Aubergine

Aubergine is a longstanding fine-dining restaurant in a Victorian house at 39 Barnet Street in Gardens, at the edge of the City Bowl of Cape Town, South Africa. It has been a fixture of the city's high-end dining scene for many years and serves contemporary European cooking built on Cape ingredients, in a house at the foot of Table Mountain's slopes.

The menu centres on a tasting menu, with game and seafood among the items most associated with the kitchen. Dishes are built around seasonal produce and classical technique, and the tasting format is paired with a South African wine list that includes bottles from the Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Constantia regions. Prices run from roughly R700 to R1,500 per person depending on the format and the wine, which is more accessible than the city's top-tier tasting menus.

The dining room is elegant, intimate and traditional, with a series of rooms in the converted house and a garden or courtyard option in good weather. Noise levels are low, and the atmosphere is calm, polished and suited to special occasions and quiet conversation. Smart attire is customary, and the meal is paced for a long evening.

Reservations are essential and can be made through aubergine.co.za. The restaurant serves dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, so visitors should note that Sunday and Monday are closed. Tables are typically booked ahead, particularly for Friday and Saturday evenings and during the summer season from December to February. Gardens is a short ride from the Waterfront and the City Bowl, and ride-hail is the easiest way to arrive, particularly when wine is being poured.