So is anyone else loving winter?! I don’t mean to sound like one of the crazies, but have you noticed that the weather has been delightfully spring-like lately AND we have a proliferation of incredible winter specials.

Note: winter specials and NO winter weather! SCORE!

Alright, here are a few I have personally tried out. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but it might get you started. For a proper, really good, very inspirational list go to Relax With Dax. That is where I go when I need inspiration.

Okay. To be begin.

Last Saturday I went to Sinn’s Restaurant, and had their special. This special offers 2 courses for R125 and 3 courses for R135, both with a glass of wine. Very good value people. Very good.

They change the specials menu daily, I think, but we had, between three of us, Thai fishcakes, potato and leek soup, and French onion soup, for starters. For mains we had chicken tikka and angelfish, and malva pudding for desert. The wine left a bit to be desired, especially the chardonnay, which was woody, but the red was palatable. The food was beautifully presented, and tasted great. The service was attentive, and decent, though there was a moment (eating chicken tikka) when I could have killed for a glass of water, and could not locate a waiter. But nevertheless, this comes highly recommended.

Next (the same weekend, yes I do cook, but I like to eat out on weekends!), we went to the Hussar Grill, in Camps Bay for their Sunday lunch special. This is a 3 course meal for R89! And they have cocktails! W

ho’d’ve guessed?! It was lovely, old-fashioned, hit the spot like your mom used to food. For starters we had a delicious veggie soup, with grilled French loaf slices, for mains there was roast beef with Yorkshire pud, roast potatoes, spinach and butternut. Delicious! And desert was bread and butter pudding, which I haven’t had since I was a child. You cannot go wrong with such lovely, old-fashioned food!

Lastly, for a special occasion, my boyfriend and I went to Aubergine, to take advantage of their special, since they are a fine dining, delicious and usually expensive place. Well, the special is great for a fine dining place. It’s not special if you’re after something cheap. Cheap it is not. It is very good value for money especially for such fine food. Back before the recession, before I graduated and found a real job, back when I was a student and a waiter and could afford dinners like this, we used to go to fine dining establishments often. Well, how things changed.

It would be impossible to describe the wealth of flavours that Harald Bresselschmidt, cuisinier of Aubergine manages to work into his food. I have not got enough words to describe the divine quail starter, the mussel and swordfish broth, or the blesbok. I won’t even try. If you have a small special occasion, a friend in town, anniversary, have nothing to eat tonight. GO. Go now. It is very, very worth the money you spend. But a word to the wise. Stay away from the exorbitantly priced wine list. It’s not that it isn’t good wine, I just think R265 is a bit steep for a nice, but ordinary shiraz. That’s just my opinion, use it, don’t use it.

So, for more specials, a very exhaustive list, go see Relax with Dax. And if, like me for the rest of the month, you have to stay home from over-indulgence in specials, go see What on Earth’s for Dinner? for some inspiration for the eternal question.

Article by Sigrid