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COLUMN
 Saturday Night Fever
With winter approaching a pub with a fireplace is becoming a desirable
location.
With that in mind we decided to visit the Constantia Nek restaurant,
which is just up the road from me, although I probably haven’t been there
in over a decade. And as far as I can tell, not much has changed since
then, or in the past hundred odd years, I would imagine. Walking up to the
grand old dame, surrounded by ancient old pine trees, one’s senses are
overwhelmed and soothed by the crisp, fresh smell of wet pine needles, and
lush green creepers that grow unrestrained over the building.
The restaurant is resplendent with old world charm, from the thatch
roof to the old brick walls, dark interior and tranquil atmosphere. This
is truly a place to go for a “quiet drink”. The L-shaped bar, arranged
around the magnificent, large old fireplace is quite small, and more than
fifteen people would make it feel overcrowded. Unfortunately there’s only
one table (in the form of a large wine barrel) next to the fire place, so
most people will be restricted to a bar stool at the counter. The TV up
against the wall, showing the weekend’s rugby game, was sadly out of
place.
Beer was the last thing on our mind on a cold, damp Saturday
afternoon, and having recently had my fill of hot chocolates and Irish
coffees, I was ecstatic to see they were serving glühwein. We ordered two
glasses, which were generously filled to the top and quite delicious. For
those not in the know, glühwein is essentially a mixture of red wine,
cinnamon and cloves, served hot. And I can assure you few things taste
better in the cold, particularly when enjoyed next to a warm fire. The
glasses were also fairly priced at R8.50 each. My companion had another,
while I decided to try out their coffee – I’m always in search of that
elusive perfect cup. The coffee was good – strong and fragrant – but my
search for perfection will have to continue. What does count strongly in
the restaurant’s favour though, is the size of the cup, or should I say
bowl, the coffee is served in. Also costing R8.50, I found it very
reasonable considering the quantity you receive.
After finishing our drinks we decided to stroll about the restaurant
and discovered they were catering for a wedding reception that night. I
must say it is a beautiful venue for such an occasion. The main dining
area is fairly large, I recon it could comfortably seat a hundred or more
people, but still remains remarkably intimate with wooden windows and a
double door with lovely views of their Hydrangea garden and over the
Constantia valley.
Definitely a great place to spend a lazy wet afternoon when you’re not
in the mood for the hustle of the city.
Your comments, as always, are most welcome.
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