you will no doubt remember my old friend Jessica from various posts on the blog, as well as her and husband Luke’s wonderful restaurant Nook in Stellenbosch. after some busy & hectic years they sold Nook and moved to the country for a while, but it wasn’t long before ideas began brewing for their next venture – and that came in the form of The Table at De Meye. already an established eatery, the previous owners Russell and Camilla were sad to sell this little piece of heaven in the winelands – but Jess & Luke planned to continue the tradition of family-style dining inspired by local & seasonal ingredients.
…and this past saturday was their first official lunch! we ate charcuterie, fresh bread and sunchoke soup to start, and then the table was laden with plates of braised beef shortrib, mashed potatoes with lashings of farm butter, sauteed oyster mushrooms and sugar snap peas, pickled baby beets, and a delicious baby onion tarte tatin served with micro-greens. dessert was quince served two ways – poached with celery & ginger ice-cream (!) and a picture perfect quince souffle.
if you’ve ever been to the The Table before you know that usually guests sit at rustic tables under the trees outside, but this weekend winter really arrived in the Cape, so we sat inside the main building – which used to be an old dairy shed – next to the cosy fire. you’ll see lots of pics of the lovely interior below, as well as some images of the farm itself (and the farm dogs!). De Meye is a family-owned boutique winery just outside Stellenbosch, so you can do wine tastings right next door to the restaurant to pick the wine you’re going to have with your meal (so smart).
eating at The Table really is an awesome outing, and a perfect excuse to get out of town for the day. they’re open Saturdays and Sundays for long, lazy lunches. you can contact Jessica & Luke via their website to book a table.
all photos taken by me.
