The Jordan Wine Estate occupies a position on Stellenbosch Kloof Road, above Vlottenberg, that combines the particular generosity of the Cape Winelands landscape with views across the estate dam that become, on a clear day, one of the most compelling dining backdrops in South Africa. The restaurant. Which has been producing serious fine dining on the property since 2009. Was reinvigorated with the arrival of Chef Marthinus Ferreira, who brings to Jordan's kitchen the depth of experience accumulated working with Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal, filtered through a cuisine that is emphatically and emotionally South African.
Ferreira's tasting menu is gastronomic autobiography: dishes inspired by childhood memories, reconstructed through international technique, anchored in the produce of the Cape. Expect preparations that are technically demanding without being theatrical. The restraint is the point, and the ingredients are calibrated to carry their weight unassisted. The Cape linefish courses draw from Hout Bay's daily catch; the lamb from the Karoo plateau; the greens from the estate's kitchen garden. The wine pairings are drawn from Jordan's own impressive cellar. The Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are among Stellenbosch's finest. And supported by a broader selection from the surrounding wine valley.
The setting is, by any international comparison, extraordinary. The dam view. Across calm water to wooded hillsides and the Boland peaks. Provides a contemplative counterweight to the gastronomic ambition of what is served. There is a quality of absorption in the better winery restaurants that comes from the combination of great food with space and silence; Jordan provides both. The drive from Cape Town through the vine-covered valleys is itself a preparation for the meal that follows: twenty minutes from the city and an entire register removed from it.