The Restaurant: Equus Dine at Cavalli, Stellenbosch

There is no shortage of restaurants in the Cape winelands, so when you find a place packed at lunchtime in mid-week, a mere fortnight after opening, there's got to be something special going on.

 At Equus Dine at Cavalli, that something is chef Henrico Grobbelaar, Sunday Times Chef of the Year in 2009, whose CV includes stints as executive chef for the Fifa World Cup in 2010 and seven years on the SA Culinary Olympics team.

It's varied experience that stands him in good stead at Equus; a restaurant with two distinct personalities. The relaxed bistro menu at lunch is about big plates and hearty portions, offset by modern plating that adds just enough pizzazz to the bold elements of dishes like slow-roasted pork belly, or miso-glazed aubergine. A handful of starters include the delicious salmon-and-watermelon skewers, on a menu geared towards winelands tourists.

"At lunchtime the food is designed in such a way that you can be in and out of here in 45 minutes," says Grobbelaar. But I wouldn't rush. While the menu may be pared down, a lunch booking also allows you to soak up the fantastic setting: it's an airy open space where tones of Nordic wood are offset by a striking brass bar and fantastic views over the vineyards.

The Cavalli Estate breeds and trains Saddlebred horses, but also has a few dozen hectares under vineyard, with tastings offered in a chic underground bar. Estate wines are focused on southern Europe, with unusual varietals ensuring some eye-catching blends. The aromatic 2012 Cremello - a fragrant blend of chenin, viognier and verdelho - is one to look out for.

In addition to the estate wines, sold at a nominal mark-up, a capable wine list has plenty on offer from the region, with all available by the bottle or glass, alongside a good selection of local craft beer.

Come evening, the tone shifts into the fine-dining territory Grobbelaar is better known for, with a concise menu of five starters, five mains, three desserts and a cheese platter, all offered à la carte.

"We don't want to lock diners into a set menu of four courses. My training is classical French but I try to source the finest produce first and then design a menu around that," says Grobbelaar.

This includes pasture-reared beef from Spier, local cheeses and plenty of fresh produce picked on the estate: an extensive heirloom vegetable garden keeps the kitchen well stocked with artichokes, kale, purple sugar snaps, savoy cabbage, unusual carrots and more.

It's all transformed into an elegant fine-dining offering of classic dishes with a modern twist: ever-dependable beef fillet with sweetbreads and smoked onion, linefish lifted by burnt cauliflower and a mussel cream.

A vegetarian option for each course is refreshingly inventive. The main course of aubergine with treacle yoghurt, thyme, onion purée and puy lentils is "like a T-bone steak for vegetarians," says Grobbelaar. "And the springbok is selling like crazy. When an order comes through I'm like a kid before Christmas. It plates so beautifully with butternut and tahini, springbok and pear gastrique, toasted buckwheat and pickled zucchini."

• Equus Dine at Cavalli, R44, Stellenbosch, www.cavallistud.com/dine 0218553218