As we drove through the town of Franschhoek on New Year’s Day at around 6pm – many of the restaurants and shops were closed. We were looking to enjoy a nice dinner on this very hot, sunny day in a cool relaxed setting.

We spotted the Dutch East Restaurant which had seating outside in the cool breeze or had seating inside which was air-conditioned.

We elected to sit inside and enjoyed the interior décor of the restaurant which was a combination of raw brick work and wooded paneling. With their kitchen opening for dinner at 6:30pm we enjoyed a drink and browsed through the menu which catered for everyone’s tastes. As we browsed, we were brought a warm piece of homemade bread which was served with a delicious hummus pate.

Deciding that we would have all three courses, we started with beef springrolls which were served with a sweet chilli dip. The phyllo pastry was delicate which complimented the soft pulled beef inside and the chilli dipping sauce was light and gave the meal a little kick. Other starters included soup of the day, calamari salad, springbok/beef tartar and risotto.

For the main course, we decided on two options – the 220g smoked barbeque flavoured rump steak which was served with a choice of side from paprika fries, seasonal veggies, onion rings and salad to name a few; and the Mascarpone Chicken dish which was served with a potato rosti, carrots and other delicious greenery.

Both the above dishes were cooked to perfection and well accompanied by the sides that they came with which added to the flavourful experience we had. The other main courses included various cuts of beef and springbok steaks, bacon and cheese burger, pork belly, vegetarian lasagna and seared tuna to name a few.

To top off the evening, we shared a strawberry sundae which comprised of fresh berries, mint, a lemon sorbet, fresh cream and meringues. This was a light and fresh pudding which we thoroughly enjoyed on this very hot day. Other dessert options included crème brule, chocolate fondant and deep fried milk tart.

The dining experience in its entirety was comfortable, relaxing and our needs were well taken care of. Our courses followed when we were ready for them and our glasses were never empty. There is an impressive variety of wines on offer ,not surprising being in the centre of the Franschhoek wine valley.

We definitely recommend a visit to the Dutch East Restaurant, you will not be disappointed.