Rooibos Smoked Duck
Duck breast slow roasted in Rooibos Tea. Duck legs, slow roasted and candied with plum sauce. Home made Duck liver parfait. Herbs and plumbs from the farm. Served with drizzles of plumb glaze.
Tender, full of flavour and contrast. Beam me up Scotty!
Parma Ham
I got very little of this as my guest tucked in with elegant vigour and left me to do the filming while she was oohing and aahing, smiling, savouring and nodding approval.
Salmon
Farm fresh. Cured with citrus. Yuzu pearls. Pickled cucumber. Skin crackling. Citrus tones.
This dish is so aesthetically pleasing that it is truly hard to break the wildly perfect ensemble with a fork. Almost like fiddling with the notes of a beautiful piece of ethereal music.
But when you do, there is no stopping, as the notes create an overture and then turn upbeat, zingy and Jazzy. Once again the beautiful balance of flavours, contrasts, textures and colours cuts out all the noise in your head.
The Main Courses
Beef Fillet
Beef poached in red wine. Braised oxtail. Parsley Puree. Roasted Onion. Baby Vegetables.
The perfect consistency. Gently cooked into sublime tender submission without losing its healthy grassfed attitude.
Dorado
Farm fish. Ginger & carrot puree. Mango Salsa. Green beans with black Sesame. Fine herbs from the garden. Pepper sauce. Home made Wasabi mayonaise.
The balance of crunchy skin, tender meat, fresh greens, creamy puree and enhancing flavours makes this dish a favourite.
King Oyster Mushroom
Fine herbs. Bok choy. Chili. Truffle. Cherry Vinegar.
This totally Vegan meal, layered with exquisite flavours, is moreish beyond my greatest effort or capacity for detached moderation. The texture is wonderfully enhanced with perfect cooking to reach a soft but dense mouthful of munchy, mushroomy magnificence. It is subtle yet punchy… words fail me a little here. Best keep quiet and enjoy!
The Desserts
Peach & Frangipane Tart
The gentle sweetness of this tart is like a homecoming. Slightly crunchy on the outside, slightly mushy on the inside, it lures one to the next bite with involuntary obedience.
The Pistachio ice cream is equally magnificent. My, by now, overwhelmed taste buds ignore my satiation signals and I see my hand reach for just a little more.
Raspberry Sorbet
Although slightly too sweet for my taste, the delicious freshness of this sorbet combines perfectly with the baby meringue and the pomegranate and Elderberry consomme.
Blueberry Pannacotta
Gentle, soft, sexy and irresistible!
Four Chocolate Truffles served with Cognac or Brandy
Elegant little truffle balls made with Valrhona French premium chocolate. Each one infused with a different delicate flavour. Coconut, Pistachio, Kahlua and Dark Chocolate.
