The journey along the coast road to Azure is quite simply joyful, with stunning sea and mountain views all round. The restaurant is in the luxury five-star The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa just a short drive from Camps Bay. It’s at the feet of the mountain range of the same name in a beautifully peaceful location. A true get-away-from-it-all destination. And it’s where we’re going for lunch.
It’s hard to see anything as we approach from the road. We take a left turn and drive through a short, curved tunnel, emerging at the front of the reception area. Smiling faces greet us, opening our doors in welcome and valet parking our car. Good start.
Azure is one floor up from reception and we emerge into a beautifully elegant space with accents of blue (naturally). The room is stylish and light-filled and leads out onto a beautiful terrace with breathtaking views of the glittering sea and rugged mountains.
We’re soon settled by the large window, to make the most of those views, and start with bubbles and bread. Now, I don’t eat a lot of bread, but this bread is in a different league – so much so I really had to force myself to stop eating. The softest pillowy focaccia, nutty, seed-filled crisp bread and the most luscious brown bread packed with with juicy fruit. A salmony spread and creamy salted butter are served on the side. I could seriously have polished off my half of the plate and left happy without eating anything else. But of course I did neither.
Today we chose from the chef’s select menu, a choice of four starters and six mains. Executive Chef Christo Pretorius comes to the table to say hello, our cheesy croquette amuse bouche in hand. Beautifully soft and rich with a perfect crispy shell.
Some of the signature dishes are made from recipes created by Beatrice (Bea) Tollman, the inspirational founder of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection which The Twelve Apostles is a member of. Like the chicken noodle soup which is taken from her book A Life in Food. Rich, health giving and packed with noodles, vegetables and chickens and with a tasty miniature chicken pot pie on the side. Who doesn’t love a miniature pie?
The indulgent Kalahari beef barley risotto is a perfect example of the use of fabulous local ingredients in a classic dish. Made with braised oxtail, smoked Indezi cheese voulete, chivens, caramelised onions and a beef demi glaze it’s creamy and rich with that slight bite that all risottos should always have.
Cape Town is famed for its incredible fish and seafood, which is all showcased here. So today I went for the grilled sustainably caught line fish (hake). I chose creamy mashed potato and lemon butter sauce to accompany it. What a great combination of flavours and textures. Delicate, creamy and buttery with perfectly cooked, flaky fish.
Now here’s the winner for best-looking plate of the day. Malay chicken curry is served with rice, sambals, roti and poppadams. A delightful dish celebrating the Malay influences in South African food.
It’s one of those three-course days. Well, if you don’t count the bread and amuse bouche! I’m not much of a pudding eater but I am partial to an occasional creme brulee. Today’s vanilla bean one is served with fresh berries, mini meringues and zesty berry gels. Super tasty and satisfying. And doesn’t it look beautiful, too.
And who can resist a rice pudding? The 12A version comes with assorted candied nuts and caramel sauce. Such a satisfying dessert made all the more deluxe by the addition of accompaniments in different textures.
The lunch was served with a curated wine pairing of three wines from the fabulous Bouchard Finlayson cellar. We sampled their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Hannibal which is a blend of five grapes. We finished off with a fabulous pudding wine from Vondeling. I do love a wine pairing curated by experts, the perfect way to enhance the flavours of both your food and wine.
Chef Christo is clearly proud of showing off his creations. Although we were totally replete, a plate of gorgeous petit fours was delivered to our table. Sweet tooth heaven. And kindly packed up for us to snack on later at home by our charming waitress. Have I mentioned that the service is superlative at Azure? Warm, welcoming, knowledgable and efficient. All completing a delightful lunch experience.
The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa is at Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town. It’s the only property on the spectacular coastal road linking Camps Bay with Llandudno and Hout Bay beyond.
Find out more about this lovely restaurant here https://12apostleshotel.com/dining-and-drinks/the-azure-restaurant
