by Jade Allen
Mediterranean Dining at Its Best
The V&A Waterfront’s yacht basin recently upgraded with a tasteful (in both the literal and figurative sense) addition to its five-star setting. Nestled beside the world renowned Two Oceans Aquarium, family owned Mediterranean Style restaurant, Vista Marina, is fast catching guests’ attention with its aromatic cuisine and unsurpassed location.
Dappled amongst an array of the country’s finest hotel’s like the Cape Grace, One & Only, Victoria and Alfred and Queen Victoria to name a few, Vista is by no argument in prime positioning. Overlooking the luxury yachts, Vista’s alfresco dining option, along with its vast indoor venue (reminiscent of the inside of a grand, modern luxury liner) both offer breakfast, lunch and dinner seating.
“We’re a family owned and run business. It’s important for us, to ensure that all our guests feel welcomed when they come to Vista Marina. Through our combined heritage we naturally gravitated towards Mediterranean cuisine, the energy of the Mediterranean, clean flavours and fresh product, that’s what we want our guests to experience,” says Vista Marina owner, Thelma Francisco.
Vista Marina doubles up as both restaurant and multifaceted function venue for premium private and corporate functions, having hosted an array of events from The Audi South African Wine Awards to The Red Carpet Fashion Show and the Bokeh Film Festival, to name a few.
Inside, the restaurant can seat 120 guests, making use of the stage table for presentations and live performances. The stage table can also be used for smaller groups and can seat a maximum of 16 guests. For groups of 50 guests or less three main course dining options are made available. Groups of 50 or more have a choice between two main course options preselected by guests in advance. Cocktail style events can comfortably host 200 guests inside with a substantial selection of delicious canapes to choose from.
Adjacent to the restaurant, is the glass enclosed conservatory deck with panoramic views of the Marina and Table Mountain, perfect for breakfast, brunch, high tea or cocktail events, and can host up to 200 guests. For a super-premium VVIP experience, the Vista Marina Blue Room is ideal for lavish private dining - a long wooden table, seating twelve guests in navy blue velvet wing back chairs. An opulent gold and black handmade crystal chandelier suspends over dining area, offering a somewhat royal dining experience with a nautical flair at its finest.
“We are honoured to be elected as the official after party venue for the 19th annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) this March, 2018. The finest jazz artists from around South Africa will be visiting and performing at our venue” remarks Francisco. “We also have an array of other very exciting events lined up throughout the year. In addition to our monthly Deetlefs Date Nights featuring Ricky Botsis, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter weekend and Christmas in July (during the first half of the year) we’ll also be hosting regular performances with various musicians, jazz artists and djs throughout. Other exciting events we have lined up include food and wine pairing evenings during winter, where our chef and leading winemakers will curate beautiful five to eight course tasting menus.”
The Mediterranean inspired menu at Vista incudes dishes such as the Linguine frutti di mare dressed with succulent mussels, prawns, baby calamari and the freshest catch of fish in a putanesca sauce; St Tropez bouillabaisse with line fish, black mussels, prawns, baby calamari, doused in a classic bouillabaisse broth topped with crostini; or the classic hake and chips with a fresh Greek side salad. “My personal favourite, and a dish that is close to my heart is the slow roasted lamb shank with crispy roast potatoes and cucumber riata. It’s an age-old recipe passed down through my family from generation to generation” says Francisco.
Other dishes that stand out on the menu include the lamb chops plated with polenta gnocchi, roast veg, wild mushroom and garlic jus; woodfired lamb or chicken souvlaki in a honey and herb marinade served with cos lettuce, grilled veg, olives, pita bread and tzatziki, and a selection of gourmet pizzas for something easy and on the go. On a sweeter note, the traditional Greek dish - Baklava with pistachio ice cream, and Vista’s salted caramel, popcorn semifreddo with honey roasted brazil nuts.
The venue lends itself ideally towards the corporate sector for quiet lunch meetings and functions, with the convenience of being in the central Waterfront vicinity, yet slightly out the major hustle and bustle. Though, being right beside the Two Oceans Aquarium it doubles up as a great family destination too. “We have taken family dining into consideration with a delicious assortment of kiddies dishes” adds Francisco. “It’s such a great outing for families to experience the excitement of a world class aquarium excursion before relaxing beside the sea for a hearty meal right next door.” Two Oceans Aquarium ticket holders are also privy to 10% off their bill.
Adding another element of luxury to this sea-facing, Mediterranean cuisine restaurant, is the Vista Marina yacht, which accommodates up to 12 pax at a time. The yacht can be hired in advance for cruises around the Atlantic Seaboard, with private catering and beverages provided by Vista Marina.
To experience this St Tropez style setting for a la carte dining, private or corporate events or a trip on the Vista yacht, contact info@vistamarina.co.za or call 021 814 4510.
