Duchess of Wisbeach: Sea Point

Good recipe + great ingredients = a culinary flop.  A friends recommendation to visit the Duchess was all the encouragement we needed to make a booking, even though our daughter and son-in-law were skeptical about our choice. There's so much choice in Cape Town they lamented. What my friend had told me intrigued me though as it was like "stepping into a Parissienne Restaurant" she crooned. So off we went, the recipe is good, great location, the welcome mat is impressive, the friendly doorman a surprise, the bar lively, the decor divine, it's all white table cloths, elegant furniture, polished cutlery and sparkling glass. I loved the look and the vibe was electric. Bustling waiters, who are simply gorgeous each and every one, my goodness they're bronze, muscled, really well toned and surprising well turned out too, not just pretty faces. The menu is pleasing, not too large but covers most palates, and the plat du jour made my husbands choice easier. The bubbles on offer were tempting so I indulged and the wine list was good. For starters we had a very simple Smoked Salmon salad, which I enjoyed, but it didn't "wow", our mains were King prawns and a salad for me and a T-Bone steak for Mr B, which really disappointed, it was in a sorry state, thin, fatty, tough and decidedly unappealing. My dessert was Pannacotta which was so-so. Although we loved the space, the grace, the ambience, the eye candy, the vibe, we'll not return, there really are too many fabulous eateries in Town. Prices were on a par with most "fashionable" establishments.