Grill and Butcher -- or -- eating for Africa

S had a list of restaurants that he wanted us to try and first on the list was the Grill and Butcher.

We were excited to go there because we were totally game to try game. (Hardy har har, really, it doesn't get funnier than this.) So yep, we tried our first of many rounds of game meat that night, springbok.

S had been talking about the GIANT ESPATADA, skewers of meat so big that when they are dropped on the floor in a crazy showy specatcle, they make a big mess! Okay, only mine was dropped on the floor, but it was done so with style and flair, so it was mildly okay! The kitchen staff quickly made me a new GIANT ESPATADA (which was weird because our entire meal took about an hour and 15 minutes to get to us in the first place, granted, there were 8 of us!!!)... but I digress... here she is...


The meat was delicious. There was supposed to be rump, sirloin, ostrich and game meats on the skewer, but they were out of ostrich so we ordered two game meats. And I say, bless you springbok, you are not only beautiful but wonderfully delicious! (Let me also add that this giant skewer of meaty goodness was all mine (one of my relatives asked if that were the serving for the entire table!). I made a good dent in it, the meat was really fantastic.) But it's not just meat! NO!

The skewer of meat dangled delightfully over a plate of goodies.

See for yourself...


The veg was really good. Still slightly crispy, nicely flavored, and the marinade from the meat just drip, drip, dripped happily into the rice.

Now, after an absolutely ginormous skewer of meat (and veg and rice) dessert may not be on YOUR radar, but that would make you weak. And I am not weak. (Ha ha!) Actually, I was intrigued that the restaurant had malva pudding on the menu. It's one of the SA foods that I desperately wanted to try, so I had to seize the day and order it.


It was absolutely delicious. It was a really nice sponge pud with a custardy sauce that made it rich and sweet. I couldn't believe how tasty it was. And it wasn't so big. (G ordered a peppermint crisp sundae that was positively ENORMOUS! No photos, but it did get passed around the table of EIGHT and still wasn't even dented!)

It was really a wonderful meal. S had brought a wine that matched the dinner happily (the name escapes me entirely), and the meal was a complete success. We really appreciated our hosts putting in the time and effort to take us to places that they thought we would like. Knowing that we wanted to try game, this was a great first stop!

All in all, despite the food on the floor, my first big restaurant outing in Cape Town was a triumph, and I couldn't wait until the next meal du jour! (Which I won't blog about. It was an Italian restaurant in Sea Point that was lovely, but I didn't take photos and I don't remember the name!)