La Colombe recently partnered with the Paris-based Little Red Door, currently voted number five in the ‘World’s 50 Best Bars’, and Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen, Africa’s most-awarded bar, for an exclusive, once-off lunch paired with signature cocktails inspired by both teams.
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‘As you ascend the winding road on Silvermist estate, time seems to slow down. At each bend, as the city tilts away beneath you, you rise to new heights of quiet anticipation.’
This is the sensation you experience as you near the top of Silvermist Wine Estate on your way to dine at La Colombe, the 56th of the ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ in 2022 and rated 11th in Trip Advisor’s ‘Best Fine Dining Restaurant in the World’.
Little Red Door, a Parisian cocktail lounge, has also received stellar accolades.
Since its opening in 2012, Little Red Door has been on the list of the ‘World’s 50 Best Bars’ nine times. Located in the heart of Paris’s third arrondissement, this cocktail bar has menus that are both conceptually complex and accessible.
In recognition of its farm-to-glass philosophy, wherein the staff works closely with regional French farmers to source ingredients for their serves, the bar was also given the impressive title of ‘The World’s Most Sustainable Bar’ this year.
Little Red Door’s team constructs its menus with inspiration from art, flavour, anthropology and social science. Since 2020, it has been the first to use a ‘Farm to Glass’ model for creating drinks and menus.
The bar works directly with French producers from all over the country to source the ingredients used to make its unique homemade products. The produce is then used as the base for the drinks, which have simple names like Citrus, Carrot, and Chamomile, firmly placing the producer at the centre of the guest experience.
Recently tasked with a series of international collaborations, with its most recent ones taking place right here in Cape Town, Little Red Door travels across the continent to spread its message of closer bartender-farmer relations and learn more about indigenous flora around the world.
The co-founder of Little Red Door, Timothée Prangé, expressed excitement about visiting the Western Cape because of the region’s famed produce and, of course, the plethora of unusual plants to be found in the Cape Floral Kingdom.
Prangé chose to collaborate with Cause Effect and La Colombe because of his philosophical similarities with Kurt Schlechter and James Gaag, co-owners and chefs of the respective venues.
Kurt Schlechter is the brains behind the cause-and-effect concept, and he was voted one of ‘The World’s Top 100 Influential People in the Industry’ by Drinks International Magazine in 2019.
His cocktail kitchen is a study in creativity, where the best flavours from the Cape are found, made and served. The oceans, mountains, fynbos and vineyards of Cape Town are the inspiration for the drinks at Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen, which are made with raw ingredients. Cause Effect uses modern techniques that are based on our local history, diversity and love for the drinks industry.
Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen serves fresh, flavourful and delicate small plates that go well with a wide range of excellent cocktails. Cause Effects in South Africa have more than 60 Cape still brandies. These are some of the best and most award-winning Western Cape brands in the world.
La Colombe, Cause Effect and Little Red Door
Little Red Door’s team spent a week in the Western Cape foraging, tasting, experimenting and inventing.
The partnership of La Colombe, Little Red Door, and Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen resulted in a world-class, one-of-a-kind food experience.
The afternoon traversed over 12 courses of an intricately planned and expertly executed lunch menu curated by La Colombe’s Chef James Gaag.
Each course was served with a carefully chosen wine and a series of signature cocktails created by Barney O’Kane (Little Red Door) and Kurt Schlechter (Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen).
Diners were shown to their tables, atop which were nests filled with convincingly realistic dove shells and dainty welcome notes. Each shell has been filled with a cocktail of La Colombe gin, plum brandy, fig leaf and wild sage. After warm introductions from all collaborators, the first course was served.
This course, consisting of truffled cherry parfait, sweet potato bread, Malay-style snoek and beetroot tartare, was paired with sparkling wine, courtesy of Bosman Wines.
West Coast oysters were paired with a cocktail named Chamomile. The chamomile cocktail had subtle apple undertones and a sweet, honey-like flavour. It had a silky mouthfeel while still being a clean, subtly floral-herbal taste, and even after just one sip, it felt incredibly calming.
La Colombe’s smoked tomato, aubergine, and pine nuts were accompanied by a cocktail accurately named Kelp. True to its name, notes of saltwater and the umami taste of the tomato dish transported you straight to a Cape Town tidal pool.
Petit Poussin, Alaskan King Crab and coriander served with a Fynbos cocktail.
La Colombe’s signature dish, ‘Tuna La Colombe’, is a permanent menu item and is presented in a sealed can reminiscent of lunchtime tuna fish. The wine served with this course was a mystery. It was poured into a dark, blue glass with no introduction. After a few guesses, it was revealed to be a Roussanne by Painted Wolf Wines.
The Brookedale Chenin Blanc was paired with the West Coast crayfish, cauliflower and spiced coconut course.
Another main course was Karoo lamb delicately topped with peri-peri and carrot sauce, paired with the team’s Beetroot cocktail. The sharp, sweet and earthy taste of the cocktail perfectly accentuated this course.
The dessert courses included a fresh snow cone from a customised snow cone cart, a rose dipped in liquid nitrogen and covered with coconut and cashews, a plate of mandarin, Manjari and pistachios, and lastly, La Colombe’s Silvermist Honey dessert.
While this exquisite dining experience was a one-time occurrence, it was yet another reminder of the culinary excellence that we have in the Western Cape.
Cause Effect Cocktail Kitchen will visit Paris in March 2023 to collaborate once again with Little Red Door and this time introduce some African flavours to Europe.
Details:
La Colombe at Silvermist:
- Location: Silvermist Wine Estate, Main Road, Constantia Nek, Cape Town.
- Hours: Monday to Sunday: 12pm to 1pm | 5.30pm to 7.30pm
- Contact: 021 794 2390 | [email protected]
- Website: lacolombe.restaurant
Cause Effect:
- Location: The Rocket Shed, 280 Dock Rd, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town.
- Hours: Monday to Sunday: 9am to 1am
- Contact: 021 422 0266
- Website: www.causeandeffect.co.za
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Picture: La Colombe / Facebook
