“The Proof is in the truffle!”- (Truffle Restaurant, Cape Town)- Closed Down

Please note that Truffle is now closed down.

Finding upmarket halaal restaurants in Cape Town can be quite a challenge. Sure, we have our fair share of halaal-friendly spots but generally, you have to concede that either the restaurant is not going to be particularly fancy (hence many-a-birthdays have been spent at Spur), or that the restaurant won’t be strictly halaal.

When I heard about a strictly halaal, “fine-dining” restaurant in the heart of the CBD, I was instantly curious. Truffle had only opened its doors about a week prior to our visit. We could not find their website initially but managed to find a Facebook page to get their phone number. Not that it helped, as we could not get through to their phone to make a reservation. So we rocked up at Truffle, reservation free, in hope that they could accommodate us. It was lunch time on a Sunday and was not particularly busy so we were instantly seated.

The design was quite impressive. Rays of natural light entering the restaurant made it feel warm and welcoming. I don’t exactly know how to describe the decor. I’m going to go for classical with a modern edge. I loved the light feature, it took the design to another level.

The view was not particularly interesting from upstairs. Basically it overlooks the highway. This does make it feel like a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of town.

Okay, now the important stuff: The food!

For starters we had the grilled cajun style calamari. It was tasty with a lovely kick of flavour. It could have perhaps done with a tartar sauce.

For mains, we took the waitresses advice and tried the Mozambican prawn curry and the “Truffle Piquante” fillet which is a beef fillet stuffed with jalapeno and mozzarella. Neither dishes disappointed where taste is concerned. The prawn curry was good enough to rival my mom’s. The fillet portions could have been bigger as it was so succulent that we would have loved to have more than 200g.

Dessert being my favourite course, I was looking forward to a wonderful chocolate fondant. This is the only course which disappointed me as it was over-baked and did not have the expected soft, gooey centre. The way I like it.

Lets get down to the nitty-gritty: the pricing. Truffle is by no means cheap and they aren’t pretending to be affordable either. You will likely be paying between R100- R180 for a main course. Its a great place to go on a date or a special occasion. Based on taste alone, we were satisfied to spend the money, just not too often. Have a look through the menu here.

Truffle may still be in its teething stages but I have no doubt that they will be a contender on the Cape Town dining scene as long as they continue to provide good quality, delicious food. They wont be replacing Spur but they are in a different league and there has definitely been a need for a place like Truffle in the Halaal dining market.

The Deets:

Address:
5 Harbour Edge Building,
Cnr of Hospital and Chiappini Street,
Green Point

Tel: 021 418 3777

Website: http://www.truffleco.co.za/