Aubergine

Aubergine Review

Aubergine's timber-and-glass interior matches chef-owner Harald Bresselschmidt's classic-with-a-twist cuisine. A beaded Strelitzia flower in the entrance hall is a clue to what will come: South African produce, prepared with strong classical methods that echo the Austrian chef's roots, surprises and requires a closer look. This is serious cuisine. You may notice yourself sitting more upright than usual—not because of stuffiness or any pretentious formality, but out of respect for the food. There is a superb wine selection, and servers double as sommeliers. The fish on the menu is line-caught—never frozen. Yellowtail (a fleshy local catch) is poached in saffron and served with a beetroot sorbet and fennel salad. Heartier options include pork and pancetta pralines with cumin cabbage and blue-cheese wontons. The highly recommended surprise du chef selection of mini-desserts might include melon soup with wine gelée and rhubarb sorbet, chocolate fondant with cherry ragout, crème brûlée, magnificent apricot linzer tartlet, and passion-fruit ice-parfait with deep-fried chocolate. Although showered with every award possible, the Cinq à Sept (served between 5 and 7 in the evening) is unexpectedly affordable with a median price of R80.