The Supper Club at 3 Fig Street.

Neill Anthony at work.

London, Paris, New York…..and now Cape Town, the Supper Club has arrived.

Lynn Angel of Kitchen Angel (cookery school, kitchen design and guesthouse in Fernwood, Newlands) has teamed up with Neill Anthony (ex Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Waering, London) to form Cape Town’s first Supper Club.

Located at Lynn’s home and guesthouse in Fernwood, we went along last night to find out what it was all about.

In a nutshell, it’s like going to a dinner party, with a fixed menu, in someones house.

This one, admittedly, is very gracious and elegant, unlike some of the bedsits and loft apartments that feature in Paris and other places. But, hey, this is Cape Town’s version.

The key to a Supper Club is the informality and congeniality. You can chat to the other guests, wander into the brilliant open kitchen, annoy the chef, and even check out his knife collection.

We all sat at a magnificent long wooden table that can seat 18.

Neill Started the evening with a St.Patrick’s day faux Guinness amuse-bouche. It was a kind of onion soup in a shot glass with a dollop

Toys for boys, Neill's knife collection.

of white foam on top.

The starter was a dish of smoked snoek, roast beetroot, horseradish chantilly and air dried ham. Neill introduced each course, and it was great to hear the chefs insight into his cooking methods.

Wines from High Constantia accompanied each course. Winemaker David Van Niekerk was there to talk about them. It was lovely to chat and not be lectured.

Where else in Cape Town would you meet a winemaker in such a setting? His taste notes on the Malbec were that it was like the bit of christmas cake you pinched from under the stairs when you were a kid. Lovely.   

A Buitenverwachting dessert wine went down deliciously with the custard tart dessert. The South African’s at the table described it as milk tart and loved it. It didn’t float my boat.

Roast butternut, peppered puree, scented grapes,feta and herb vinaigrette.

Expertly chosen, the wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Silverhurst Viognier and Malbec) accompanied the food perfectly and were so good they even threatened to eclipse Neill’s efforts. I am definitely getting a bottle of the Viognier this weekend. It was stunning, and opened my eyes to a range of wines that I had never tried before.

The food was posher than I thought it would be. But Neill is ex Petrus and Groucho Club in London, so there you go.

Conversation flowed up and down the table. Get the right mix of people and you will have an unforgettable evening. And, of course, Lynn is an angelic hostess.

Lynn’s Supper Club is open Wednesday and Thursday evenings and costs R400 per person, including drinks, which are provided by different winemaker each week.

Gourmet food, amazing wines and a bang for your buck. 

The Supper Club at 3 Fig Street.

021 683 5318. www.kitchenangel.co.za.

Proceedings start at 7:30 and finish up……well, whenever.