Dining With The Dawn Of Man
Lanseria, (at the Cradle of Humankind) South Africa
It had been a very informative and interesting day. I was touring The Cradle of Human Kind, an area to the North West of Johannesburg, a UNSECO World Heritage Site, where the first discoveries of the earliest humans were discovered. WARNING if your very religious and do not believe in Darwinism, then you will not like this paragraph or article at all. Well, I’m religious but open minded, and the Cradle of Humankind was just fantastic. The museums, the caves, and the wealth of information were endless. But this review is about food not the argument of how man was created. The restaurant just happens to be in the same area where the skeletons of humans dating back one million years (long before Adam and Eve) were discovered. The restaurant was called Le Sel, and it as located on a nature reserve in The Cradle of Humankind.
Food price per person (excluding gratuity)
For the starter course I had a vegetable quiche or greens
with mixed nuts and balsamic vinegar. A nice French style starter for the day
as I enjoyed a wine rated in the top 20 best in the world.
Chef Sean cooks for soldiers in Afghanistan, 2012:
Lanseria, (at the Cradle of Humankind) South Africa
Cuisine Style: African bush to bistro concept
Dined
in December 2013
By: Sean Overpeck (CFE)
It had been a very informative and interesting day. I was touring The Cradle of Human Kind, an area to the North West of Johannesburg, a UNSECO World Heritage Site, where the first discoveries of the earliest humans were discovered. WARNING if your very religious and do not believe in Darwinism, then you will not like this paragraph or article at all. Well, I’m religious but open minded, and the Cradle of Humankind was just fantastic. The museums, the caves, and the wealth of information were endless. But this review is about food not the argument of how man was created. The restaurant just happens to be in the same area where the skeletons of humans dating back one million years (long before Adam and Eve) were discovered. The restaurant was called Le Sel, and it as located on a nature reserve in The Cradle of Humankind.
Follow Wine, dine, and Play:
Review basics:
Star rating by Wine,
Dine, & Play:
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3 of 5
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Quality of food:
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7 of 10
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Presentation:
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7 of 10
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Wine selections by
region:
Scroll below the main review section to see the tasting
notes of the wines chosen.
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5 of 10
New World:
1.
South Africa: Constantia, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Western Cape, Walker’s
Bay, Elgin, Swartland, Greyton, Franschoek, Cederberg, Hermanus, and
Wellington
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Customer service:
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8 of 10
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Ambiance:
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7 of 10
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Corkage fee’s:
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S. African Restaurant standard is R80.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual dining
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Dress code:
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Smart casual, Casual, or Conservative
attire
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Reservations:
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Recommended
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Walk-ins:
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Not guaranteed
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Child policy:
 |
The Restaurants reviewed on
this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full
enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in
attendance. Hire a Babysitter. Alinea Baby Gate
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Cuisine style:
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Contemporary, Bistro, South African, Italian, French, &
Vegetarian
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Music styles:
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Background instrumental
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Great outdoor dining, Good for special
occasions, Beautiful décor, Rustic, Scenic views, Trendsetting, and a
Neighborhood gem.
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Gratuities:
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S. African standard is 10% added to parties of 6 or more
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Diner’s,
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Parking:
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Parking lot
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Transport options:
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personal vehicle, or tour bus
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The restaurants reviewed on
this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the
excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead
of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low,
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, and nonsmoking patio
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Patio:
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Yes
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Chef:
Coco Reinharz
Price chart:
$£€ - Under 50.00
$£€ x 2 - Under 75.00
$£€ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€ x 5 - Over 400.00
My food bill:
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Currency :
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Price chart :
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R175.00
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ZAR
|
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$15.69
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USD
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$
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£9.45
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GBP
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£
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€11.46
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EUR
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€
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$17.36
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CAD
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$
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$18.00
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AUD
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$
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¥95.77
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CNY
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¥¥
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د.57.62
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AED
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د. د.
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Scroll down below the main review to see cost of wines and tasting
notes.
From restaurants home page:
Set in 3000 hectares of game reserve, Le Sel¡¯s surroundings
are breathtaking. The restaurant is architecturally magnificent with extensive
outdoor seating and wide retractable doors that literally let the outside in.
It comes with a long, wide verandah that endows diners with a 180¢ª view of the
game filled valley below, rolling Magaliesberg hills beyond and above that,
blue sky.
This is the place to come to linger over sundowners and
dinner or a long weekend lunch. Children are always welcome and by prior
arrangement can take a short walk with the ranger, looking for dung beetles,
birds and maybe spot a buck (there are 12 species of antelope in the reserve).
Adults too may arrange a game drive or walk.
Main review:
I was done with a tour some caves, and it was time for a lunch.
I had made some reservations at Le Sel, and was on my way. The Cradle of
Humankind was very spread out and it took a long time to get from one place to
another. I arrived through the security gate and parked. It was a hot day, and
all the parking was uncovered, so it would be hot when I came back. The
restaurant was a nice walk from the parking lot down a lot of steps. On the way
down there was a golf cart to drive you down, but when I was done, the cart was
not available, so I ended up walking up those darn stairs.
The main entrance the restaurant in general was made from
brick and stone on the outside and traditional architecture on the inside. The
entrance had a small well in the center as you entered, and the hallway which
entered into the bar and the main dining room and patio.
Two stairwells behind me went down to the banquet rooms and
restrooms. I requested a table on the patio to enjoy the fantastic views.
On the table there was fresh cracked salt and pepper, and
vinegars and oils freshly pressed from the Willow Creek Olive Estate, and a view to die for.
I looked over the menu ordering a bottle of Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir. (Scroll
down below the main review to see wine tasting notes)
For the entrée course, I had a stuffed chicken with spinach
and cheese, tossed in a tomato sauce with zucchini, broccoli, and oven
potatoes. I stayed and relaxed for an extra hour after the meal ended so that I
could finish my wine, before going back to touring The Cradle of Humankind.
Cost of wines and other
alcoholic beverages:
R600.00
Tasting
Notes:
Wine & Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palette Experience:
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cool maritime microclimate, naturally tiny yields of under
30 hl/ha and a philosophy of expressing terroir – give rise to a certain tightness,
tannin line and elevated length to balance the richness and generosity of the
Pinot noir.
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Pinot noir is not overtly fruity, soft and “sweet” and it
generally shows hints of that alluring savory “primal” character along with a
dark, spicy, complex primary fruit perfume.
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Restaurant address:
Route T3, Kromdraai Road
The Cradle Of Humankind
Lanseria, 1748
South Africa
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude
-25.91918
-25° 55' 9.05"
Longitude
27.8468
27° 50' 48.48"
Contact Information:
Maître d, reservations
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+27 (0)11 659 1622
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Website:
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Email:
|
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Social media
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Hours:
Breakfast:
Daily: 8 am - 10.30 am
Lunch:
Daily: 12:30 – 2 pm
Dinner:
Daily: 6 pm – 10 pm
South African Standard Time (GMT +2:00)
Review by:
Chef Sean Overpeck (CFE) at Le Sel, enjoying my
Hamilton Russel Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russel Pinot Noir
"Culinary perfection
consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things
extraordinarily well."
TTFN
