Salsify at the Roundhouse: another winner from chef Luke Dale-Roberts?

Salsify has brought a young and vibrant new energy to Cape Town's historic landmark, the Roundhouse. Tradition and history are interpreted with an irreverent but affectionate graffiti art twist, re-invigorating the old building and its stories, the creaky wood floors and wide windows looking out over Camps Bay, with humour and flair.

The restaurant is the newest addition to the Luke Dale-Roberts family, with chef Ryan Cole fresh from the Test Kitchen, at its helm. 

“We’re not putting ourselves into a box, using a label. We’re celebrating seasons, we’re celebrating Cape Town, the space, the view … that’s us,” says Ryan.

So the nasturtiums you see driving over Kloof Nek provide the poor man’s capers for the lamb tartare, num-num fruit plays a supporting role on a succulent assiette of pork, a salad of wild fennel, agretti, pea shoots and crunchy soutslaai anchors the linefish, so that it could be from nowhere but Cape Town.

“We’re going for the understudy of the micro-seasons, the understudy being what’s around in the biome, our surroundings, to give the Roundhouse its sense of place.”

Visiting for lunch we ate à la carte, though the seven-course chef’s tasting menu was tempting. From the melt-in-the-mouth amuse-bouche to the luscious petits fours, every element was thoughtful, fresh and exciting, while still managing to be down to earth and unfrilly.

The spring minestrone turned out to be gorgeous charred octopus pieces with oyster, sea herb and borage flowers, in a clear tomato consommé, elegant and sparkling fresh. A succulent seared scallop on a bed of pomegranate and walnut came with saffron yogurt topped with onion bhaji, delightful contrasts in subtle spices.

Without any theatrics each dish has an interactive element – the serving staff provide the finishing flourishes at the table, adding a lively dynamic to the meal and giving them a sense of ownership and pride in each dish.

The Miss Lucy linefish was too good to share – beautifully fresh fish and a spring salad of compressed peas and beans, mussels and wild leaves, with a mussel veloute and grated bottarga for salty elegance. Beef sirloin had deep velvet notes of porcini pudding, bone marrow and potato biscuit, parsley pesto and a rich gravy.

Ryan changes the menu frequently, a restless energy constantly finding new inspiration, so locals can keep returning and always find something new.

This article was originally published in the Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Property and Lifestyle guide. Visit Yourneighbourhood.co.za