Cape Town Social Club — Restaurant in Amsterdam

An Unforgettable Culinary Journey with Perfect Pairings!

I recently had the absolute pleasure of experiencing the 6-Course Signature menu at CTSC, and it was, without a doubt, one of the most memorable meals I've had in a long time. From start to finish, the creativity, quality, and execution were exceptional, but what truly elevated the evening to legendary status was the phenomenal wine pairing.

The journey began with a delightful oyster topped roe Amuse-Bouche, which perfectly set the tone for the culinary adventure ahead.

Each subsequent course was a masterpiece: The Seasonal Fish was delicate and aromatic, bathed in a subtle Mussel Broth enhanced with fresh Coriander and a hint of Smoke. The Potato Terrine was a surprising delight – the earthy Oyster Mushrooms and bright Fennel were beautifully balanced by the bold Gorgonzola. A truly inspired combination. Next, the Duck was cooked beautifully, its richness perfectly offset by a flavourful Chutney, earthy Mushrooms, and the pleasant tang of Pickled Mustard Seed. The Pork Belly was divine – meltingly tender with an incredibly crisp exterior, wonderfully complemented by the sweet and sour Tamarind glaze and fresh Pak Choi. The final savoury course, Lamb neck, was exceptionally tender and flavourful, paired thoughtfully with sweet Pumpkin and tart Blueberry notes (my favorite dish!)

Concluding the meal, the Poached Pear dessert was a unique and refreshing ending, intriguingly spiced with Turmeric and the distinct flavour of Baobab.

Now, onto the Wine Pairing my wife and I each did a half pairing (we for sure walked home, if ya know what I mean). This is where the experience went from great to truly outstanding. Each wine was selected with incredible care and precision, not merely complementing but genuinely enhancing every dish.

The synergy between the food and wine was remarkable – highlighting subtle flavours in the dishes while showcasing the character of the wines. It was evident that a great deal of thought and expertise went into these selections, making it genuinely one of the best pairings I've ever encountered. The wine and lamb pairing was out of this world!

If you're looking for an exceptional dining experience that delights the palate and showcases the art of food and wine pairing, I cannot recommend the 6-Course Signature menu highly enough. It's a must-try, especially with the wine pairing! We will definitely...

Every course was a flavor bomb! This really is an exceptional dining experience. The team at Cape Town Social club have something special here!

The dark blue and wood interior sets up a welcoming and classy atmosphere, with some elegant lighting.

We started the meal with some beautiful cocktails, activating our tastebuds with a Smokey combination of mezcal, citrus and chipotle.

The chef led us through some beautifully plated courses which packed a frankly extraordinary flavor! Starting with the oyster vetkoek - a fresh ceviche capturing all the best of the cold Atlantic current that passes Cape Town. This we paired with the Rall white blend, complimenting the oceanic flavors with the light oak and pear notes of the wine.

The bread board included some exceptional focaccia and if the kimchi butter came in liter sized buckets I would have been a very happy man!

We followed this with the duck liver parfait which our host, Alex, paired with a glass of Samson straw wine - a sweet Sauternes which in combination with the salt of the duck was one of those dishes that just make you laugh it is so delicious! An incredible and surprising pairing which I can only describe as a stroke of genius!

The langoustines in a tapioca taco, the scallops with a ponzu dressing and the smoked eel risotto continued to lift the game with every dish. Alex suggested the Cartology Bush Vines by Alheit - another beautiful white wine.

The two highlights for me though were the applewood smoked steak tartare and the beautifully spiced piri piri chicken.

All in all, a memorable, unique and...

Great taste, tiny portions. This may be a good option if you want to grab a drink and a fancy bite after dinner.

The cocktails are really good and the taste of the food is great, but the portions are so small that you're having only one bite per dish. That combined with a huge wait in between, even for cold dishes, resulted in our group of five being hungry at the end after ordering 3 snacks (X2), a cured meats board, and 4 'mains' (X2 or 3).

The waitress told us the dishes were meant for 3 people, and we were 5 so we luckily had extra for some. For many we even ordered 3X to have ie a whole scallop per person (waitress suggested we share a scallop per 2 or 3 people).

When we gave them the feedback, they tried to sell it to us as fine dining, but that's not what their website says. It's advertised as shared dining.

I've been to many fine dining experiences and besides not leaving hungry this didn't feel like fine dining. So perhaps they're trying something in the middle ?

For us it didn't work, we went to Febo afterwards since we were all still hungry 😔 We also couldn't order anything else as they informed us the kitchen was closed when we tried to do so as we waited for other dishes to come but realized it would probably not be enough.

Photos included here are of dishes meant to be shared between 3 people, except for the last two: foie gras (waitress suggested we just take a teaspoon each, we ordered 1 per person instead) and oyster vetkoek which is also an individual portion.

The cured meats board was probably the best...