A drive to Franschhoek always feels like a mini-vacation with the landscapes slowly changing from city slicking to winding roads overgrown with ancient trees as you enter the port to this quaint town. We were recently invited to visit Eleven Restaurant, where Head Chef Pieter du Preez offers an exceptional fusion of contemporary global cuisine inspired by bold themes.
Introduction
Somehow I completely overlooked the fact that our lunch reservation was made for the Franschhoek Bastille Festival weekend, held at the end of July. Now feeling suitably celebratory, we carefully made our way down the busy main road, adorned with splashes of red, white and blue as Cape Town enjoyed the abundant offerings of the festival. We easily found Eleven Restaurant towards the end of the main road, beautifully seated in one of the town’s many historical buildings, Heritage Square. I couldn’t wait to experience new tastes and textures, which is something Chef Pieter specialises in.
Background
Eleven Restaurant was a dream of the talented chef-proprietor Ryan Shell and the team behind his other two popular Asian restaurants, Ōku and Yama in Franschhoek. Bringing together his international experiences into punchy small plates, his main focus is, and will always be, on seasonality and sustainable foraging, echoing throughout the grounding principles of Eleven.
At the heart of Eleven’s culinary philosophy lies a commitment to sustainability in sourcing ingredients – a significant portion of produce used in its kitchen is locally harvested from the Franschhoek region as a way of showcasing seasonal freshness. Drawing inspiration from far away, Eleven sources its produce from as close as possible to its heart, bridging the distance between cultures and countries.
The experience
The experienceAs we walked through the doors of Eleven, I was pleasantly surprised by the juxtaposition of my expectations against what I found inside: stylishly decorated in earthy nudes, the interior was much more simple and practical than I imagined it would be. Within an industrial framework, modern and historical elements like wood, exposed brick and copper are showcased alongside each other, creating a refined dining space that feels sophisticated, yet ambient and semi-casual.
Eleven’s interior begs for the attention to be on the food and wine, not on the frills or fancies, which made my little hedonistic heart very happy, as I’m a firm believer in being as comfortable as possible when enjoying fine food and drink.
Food and wine pairing
Our hostess for the afternoon was Vinolia. I particularly enjoyed the idea that your waitperson is also your sommelier, making for a very personal and intimate dining experience. Vinolia was like warm sunshine; filling our space with abundance, light and pleasure. She recommended that we indulge in the food and wine pairing menu, which includes most of the a la carte items, too, plus a few of her favourites. Happy to be guided by those who knows best, we settled into our chairs before our adventure would begin.
The open space of Eleven allows for full panoramic sweeps of the venue, including the kitchen, food preparation stations and of course, Chef Pieter hard at work, doing what he is best known for – creating magic.
Without giving away too much, I can wholeheartedly recommend the food and wine tasting menu. Nine exquisitely beautiful and tasty courses, coupled with some of the best wines available from Franschhoek and further afield. A few more surprises from the kitchen and lunch turns into an afternoon affair with food. Some highlights of lunch included the Parmesan gnocchi with Lynx Viognier 2021, the Mediterranean feast ofHarissa cauliflower, surprisingly paired with La Motte Millennium 2021 (a fantastic pairing!) and the Tuna potage, alongside Haute Espoir Semillon 2018. But having said that, I also particularly enjoyed the Caldhame duck breast with various beetroot elements, served with Neethlingshof The Caracal 2020.
Vinolia expertly guided us through the plates and the wines, answering our questions and obviously enjoying our utter delight at each dish presented. What I found particularly appetizing was the incredible display of colour and texture packed into each small plate; a little teaser of the freshness and vibrance to follow in each course thereafter. The thought and creativity that went into each element was unapologetically heroed by the use of hyper-seasonal, hyper-local produce, making this a dining experience with a mission statement that not only makes you think about each mouthful, but appreciate it so much more.
Dessert was simply decadent, reminiscent of a high tea spread, all on one delicious plate. The combination of Valrhona mousse and citrus ice cream was not only the perfect way to end the meal, but left me with a taste for more of the Eleven magic.
In conclusion
Over coffees, we contentedly sat and watched the street- festivities through the windows and the comfy confines of Eleven, trying to wrap our heads around the last few hours of dining. There is something between the walls of Eleven that I keep on describing as magic; but maybe it’s more of, yet again, a deliciously juxtapositioned combination between the whimsical and the pragmatic. Whatever it may be, we spent a few unforgettable hours at the hands of Chef Pieter, manager DJ, and their beautiful team of people, who forms the absolute foundations of Eleven.
With much gratitude to Eleven for gifting us a little bit of their heart, their passion and their craft. I am forever a fan.
Situated at 11 Huguenot Street, Franschhoek.
Eleven is open Wednesday to Monday, for lunch from 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner, from 18:00 to 20:00
Disclaimer: I was invited to this event in my personal capacity. There was no expectation for platform coverage in the form of a blog, or social media posts. This is my honest and truthful opinion and review thereof. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are solely those of The Little Hedonist, given in good faith and in no way influenced by the company or its affiliates. All images, unless otherwise stated/credited, are also my own.
The Little Hedonist endorses responsible drinking.
Don’t drink and drive. Not for persons under 18.
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