As haute as the new-look Delaire Graff Estate itself, chef Christiaan Campbell’s menu – billed as approachable fine food – perfectly reflects the magnificent setting, designer interiors and intriguing story behind what is now the Cape’s most desirable art, food and wine destination.
The minute you walk through the grand double doors, over the peach-pip floors and up past the glass-walled winery to the restaurant at Delaire Graff Estate, you’re awestruck by the scale and depth of the transformation that has taken place here on Helshoogte pass just outside Stellenbosch.
The restaurant
Owner Laurence Graff, the UK-based chairman of Graff Diamonds International, chose the award-winning interior architect David Collins to design the 100-seater restaurant.
He was guided by the large collaborative artworks on display, the most prominent being a charcoal and orange Kentridge. It became the inspiration for the vast and 
curvaceous tangerine banquette (upholstered in the finest leather also used by Rolls Royce) that is the centrepiece of the restaurant.
The daunting challenge faced by chef Christiaan Campbell was how to pair "approachable fine food" with a venue that is an art destination in its own right and one that offers simultaneous dining indoors and out. Christiaan achieved this with aplomb with a varied menu.
Someone who has thoroughly enjoyed working with Christiaan’s choice is Frenchtrained head sommelier, Tatiana Marcetteau, who is intensely passionate about wines, and this is reflected in the superb wine list.
Below the restaurant in the basement cellar is the Vinoteque, an intimate 20-seater dining and wine-tasting room for private dinners.
The food
It’s lunchtime and the first course is the Chilled tomato essence with Buffalo mozzarella, red pepper and basil jellies – it is, quite simply, summer on a plate. In contrast to the essence, the crayfish raviolo with king oyster mushroom is rich and luscious, the pasta casing off set by a frothy mousse of Parmesan cream.
A lighter seared trout is a play on classic flavours, with horseradish and fennel bringing a new dimension to the dish. Served with Parisian gnocchi and on a bed of wilted spinach, with a garnish of delicate flowers that echo the colours of the fennel and fish, it’s a delicious choice.
Free-range, pasture-fed organic beef is also on the menu for meat connoisseurs.
Christiaan has managed to include comfort foods such as fish and chips and borscht, the traditional beetroot soup, served chilled with sliced new potatoes, a cloud of sour-cream foam and truffle vinegar. Both were "requests by Mr Graff himself" – he is of Russian and Romanian descent.
Christiaan also created a brand-new dessert. Our favourite an icecream "sandwich" with a sophisticated twist. Served with the smoothest mascarpone cream quenelles and off set by Grappa and espresso jellies. Another great is the pistachio nougat with rose-geranium ice cream - a delicate delight and the prettiest plating ever, with teeny Turkish delights and strawberry coulis.
It appears that Mr Graff, in his desire to give back something to the country where he has sourced so many of his beautiful diamonds, has created a designer destination as flawless as the stones that changed his life. Do give it a try.
Re-create elements of Christiaan's menu with these great TASTE recipes:
Delaire Graff Estate, Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch, Phone: +27-21-885 8160, Email: info@delaire.co.za, visit www.delaire.co.za