Pretoria Dining: De Kloof

De Kloof Restaurant (image courtesy of De Kloof)

Happy New Year! If your holiday season was anything like mine, then you've probably got a few extra kilos hanging around your middle to remember it by - but, as I'm sure you'll agree, it was all worth it! The Bulls Fan and I spent an absolutely glorious two weeks in his home town of Pretoria, way up north in South Africa's Gauteng Province. While many looked at me with a mixture of horror and pity when hearing about our chosen holiday destination, I couldn't have been more excited. Not only is Pretoria quiet in December (a welcome change from the extreme madness that descends upon Cape Town), but it's also beautifully green and lush, thanks to their summer rainfall climate. Perfect for sleeping, reading, relaxing, tanning and, yes, eating! We enjoyed many a meal out and about in Pretoria, ranging from fine-dining with white tablecloths to rustic pizzas with no tablecloths. Our first culinary stop was at the beautiful De Kloof Restaurant, situated in the Waterkloof Golf Estate.

Presenting itself as a "fine dine and wine" establishment, De Kloof did not disappoint. We'd intended on enjoying only a glass of wine on their balcony, but couldn't resist the impressive wine list and lunch menus. I must say that, as someone living in Cape Town, we're thoroughly spoilt for choice when it comes to wine - but, sadly, this choice is often not reflected on the wine lists of the Cape's eateries. I was blown away by the selection at De Kloof - and at the variety of ways in which to enjoy your wine. "A good wine list should not be a huge encyclopaedia. It is a perfectly formed selection of wines handpicked and tested by us," says their website, explaining the small, yet comprehensive list. With nearly half of their wines available by the glass, they also offer four options: tasting portion (a clever and useful way to see if the bottle you'd like to purchase is actually to your palate's liking), small glass (125ml), large glass (215ml) or a bottle (750ml). Their selection is nothing short of brilliant - apart from offering some rarer varieties (such as Semillon and Riesling), along with French Champagne, and French, Italian, Argentinian and Spanish wines, their South African offering represents arguably some of the best wines around: Saronsberg Wooded Chardonnay 2010 (last vintage produced of this award-winning favourite), Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2006, Weltevrede Poet's Prayer Chardonnay 2006... and that's just the white wines! In addition to the wine list, a chalkboard also advertises rare and special wines (both local and international) in limited supply.

Although cloudy outside, it was lovely and hot, so we settled on a bottle of Cederberg Sauvignon Blanc 2011. De Kloof rate it as one of their favourite South African Sauvignon Blancs, and I'm in full agreement. Each wine is stored using the latest wine-preservation technology at its own ultimate serving temperature, and our waiter was extremely knowledgeable about all of the wines on the menu. He explained that the wines on the list are there for a reason, as De Kloof's chef and management team believe that each wine pairs well with one or more dishes on their menus - such a refreshing change from having wines on a list, just for the sake of it! After our first glass of perfectly chilled, gorgeously crisp and mineral Sauvignon Blanc, we decided to each order a starter to nibble on.

The menu, which changes regularly based on seasonality and availability, quickly quashed any previous notions that I may have had about Pretoria's ability to compete with the Cape's finest eateries. In short, it's game on! With starter options of Deep-fried Goat's Chevin with Beetroot Carpaccion and Confit of Citrus, or Salad of Smoked Duck Breast with Fresh Fig, Strawberry and Pistachio Nut Dressing, there was a tricky decision to be made. In the end, I chose the Tempura of Salt and Pepper Squid, with a Grapefruit and Chilli Vinaigrette, and The Bulls Fan opted for the Brioche Toast with Pan-fried Fresh Porcini Mushrooms, Sautéed Onion Marmalade, Rocket and Boursin. Both dishes were absolutely mouthwatering! I love how each dish throughout the menu, including dessert, recommends a wine pairing from the wine list.

The rest of the menu continues to tease and tempt with scrumptious dishes - for a light lunch option, the Wild Mushroom Souffle Omelette, with Crispy Chorizo, Rocket and Camembert sounds addictive. For mains, I would love to try the Trio of Pork, with Asian-inspired Pig Cheek, Parma-wrapped Pork Loin, and Beer-braised Pork Belly, or the Seafood Platter for Two, with Pan-grilled Chilli and Lime Langoustines, Squid Tempura, Ginger and Chilli Tiger Prawns, and Soya and Honey Glazed Linefish. Don't even get me started on the dessert menu... which, by the way, features top dessert wine pairings such as the Buitenverwachting 1746, Klein Constantia Vin de Constance and De Krans Vintage Port. The menu is also very reasonably priced, with the most expensive dish, being the seafood platter for two, only R350 (you'd be hard-pressed to find a seafood platter for two in Cape Town, including langoustines, for less than R800). The average starter is R60, the average main is R130 and dessert around R45. 

My only regret is that we didn't have the time to stay and enjoy a full meal. We've already added a dinner at De Kloof to our itinerary for our next Pretoria trip and I, for one, cannot wait. With its beautiful setting, fantastic wine list, delicious food and great service, De Kloof has rocketed into my list of top South African eateries. Pretoria, I'm a believer!