With dramatic curtains of glass spheres that look like whirling planets, and dark blue carpeting covered with constellations and galaxies that could be a navigation chart for Captain Kirk, the once-staid Mount Nelson Hotel has transformed its dining room into this newly vibrant restaurant. Cape Town has embraced the innovation with enthusiasm, and Planet has quickly become one of the most highly rated places in the city. The cuisine is Cape contemporary. The menu changes regularly, but I enjoyed a delicious ballotine of cured ostrich, and a wonderfully tender springbok loin flavored with local honey.
Mount Nelson Hotel, 76 Orange Street, Cape Town. Tel. (27) 21-483-1000.
What most guidebooks don’t tell you is that a majority of Cape Town’s best restaurants are closed on Sunday. Not the least of Baia’s charms is that it is open. From an upper-level perch on Victoria Wharf in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, it surveys the harbor, a colorful scene conducive to enjoyment of the seafood menu. There is a dependably good selection of oysters on the half shell and a range of line-caught fish to choose from. Langoustines, a sweet, small crustacean that I love, are also a regular.
Upstairs at the Victoria Wharf, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. Tel. (27) 21-421-0935.
Named for one of South Africa’s premier artists (Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, who died in 1957), this restaurant is part of the impressive La Motte winery in Franschhoek owned by mezzo-soprano Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg. Expansive windows look out to the adjacent garden. The menu celebrates wineland ingredients. Try the salad with fresh garden greens, quail’s eggs, toasted almonds and bokkom (salted dried fish). There are always wonderful meat dishes as well. La Motte’s vintages are available by the glass.
La Motte Wine Estate, Franschhoek. Tel. (27) 21-876-8000.
The dining scene in Johannesburg does not compare to that of Cape Town, but this place nonetheless sets a very high standard. The strip-mall setting is not promising, but the interior, with soft lighting and well-spaced tables, is elegant and engaging. The menu presents that delightful conundrum: Everything is appealing, so what to order? A standout starter is the butter-roasted langoustines with quail two ways — confit and smoked breast — and lentils with a tarragon velouté. Braised shoulder of lamb was an outstanding main course served with a purée of minted peas, new potatoes and a tomato-lamb jus.
Dunkeld West Shopping Centre, Johannesburg. Tel. (27) 11-341-0663.
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