L’OLIVE RESTAURANT
The Institute of Culinary Arts

Tucked away on leafy Andringa Street in the historical town of Stellenbosch, L’Olive Restaurant hums with activity from the early hours until late evening. Recently opened by Letitia Prinsloo, Founder and Principal of the Institute of Culinary Arts, L'Olive is proving to be a great attraction!

Run by ICA chef students, L'Olive Restaurant is where they receive first hand experience of restaurant management - a tough training ground on the coal-face! Up and about in the early hours of the morning, the team is preparing and ready to open the doors for their first customers at 07h00 waiting for a piping hot coffee, usually a latte! 

Breakfast offers choices; homemade breads, croissants, muesli, yoghurt and fresh fruits from the buffet. English breakfasts to order or omelettes with vibrant international flavours from Greece, Italy, the French countryside and North Africa.  A theme threading its way through the menu, that changes on a monthly basis.

"We are not in favour of the practice to merely rope in students as kitchen helpers at culinary school restaurants. At L’Olive the students themselves manage the various departments to prepare them for their future careers in the food industry including all aspects of wine presentation, maitre d’, the ambiance, product development, compiling menus, costing and the purchasing of supplies."

Does Panini with prosciutto, fresh rocket and pesto make your mouth water? Or do you fancy a slice of hazelnut and ricotta tart or almond cake from North Africa with your freshly brewed coffee? Delicious eleven's are a feature!

Meet friends for lunch, or relax with 'Street Food' and nibbles from 4 p.m. onwards. Have romantic dinners in a more formal setting and enjoy the fun of friendly Sunday evenings when 'Just Desserts' and coffee are served in this delightfully colourful and streamlined restaurant.

All dishes are checked by Chef Selwyn October, lecturer at the ICA, who meticulously guides the culinary activity, allowing the students to fine tune dishes and develop their full potential. 

KWV's Pearly Bay is a most appealing range, great for the party season! Try their Cape Red, early drinking Cape White, Chenin Blanc/Colombar with its lively greenish tints, tropical aroma and scent of guava or their new, light, fun loving bubbly Celebration. Wines that shine are crisp, fresh and easy drinking, perfect for our long hot summers. 

A wide variety of light meals are available from the sleek stainless steel open kitchen, where guests can view the chefs at work, playing their hot pianos. There are pasta dishes, a delicious Moroccan lamb and lentil soup, as well as patisserie, confectionery and dainty pastries – from Greek galaktoboriko to Provençal Gateau and speciality breads baked on the premises. 

L'Olive is a visual delight! Freshly picked flowers in a lipstick palette; voluptuous roses, lilies and nasturtiums abound. Students are encouraged to give full reign to their creative talents with these vivid bouquets. Enchanting paintings by Frans Groenewald add splashes of colour and whimsicality.

Dappled sunlight bathe the street scene at L'Olive. A succession of piquant dips and nibbles arrive to relax over while sipping chilled glasses of Pearly Bay Celebration, cheerful, sparkly, stemming from muscat d'Alexandrie, grapey and semi-sweet. Enjoy pickled artichokes, olives with herbs, red pepper and chilli dip, and marinated sundried tomatoes with feta. Meet Christina van Niekerk who oversees the restaurant with charm and efficiency. 

Inspired by seasonal flavours, the menu changes monthly. Starters such as roasted butternut and pine nut risotto, pan-fried trout with fennel and orange salad, mains such as home made tagliatelle with basil pesto and parmesan crisp, braised pork belly with caramelized red cabbage and potato fondant, pan-seared line fish on garlic greens, a saffron tagliatelle, or Ossobucco with risotto Milanese. Try their light and delicate duo of salmon niçoise.

 

Late afternoon the restaurant bustles and the scene changes, glamorized for romantic dinners. Chairs are dressed in shades of olive, deep misty blue and grape, while tables don their fresh pristine guise; olive and grape coloured underlays offset by broad bands of crisp white linen and generous napkins.

 

For the sweet tooth, decadent desserts beckon such as chocolate fondant with kumquats and vanilla ice cream or an apple tarte tatin served with crème fraîche, and apple and cinnamon ice cream, and an aromatic strawberry galette. For a trio of treats try their tiramisu, zabaglione and lemon gelato which are served together in espresso cups. A sweet addition is the ‘Just Desserts’ menu, which is presented on Sundays. 

The Pearly Bay Cape Red, early drinking, full of flavour, vivid colour - cherries come to mind, light hearted and unwooded delicious with rare beef fillet on a bed of lentils with wilted greens, topped by herb butter.