Three months and going strong!

After an absolute scorcher of a day yesterday, waking up to an overcast sky and and a comfortable 18 degree celsius temperature is almost a relief! But for a few of our guests who are about to return to a dismally cold (and for some snowy) Europe, the chance to enjoy their breakfast of home-made breads and local farm cheeses in the sunshine in the private courtyard was welcomed and savoured.
Talking about savouring... we made it to Umami restaurant last night and had a fantastic meal. Situated at the other end of Dorp Street, it is a comfortable 10 minute walk from the front door of the Oude Leeskamer Guest House. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of indulging in the culinary delights served by Toerie Van der Merwe and his team - this small restaurant spills out onto a shaded courtyard, and the combination of modern clean lines, natural stone cladding, well-placed lighting and a modern bar makes for an intimate and comfortable setting. 
We had the tasting menu with wine pairing, - a journey through four delicious courses of beautifully presented and excellently prepared traditional dishes with just enough of a creative flair to them to really make the flavours flourish.  My kudu loin was brought to life with a dark chocolate and pine nut jus and I can honestly say that the beef fillet was one of the best I have had in a long, long time.  Although not usually a wooded chardonnay fan - I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed the Dombeya Wooded Chardonnay that accompanied my Calamari first course and the Rainbow's End Cab Franc brought out the juiciness and full flavour of the steak perfectly!
All in all - it was a lovely evening and I can strongly recommend that you put Umami on your agenda for one evening when coming to stay at the Oude Leeskamer Guest House! 
The big news at the Oude Leeskamer this week is that Stellenbosch's youngest guest house is about to turn three months old! Yip - its our birthday this coming Wednesday and to celebrate we are offering all guests staying with us on the 1st of December a complimentary bottle of bubbly! So why not indulge yourselves with a pre-silly Christmas season mid-week break in a great little guest house right in the heart of historic Stellenbosch!