Foxcroft is all grown up. The famed Constantia eatery — once seen as a more casual outpost of the La Colombe group — has moved to a new location at Constantia Nek and now sits firmly within the fine-dining roster.
It was no doubt a challenge repurposing what was previously La Parada into what the space is now, perhaps most of all scraping off the many names which had been left on the floor, but they’ve done a superb job.
Designed by MR. interior architects, the space is now light and breezy with stunning views across both the winelands and the city. Inside, wood and stone have been used to remarkable effect.
It’s nothing over the top, but it’s a truly beautiful and relaxing space. A dropped ceiling with fabric baffling has cleverly helped shape the intimacy of the space while aiding with acoustics.
Cheeky little nods to the fox — somewhat of a Foxcroft mascot — appear as a motif — the restaurant has leaned into it heavily on the crockery and cutlery front — and they weave their way through the room’s design too.
From the Mr Fox-like hostess podium to the foxtail-shaped door handles. It’s fun and playful and perhaps there to remind you that while the food is now firmly fine, Foxcroft is still not there to take itself too seriously.
The new format sees a chef’s menu which runs 10 courses long sit alongside a reduced eight-course menu, both with the option of wine pairings.
It begins with an optional caviar supplement: should you not have been hit by the current financial crisis, the glorious pearls of Cru Caviar Imperial are served with a smoked snoek pâté which is topped with a bokkom furikake. It’s an indulgent dish which sets the scene for the meal to come.
The bread course follows, or where the meal begins, should you not be tempted by the caviar: a gorgeously fluffy herbed salted bun is to be pulled apart and lathered with Jersey butter, and a truffled cauliflower with a sprinkling of roasted yeast.
Next, a trio of kitchen snacks follows: delectable little mouthfuls that take shape in a market fish ssam, a celeriac noodle soup, and a tartlet filled with garden greens.
This is followed by the dish of the day — a standout Namibian crab dish, which sees the most tender of crab legs served with textures of tomato — including a refreshingly tangy tomato kimchi. It’s fine without the frills, just fantastic cooking through and through.
And so the menu progresses: a jollof-inspired crayfish dish is served with mushroom and berbere, while mains called for exquisitely cooked slices of Wagyu with black truffle aplenty (another supplementary course) or, alternatively, a lamb loin fillet with textures of turnip and an elevated take on Cape-Malay denningvleis stew.
While premium ingredients clearly take centre stage, there’s still a wonderful sense of restraint witnessed through what arrives on the plate — however elaborate that plate itself may be.
The meal comes to a close with a dessert of mascarpone, burnt vanilla and chestnut — a dish which walks the balance between rich, sweet and decadent and the lightness required at the end of a 10-course meal.
The finale sees a dolls’ house replica of the building wheeled to the table side — which inside houses a selection of drawers — a fun little exercise, each one housing a bonbon inspired by one of the previous dishes.
It’s an impressive meal from start to finish; the La Colombe group signature, while clear throughout, is here tempered by Williams’ own touch and a less-is-more approach to presentation. The result is quite spectacular.
Wanted
