 This month’s Steak Night was a special one; as we celebrated our 50th Steak Night. And to mark the occasion was a restaurant worthy of a gold standard itself – Carne Constantia.
Carne Constantia is situated on the old Parks restaurant’s former home; a converted Victorian house with lovely views of the beautiful Constantiaberg mountain. It’s charming and the décor is simple yet elegant, and weather permitting you can enjoy your meal or a drink on the deck overlooking the manicured garden. It being our 50th Steak Night, we had a full house of twenty – so we had one room cordoned off as our private dining room. FOOD You know you’re in for a culinary treat when Giorgio Nava himself is working the kitchen. He is highly regarded as one of the country’s top chefs, as his recent awards will attest. The evening began with just about every appetiser on the menu. Steak tartare, pan-fried sweetbread with white wine, butter and sage – and of course the lamb ravioli. These golden, juicy parcels of Karoo lamb shoulder are wrapped in pasta sheets and prepared in fragrant butter. Order them. Normally the waiter will present a platter of beef cuts to view your steak options; describing the flavour profile and features of each. But our waiter Vernay knows his meat – and he knows the Steak Boyz know their meat. There were only seven prime ribs available, and these were snapped up quicker than a new iPhone preorder. Giorgio’s signature La Fiorentina specialty cut - the 1.2kg T-Bone (to share) - made an appearance, as did the Prime Rib on the Bone, which is specially dry-aged in house. A visit to Carne is really an opportunity to try some unique cuts, like the gamey La Lombatella, a flat-iron or less common spider steak. Now besides using only the best meat - along with the freshest ingredients – the star of the kitchen is the Josper Charcoal Oven. It’s a real chef’s toy, burning top-quality charcoal, and with the front door closed – keeps all the natural moisture and flavour of the meat. Needless to say, our steaks were perfectly prepared. As usual the shoestring fries were excellent, along with some perfectly crunchy broccoli. The sautéed spinach (in extra-virgin Morgenster olive oil) is highly recommended. SERVICE Vernay and his colleagues were excellent. Meals (all twenty of them) were delivered pretty much all together, meticulous plated. Waitrons are always there, but don’t linger when you’re enjoying some of the best steak in Cape Town. Wine and bottles of water were kept nearby, and glasses are topped up as if by magic. This may account for the monster hangover many of us enjoyed the next day! VERDICT Our 50th Steak Night was a special celebration, and typically Carne delivered in true style. It was a milestone night and we dined like kings. Carne has always been amongst the top steak restaurants in the country - if you are a steak lover, you won’t be disappointed. Steak 8.7 Sides 8.9 Value 8.2 Service 9.7 Ambiance 8.8 Total 8.8 Carne Constantia 114 Constantia Main Rd, Cape Town 021 761 0247 [email protected] carne-sa.com
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