LA SOSTA
BEST FOR Gourmet escapes over a long weekend. FOOD It’s Italian, but not as you know it. Chefs Salvatore and Nina Branda bring their experience in high-end European kitchens to bear on a selection of four-course set menus with a fine-dining aesthetic. There are three menus: Garden, with a focus on vegetarian dishes; Land, for meat and mushrooms; and Sea. The Sea menu is superb, with lightly smoked ocean trout lifted by a fresh lemon granita; a risotto of Saldanha Bay mussels and broccoli cream; and pan-seared octopus with the perfect texture. There are amuse bouches, intermediate courses and sorbets, so while the plating may be modern and the portions modest, you won’t go hungry. Dessert offers a choice of Italian classics and the reinvented tiramisu doesn’t disappoint. DRINKS An excellent wine list, focused on Breede River valley estates. SERVICE Warm, attentive service from the family. AMBIENCE A modern yet intimate space in one wing of the family-run guesthouse. (RH)