Beyond Restaurant — Restaurant in Constantia

My recent visit to Beyond, aligned with restaurant week, afforded me the opportunity to evaluate their offerings during a bustling time which could, in part, contextualize some aspects of this review. While it is true that there may be establishments offering greater value and more exceptional service, it is worth noting some nuances of my experience.

Regarding the wine pairing, I found it to be non-essential. While the selection complemented the dishes quite well, the wines themselves did not stand out as particularly noteworthy, especially considering the price point. Given that the restaurant is an hour's drive from my location, and there are comparable options nearer, I am hesitant to plan a return visit.

The journey to Beyond is undeniably picturesque, winding through the estate's lush vineyards. Upon arrival, we were met with a warm welcome from the front of house manager and seated promptly. Our server, Amanda, soon introduced herself and her team, who would be attending to us that evening. We initially received the "Spring Menu" but were informed within 10 minutes that we should have been given the "Restaurant Week" menu instead. Upon request, and with a modest price difference of only R60, we were permitted to opt for the regular chef's tasting menu consisting of six courses.

The evening was marred slightly by a noticeable absence of engagement from the staff. There was no inquiry about our familiarity with the restaurant or the menu, no explanations were offered, nor were we queried about our interest in menu supplements—items we were indeed interested in.

For a fine dining establishment, attention to such details is paramount to ensure guests are well informed and their experience personalized.

As for the culinary experience, it was generally positive:

The bread course featured an excellent cultured butter with a delightful hint of smoked onion.

The starters were a culinary journey: The Handcrafted local Burrata with variations of pumpkin, seed cracker, pecan nuts, Fynbos honey, and truffle vinaigrette, as well as the Coal-seared ostrich accompanied by sesame roasted aubergine, coriander pesto, mint-cucumber, and Cape Malay amasi dressing, were both exceptional.

The mains included a Pan-seared Cape fish with tomato risotto, chokka, artichoke piri-piri, aubergine puree, and squid ink sauce. The interplay of flavors was impressive and pleasing to the palate.

The Kalahari beef fillet, however, was somewhat disappointing. Accompanied by smoked grilled carrot, Stanford cheese pomme puree, glazed onion, furikake, and bone marrow jus, the beef was unfortunately over-seared.

Dessert was a highlight: The Mandarin panna cotta with curd mousse, poppyseed sponge cake, and sweet basil ice-cream was the best course of the evening.

The meal concluded with petit fours: chocolates and a guava puree sweet coated in sugar, a delightful end to the dining experience.

In summary, Beyond presents a menu that tantalizes the taste buds, set against the backdrop of a stunning estate. However, to enhance the fine dining experience, a greater emphasis on service detail and guest engagement would...

Beautiful restaurant, well taken care green lushious garden. Food was amazing, we had a 3 course meal celebrating a friend’s birthday. The food is really good, well prepared and presentable. It is so tasty, honestly I cannot stop talking about the food. Also I think it is well priced and worth every cent. Portions are a bit small though.

Unfortunately, I found pieces of glass/ hard plastic in my cocktail drink. I actually drank and chewed on it. After spitting it out u called the waiter right away, who apologised and took it to the manager. In my opinion the manager didn't show any urgency to the matter, at that time I was panicking thinking maybe I swallowed the glass. He finally came, made small talk and making comments like “its finally quite because we are eating” I'm not sure if he was trying to tell us we were noisy. Also he made some comments that made us feel like he thinks we cannot pay the bill. When we asked, he said they are still doing investigation of where the glass comes from. But anyway, they finally apologised and gifted wine bottles and removed my meal from the bill.

We didnt expect that, all I wanted was for them to take responsibility of what happened and realise the danger of almost swallowing a piece of glass/ sharp hard plastic. I find doing investigations as part of their job, but not once did the manager ask if I’m okay, I didn’t swallow any, or any empathy, or if I require medical assistance whatsoever. I’m glad, I have not experienced anything that might tell me I swallowed some of the glass so far. I wish this was a once off incident and whatever plastic shaker they are using that chipped is replaced right away. ( because manager resorted to say he believes it is coming from the shaker sun he...

While searching for a dinner venue between Hout Bay and the international airport, I stumbled upon this gem of a place. The restaurant staff were most welcoming, and even helped me store away my luggage the moment I arrive before directing me to my table. The restaurant design really maximises the view of vineyard estate, giving you a panoramic view of the hill of vines.

I ordered my dinner à la carte, knowing that the pre-travel jitters will prevent me from eating too much, hence a 3 course meal would be a waste.

To pair my meal, I was recommended with the house sauvignon blanc, gorgeously crisp that went perfectly well with my food.

The complementary amuse bouche was very appetising. A yogurty mousse topped with quinoa tabouleh, and a piece of pan-seared yellowtail fishcake.

My starter was similar to a French onion soup, but with a nice twist. Shallots replaced the onions, and, a few spoon of cream of madumbi,a local potato (that tasted a bit like yam, and gave the dish a pastel mauve colour) was mixed into the soup, garnised with shaved truffles! Excellent start!

Next, I went for the grilled angel fish, served with fresh shellfish and  caldeirada sauce! The sauce was excellent, and the mussels, shrimps and calamars were succulently fresh! The angel fish was a big serving, and since i found the meat a bit dry to my taste, I unfortunately could not finish my food.

All in all I had thoroughly enjoyed my experience here even though I dined alone! Had a chat with the manager while waiting for the taxi and found out that they have a coffee tasting cafe too, with coffee beans personally sourced from different part of Africa! It's a shame I had to leave this country without having the chance to...