Winchester Mansions

SLEEPING-OUT REVIEW

Winchester Mansions - A home away from home

November 2009 – Reviewed by Ric Hutton and Helen Maroulis

For six decades the Winchester Mansions Hotel, situated at 221 Beach Road on the famous Promenade has seen the turns of the Atlantic tide. Local and overseas guests who visit the hotel experience true hospitality with a personal touch. The interior is a fusion of elegance and old world charm with a touch of Africa. At the entrance to the Mansions is an outdoor patio area. Here sundowners and cocktails are enjoyed by the regular Sea Point patrons as well as the international and business tourists who want to experience neighbourhood living on Sea Point's Promenade.

We arrived on a Saturday evening and were warmly welcomed by the reception team before been shown to our spacious, stylish and luxurious suite on the 3rd floor. It featured an enormous bed as well as two elegant and spacious bathrooms and we were surprised to find our own private lounge area as well, with a flat screen TV and a music system. The interior décor featured dark wood furnishings in combination with light green couches and neutral carpets. The combination of these colours was soothing to the senses and we found ourselves immediately relaxing and settling in. Soon a bottle of Sparkling Wine arrived in an ice-bucket with a platter of sliced seasonal fruit which we enjoyed while taking in the stunning views of the Atlantic Coastline and The Promenade.

Dinner at Harvey's

We proceeded to Harvey's at the Winchester Mansions to sample the French executive chef's signature dishes and favourite wines. Christophe Borderie has added his French traditional flair to local South African cuisine and numerous local ingredients are incorporated in the menu. The restaurant colour scheme is a striking combination of dark and light wood tones and there is a display of paintings on the wall from the last Grapes Gourmet and Gallery evening, which will be replaced with an exhibition from a different local artist when the next Grapes Gourmet and Gallery evening takes place in January. A pianist played light classical background music and we enjoyed the informal, welcoming and laid back feel of the restaurant. A basket of freshly baked Foccacia rolls was served as well as a delightful pre-starter – Spinach and Feta with sun dried tomato in a phyllo basket.

My partner ordered the Summer Trio for his starter and I chose the Thai Prawn Risotto. The trio consisted of a mini prawn and avocado cocktail, a chicken and sesame seed wonton and a tomato and mozzarella skewer. My Thai Prawn Risotto was slightly spicy but perfectly balanced with the refreshing flavour of lemongrass and the infusion of creamy coconut milk. A lime sorbet was served prior to the main course dramatically served with dry ice, which evaporated into a cloud of rolling white smoke.

As I seldom have red meat I was tempted by the 180g fillet with a green peppercorn sauce. The fillet was firm in texture when sliced but just melted in the mouth. The green peppercorn sauce was creamy and had an interesting flavour similar to gravy. The dish was served with a perfectly baked, baked potato with sour cream which made a very satisfying combination.

My partner selected the Foccacia & Pesto Crusted Kingklip. Served on some tangled tagliatelle and a selection of roasted vegetables with a tomato beurre blanc the result was a complex blend of decadent flavours. We could taste the sweet basil pesto, the ripe, roasted red peppers, the sweet tomato and garlic flavour and the wholesome freshly prepared fish.

When our desserts arrived they were so beautifully presented that they looked like pieces of art. I had the Strawberry & Mascarpone delight with a black pepper and strawberry compote. It was a combination of bright pink, brown and orange colours with a cheesy, creamy, decadently sweet taste and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. My partner's Trio of Sinful Sorbet arrived in a brandy snap basket in three delightful and refreshing flavours – mango, lime and berry.

We retired to our suite which had become our sanctuary and slept peacefully until morning.

Sunday Jazz brunches at Winchester Mansions

This is the most wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning if you enjoy excellent food, jazz and sparkling wine. And who doesn't? The Jazz Brunch is a full buffet and starts at 11:00am and the romantic central courtyard adjacent to Harvey's Restaurant is the perfect location for this feast. It is sheltered from the wind and the guests are shaded by the umbrellas while they enjoy the sounds of Jazz. When we arrived we were immediately seated at a table for two, which fortunately was reserved, as the entire courtyard and the restaurant area were both almost completely full. After enjoying a chilled glass of Sparkling Wine we wandered through to the buffet serving area which was extensive. There were platters of seasonal sliced fruit, fruit salads, cereals, dried fruit compote, a selection of yoghurts, freshly baked muffins, croissants and various pastries and breads, cold meats, smoked salmon and platters of local and international cheese. Eggs could be ordered and prepared in various ways with all the usual breakfast items to accompany. Additionally there was a salad table which featured about 15 salads, some quite unusual and a hot serving area. Here one could choose from a selection of roast joints, roasted vegetables and potatoes with gravy and other accompaniments.

As it was closer to lunch time we selected various salads to start with followed by roasted garlic and rosemary lamb with roasted red and green peppers and a gravy which tasted of wine and chocolate. It was superb and melted in the mouth. The display of mouth-watering desserts attracted us and we chose the Crème Brule and a dessert similar to Tiramisu although once again there were various puddings, trifles, cakes, pastries and mousse options to choose from as well. The Crème Brule was rich, creamy and decadent and rounded off the mid-day brunch perfect!

This was an exceptionally relaxing experience as we lingered over the various courses and relaxed while taking in the interesting crowd of people and listened to the musicians play an ensemble of old favourites and new jazz numbers.

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