Okay, so the holidays are all about indulgence, right? Wrong! The whole year is about indulgence! But the holidays do provide opportunity for indulgence in new places. Plett, the popular holiday town known in December mostly for the proliferation of people wearing Croc’s, big 4×4’s with GP plates and packed beaches, has a cracking restaurant. Emily’s, at Emily Moon River Lodge, is not actually in the town of Plett itself but on the quiet banks of the Bitou River a few minutes out. And it’s definitely worth a visit. I had been recommended to visit by several friends on separate occasions, one who was most insistent you’d ‘get lucky’ if you brought a date there. Upon arrival I could understand why.
The design and feel of the place is exceptional. The entrance suggests you’re about to enter Pablo Escobar’s villa: all engraved wooden doorways, weathered sculptures, lush greenery and rough concrete walls. Inside there is a garden, a pool with sun loungers on a lawn, a shaded lounge area for pre-drinks and the restaurant itself, of which half is on a balcony perched over the riverbank. The entire place is done out in an eclectic mix of animal skulls, vintage maps, leather finishings and wooden carvings. It’s part Colonial, part Afro-Centric and pure artifact-collectors-wet-dream. And yes, very romantic.
The food is good, but not up to par with the sensory experience the design and setting provide. We had lunch, the menu for which is printed daily. Beer-battered fish & chips were very tasty. The lamb cutlets with mint & creme fraiche could have been plumper – especially when you consider how good lamb is in SA. Prawns were excellent, drenched in a a flavoursome butter. Portion size could perhaps be a little more generous, but then the place doesn’t cater for the the Spur crowd.
The wine list seemed to cover all the bases, though they were pretty slow in serving what we ordered, the first choice also being out of stock. They do host weddings here (there is a beautiful room a level above the restaurant for ceremonies), and it would be an amazing venue for anyone wishing to tie the knot. The only concern would be the service, which was overall surprisingly poor considering the army of waiters and runners that bustled around the restaurant during our lunch.
But don’t let that put you off, since Emily Moon is quite a magical place. And my friend was right, you wouldn’t hurt your chances of ‘getting lucky’ should you decide to have a romantic dinner here. Not that I’m insinuating food and wine have anything to do with that…
www.emilymoon.co.za
No comments:
Post a Comment