Harbour House opens a third restaurant at Constantia Nek

Like its sister restaurant in Kalk Bay, Harbour House at Constantia Nek serves up seafood with a gourmet flourish, writes Andrew Donaldson

It seemed only practical that, with its growing popularity, the original Harbour House restaurant at Kalk Bay would open a sister branch at the V&A Waterfront. Here, after all, was another working harbour. Or, as the upcountry visitors would say, it was also by the sea.

But, and much to the delight of the city's foodies, the Harbour House group has chosen a location that's not so much inland as up the mountain for its third restaurant - Harbour House at Constantia Nek.

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With the move they've given a familiar landmark, that Alpine-ish wood, stone and thatched building at the traffic circle at the top of the pass, an extreme makeover.

A heritage asset, this was once Cape Town's oldest restaurant, gone somewhat to seed in recent years. In its place there are now two establishments, each with their own kitchens, bound to prove smash hits with both locals and tourists this summer.

In addition to Harbour House, which sticks to its formula of fresh seafood served with a sophisticated gourmet flourish, the HH group's La Parada tapas bar and restaurant franchise has also moved in, offering a more relaxed but no less impressive dining experience. My waiter suggested a few dishes, which I can happily endorse: the seared sesame-crusted tuna, grilled chorizo, and roasted pork belly.

But we're back now, this time for Harbour House. First, though, a word about the building's restoration. The original restaurant dates back to the 1920s, and major alterations to its exterior, it was felt, would have been counterproductive.

As architect David Townsend, who oversaw a lengthy and sensitive overhaul, put it, the place has been "engraved" in the memories of generations of Capetonians who gathered here for various celebrations, from weddings to office parties.

Too radical a change would be ruinous, and so the building's original facade has been preserved, along with the more historically significant features inside the building, like La Parada's thatched roof, beams and stone hearth, for example.

"The Harbour House Restaurant part of the building was an addition in 1974 and this allowed the design team more scope to modify the interiors," said Townsend.

The result is a white, airy space with seating for up to 100. The decor is simple and understated, but the views of the surrounding Constantiaberg range and the vineyards on their slopes from the wall-to-ceiling windows are magnificent.

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Happily, some of what those vineyards have produced appear on the wine list. There are the magnificent Constantia Royale and Klein Constantia sauvignon blancs, for example, but I settled down with the Buitenverwachting Buiten Blanc (R160), thank you very much.

The menu is no surprise to Harbour House regulars: sushi, shellfish and seafood platter, and the Mozambican-style peri-peri tiger prawns remain favourites.

For a starter, though, I opted for the Parma ham and sweet melon (R105), which came with rocket tossed in a mustard and honey vinaigrette, basil and black pepper. A light and refreshing Italian appetiser, it seemed a perfect summery dish. It was either that or the gazpacho (R85) or the beef carpaccio (R95).

Other starters included fish soup (R95), masala-coated calamari (R90, or R145 for a main-sized portion), West Coast mussels (R90, or R140), and potato and Parmesan gnocchi (R95, or R145).

I ignored the salads - Greek village (R90), house and roasted butternut and feta (both R95) - and opted for the kingklip (R195), which came with spinach, potato chunks, artichokes, sage and an orange-flavoured beurre blanc, which gave the production a citrusy tang, another summery edge that complemented the wine well enough for me to contemplate another bottle.

Common sense prevailed, and instead it was coffee and a dark chocolate and almond torte with salted caramel popcorn and a blob of vanilla ice-cream (R75). Or maybe not so sensible, but very yummy all the same.

This article was originally published in The Times.