Review : Freres Bistro

 Occasionally you stumble across a real gem of a restaurant. One that reignites your passion for eating out and simply, excites you. We were so happy to have found one last week, in the form of Freres Bistro in Cape Town.

Now, I know I'm quite late to the proverbial party with this one - with a loyal fan club already established, but I was thrilled to visit this little gem for myself. I admit the list of Cape Town restaurants is a long one - but make sure Freres is at the top of your list.

We arrived on an ordinary Tuesday evening, and were met by Jason - owner, chef and practically our host for the evening. We chatted about the menu, what caught our eye and their restaurant philosophy.

We, simply, couldn't decide on a starter. With items like steak tartare, creamy snails, potato and truffle veloute and whole baked camembert, I just couldn't. Thankfully Jason came to the rescue (and gave himself some extra work in the process) and put together a 'platter' for us.

We feasted on:

Whole baked camembert
Potato and truffle veloute
Wild rocket and goat's cheese soup
Goat's cheese salad
Creamy baked snails

  Everything, everything was fantastic. The camembert was burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth-hot, but I should have known as it still had a small fire under it at our table (hint - blow this out as soon as it arrives). The veloute was my pick of the soups, while Luke preferred the wild rocket and goat's cheese option. 

The salad was fresh, flavourful and perfectly dressed - sometimes it's the small things that really make you pay attention to a dish. The snails, on the other  hand - were obviously amazing. Creamy, flavourful with a hint of blue cheese at the end - and enough bread to mop up the sauce - my highlight of the starters, and a contender for best-of-the-meal.

I had originally had my eye on the Entrecote Cafe de Paris for mains, but a whole steak would have been completely wasted on me after starters. I opted for another starter for my 'main course' - the steak tartare. The lovely man was enticed to try the rabbit - a first for either of us. 

Slow cooked in a cream and mustard sauce, with pearl onions and mash, it was perfect winter-evening fare and the perfect introduction to this meat (however, due to bunny-loving tendancies, it's not something we will be eating often).

My tartare was absolute perfection. Hand-cut meat, well-dressed, decent acidity and sweetness provided by a drizzle of balsamic - I couldn't have asked for anything more. It filled the little space I had left, perfectly.

 Desserts were more enticing that I had anticipated - with creme brulee being an obvious choice. Again, as we struggled to choose, Jason suggested the dessert platter- a selection of the chef's desserts of the day.

This is what arrived:

Salted caramel ice cream
Lemon tart
Creme Brulee
Meringues
 with a shot of espresso

The ice cream was delicious - creamy, with the right level of saltiness. The lemon tart was tasty - if I had to be hyper critical, I'd say the pastry was a little thick and soggy - but Luke enjoyed it, as is. The creme brulee was perfectly thick and smooth - the platter provided the perfect end to our meal.

 

A meal steeped in gluttony, is it any wonder that we are already planning our return visit? I still have my eye on that Cafe de Paris Sirloin...and a full-size creme brulee, of course. Feel a lunch time visit is completely justified - to take photographs in better light, of course.

If wonderful food and cosy ambiance isn't enough to tempt you - they also have secure parking and a dedicated LCHF menu. No excuses, then.

Thank you to Jason, Eric and the team at Freres for your generosity and a delicious Tuesday.

Note : we enjoyed our meal as guests of Freres Bistro. All images and views are my own.