Gåte Restaurant at Quoin Rock

Culinary Exploration at Gåte Restaurant

Given the travel restrictions during lockdown, it has been some time since I’ve had a dining experience quite as inspiring as at Gåte at Quoin Rock Estate. While I have experienced several excellent offerings in the Cape of late, no dining experience has pushed me entirely out of my culinary comfort zone as Gåte Restaurant.

Quoin Rock underwent a major revamp in 2018, and with it, Gåte Restaurant has flowered into an experience that is nothing short of spectacular.

A modern glass structure where every detail has been beautifully rendered – from the impressive entranceway, which is designed to mimic the entrance to Valhalla, to the statement vertical water feature.

Tree and foliage inspired elements, perhaps an ode to Glasir and Laeraðr (trees in Norse lore), tie the theme together. The design is structurally and aesthetically jaw-dropping and sets the tone for an incredible dining experience.

THE CONCEPT

The name Gåte (pronounced gah-tay) is the Norwegian word for ‘riddle’, and it’s the ideal concept from which the menu has been built. You will be surprised, are going to be amazed and will be challenged.

Fine dining has earned itself somewhat of a bad reputation. It’s been rapped over the knuckles for being fussy, stuffy and elitist. The fact is that fine dining has its place in the culinary world. It pushes boundaries, and it showcases the talent and creativity of chefs who express themselves as artists through food.

SPLITTING ATOMS

Molecular gastronomy takes fine dining a step further, and whether you like the idea or not, the whole point is to experience something new. It challenges you with flavour and texture combinations and pushes expectations of ingredients.

Traditional dishes you know and love can be transformed into a truly compelling experience with a bit of creative thinking and innovative cooking techniques.

A fine dining meal isn’t meant to be an everyday experience. It is a unique journey that should be memorable, fun and conversation-worthy and our experience at Gåte Restaurant certainly was.

A variation of menus at Gåte start from two-course daytime dining to the full Chef’s experience of a seven-course dinner. No matter which menu you choose, their dishes combine flavours that make you pause, shut your eyes and draw on your imagination.

Along with superb customer service and attention to detail, this is fine dining at its most elegant.

Pairing with Quoin Rock Wines

Gåte Restaurant pairs each dish with Quoin Rock Estate wines, including Quoin Rock Shiraz, Quoin Rock Red blend, our Black Series MCC and our Rose Bellini Namysto Festive series MCC.

For those not partaking, Gåte also offers tea-pairing during COVID-19 regulations. Teas are chosen with equal care to enhance the flavour of the food.

THE EXPERIENCE

Gåte is not an everyday experience and nor should it be. This is a culinary occasion, a celebration of creativity and the perfect excuse to take your palate into unknown territory.

The Chef and his team have turned the Gåte kitchen into a laboratory. A stateof-the-art space where they can create a dining experience that is out of the ordinary, and they have succeeded at this.

The obvious technique, painstaking plating and meticulous attention to the minute details make each plate a work of art.

Not everyone will enjoy this almost experimental style of cuisine, but the establishment of Gåte is an exciting move for the local culinary scene.

For more information, call Gåte Restaurant at Quoin Rock Wine Estate on +27 21 888 4740, or visit www.quoinrock.co.za.