FOOD AND DRINKS ARE EXCELLENTLY PAIRED
Vue Shortmarket is owned by Günter Boisits and Aidan Mautschke. If their names sound familiar, it’s because they also run The Drinkery, one of South Africa’s best cocktail bars – as well as The Sandwich Revolution – both also located in Heritage Square. This means that along with the cuisine, you can expect drinks at Vue Shortmarket to be top notch.
It’s hardly surprising that the entire menu works so well with bubbly, starting naturally with oysters. The menu also emphasises light wine-friendly dishes like crudo and tartare. There’s an excellent selection of spirits and wines, Piaff French champagne, which at R150 per glass and R900 per bottle is excellent value, as well as Cap Classique from Boschendal, Vue’s local beverage partner.
The pairing isn’t just for having a well-matched glass to accompany your meal, but also to enhance flavours while food is being cooked. Delicious menu options include a beef shin osso buco-style, simmered in white wine and served with gremolata, a traditional parmesan and beef fat biscuit and light parmesan dumplings; and a well rendered duck breast with salt-baked beetroot, pickled shallots, port sauce and fermented blueberries for a hint of sweetness. Chef Darren Allsop also has a personally-inspired dish of a 250gr sirloin steak, with a side of cheese puff pastry, French caramelised onion and red wine sauce.
VEGETARIANS ARE WELL CATERED FOR
A menu highlight is Mushroom Faux-Gras, a play on foie gras made with five species of mushrooms – gable, pine ring, oyster, chestnut and shiitake. This is Allsopp’s meatless but no less rich and silky mushroom-intense parfait infused with a reduction of port, brandy, sherry and mirin and served with pickled shimeji mushrooms and onion, along with a cute baby loaf of brioche. Also meat-free are the large arancini, deep-fried balls of arborio rice stuffed with smoked Stanford cheese, and a light and simple butternut gnocchi with burnt butter, sage and caramelised pinenuts.
With the idea to share dishes of all sizes, there is no strict structure for the menu so seafood and meat mains become something the whole table can dig into at any stage. The team want the experience to be as hands-on as possible, with food that is easily shared or served – this might mean a beautiful sauce that gets passed around the table or a bread to be portioned out amongst friends.
Moreish sides are equally wonderful for snacking, especially the Hasselback Bravas, potatoes that are crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, tossed in a spicy buttery sauce; and the Crispy Cauliflower – a play on boneless chicken wings in an Asian style black garlic emulsion with sesame seeds. A wintry salad of spinach, torched pears, candied walnuts, blue brie and Parma ham goes down well with a side of focaccia bread.
THERE’S MORE THAN GREAT FOOD ON OFFER
Vue boasts incredible panoramic City Bowl and mountain vistas from its Heritage Square rooftop setting. Whether the winter sun is pouring in through floor-to-ceiling glass doors or the room is gently warmed by heaters on a rainy day, the restaurant remains cosy and elegant, with its urban chic Art Deco-inspired indoor/outdoor space.
It hosts Late Lunch at Vue, a leisurely Sunday lunch with an à la carte menu, great food and music by DJ Dino Moran, from 1:00 pm til early evening. “Sundays can be sleepy in the CBD,” explains co-owner Aidan Mautschke. “The idea is to revive the city on a Sunday afternoon, creating a relaxing setting with good music, lunch and drinks with friends”. A little more up tempo and social than Vue’s regular offering, Late Lunch at Vue offers the same quality food and drinks, with lots of oysters and bubbly.
Vue Shortmarket Rooftop Restaurant & Bar is located at 108 Shortmarket Street, Heritage Square, Cape Town.
Lunch – Wednesday to Saturday and late Sunday lunch
Dinner – Monday to Saturday
Book online via: https://vue-shortmarket.co.za/
