We were invited to visit the new Tasting room and restaurant at Constantia Glen. We went on a beautiful hot Summer day. 
The
tasting room is in a Cape Dutch style building and the restaurant is
in an old terraced building with many different areas inside and out. The views
from the terrace are sensational. You
look out over the vineyards and can look up at the mountain or down across the Constantia Valley and beyond
Lots of umbrellas to
shelter you from the sun
Inside the cool tasting
room, which has glass doors which will close when the weather is not so warm
The restaurant terrace has
comfortable cane furniture and such marvellous views of the Constantiaberg
Tables go all along the
terrace to a larger area at the end which has glass walls. There are roll-down
blinds along the terrace should the weather change
Looking down the valley at
the mountains beyond
The vines are nearly ready
to harvest, there is lots of activity in the vineyards and we saw lots of
swooping birds
There are some good hiking
trails on the mountain. This would be a very good place to start or finish a
good walk.
The wine list
and the six wines we tasted.
This generous tasting costs R40 and is cleverly served while you enjoy your
lunch
On offer for lunch on the
menu are various platters for one and there is one salad if you don’t want
cheese or meat. We think they might need
a couple more, possibly one with smoked trout, as there are many people who
don’t eat either lactose or meat.
We chose the cheese and
charcuterie platters.
You do get a very
good helping of both and the bread comes hot and crisp from the oven. The
grapes, olives, apple slices, pickles and caper berries all add lots of
variation. There is an interesting and delightful rose jelly on the platter, but
we couldn't find anything on the platter that we thought went with it, as it is
very sweet. You may completely disagree, so do give it a try. Perhaps an onion jam, preserved fig or chutney
might be a better choice?
The cheeses seemed to differ from the menu and three
were very nice indeed. Lynne found the
Roquefort quite salty and sharp and would have preferred a softer blue cheese. John enjoyed it. The ham was lovely, but
perhaps a third meat might add some variation.
This is the glassed in area
at the end of the terrace. Lovely if the wind is blowing or it’s a bit wet.
There is a lovely relaxed atmosphere and we will certainly be bringing lots of
friends here for a visit.
Lots of room inside for a
larger group, a dinner or a formal tasting.
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014
