Chef Archie comes with a wealth of experience having worked at top luxury properties in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. His culinary journey began in Surrey, England during a 3-year apprenticeship with Michelin star Chef David Evans. Over the past decade he’s worked in leading South African establishments, including the Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français, alongside world-renowned Chef Margot Janse; and Singita in the Kruger National Park. Before joining Catharina’s, he gained valuable wine experience at Asara and Neethlingshof that will stand him in good stead at Catharina’s, set amidst the Cape’s Steenberg vineyards.

Creating a sensory experience that resonates the spirited life and times of the feisty Catharina Ras, Chef Archie pays homage to Steenberg’s 17th century founder. The new menu at Catharina’s – the gourmet restaurant at Steenberg Farm in Constantia – is interwoven with fresh indigenous ingredients Catharina would have hunted, grown and prepared herself. By revealing hints of Catharina’s thrilling life in this sensory culinary narrative, Chef Archie brings the ‘contemporary heritage’ dictum to life.

He serves up contemporary comfort food, allowing guests to revel in the abundance of fresh produce, cooked simply, fused with unusual accents not readily found elsewhere, and presented beautifully. The menu centres on simplicity, and lets the finest quality ingredients do the talking.

A seasoned huntswoman of hippo, lion, ostrich, crocodile and zebra, these served with indigenous veld food would have been regular fare at Steenberg in Catharina’s day. Experimenting with these ingredients took Chef Archie on his own journey of discovery, creating some wonderful umami flavours by incorporating traditional staples such as Chakalaka, maize meal and sour figs.

Catharina’s offers diners a 3-course à la carte menu as well as an 8-course Tasting Menu. Signature dishes include seared tuna wrapped in crisp salmon skin; salmon trout served with a horseradish and sour fig risotto; panfried crocodile tail; and grilled Zebra loin. The Tasting Menu at R1 100 per person – including wines from leading estates – is interlaced with Archie’s more adventurous dishes. The à la carte menu offers some of the more familiar for a quick lunch or informal dining; both menus are available for lunch and dinner.

Catharina’s Restaurant is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For bookings call: 021 713 7178; email: reservations@catharinasrestaurant.co.za or visit: www.steenbergfarm.com and follow @CatharinasR on Twitter or Steenberg on Instagram and Facebook