There’s a new hound (and pig) in town! Nudged between two historic buildings along the perpetually evolving Dorp Street is Spek & Bone, a tapas-meets-wine-bar-meets-hideaway located between an alley and the oldest fruit-producing vine tree in Stellenbosch. The brainchild of celebrated chef Bertus Basson, Spek & Bone’s namesake is Bertus’s pet pig (Spek meaning bacon in Afrikaans) and Bone (meaning beans) his pet boxer. While dog may be man’s best friend, it seems Spek is Bone’s best buddy, and together, these two have become an integral part of the team (not the food).
The location caters to a more casual (read: affordable yay!) dining journey, on fleek with current tapas-sharing plates. Naturally, one of the most attractive items on the menu for us was the substantial and delicately curated wine list. We were recommended an Overgaauw Sylvaner, the only Sylvaner produced in South Africa and something we’d neither tried nor heard of before. Now THAT’S a wine list which marks the sign of a team that puts considered thought into every element of the restaurant, leaving nothing to unravel at the seams of the total experience. No doubt Spek & Bone have set their sights on becoming the hottest new wine bar around, and from the Dirty Little Secret Chenin to the Vin de Constance (!) as options, they’re wow-ing and will have us coming back to discover more with our curious palates.
With the bokeh light aesthetic and attentive but not overbearing service, and truly delicious plates (there was nothing we didn’t enjoy, and we tried the lot) it’s no surprise that Spek & Bone has shot to the top of our new favourite winelands dining spot.
PS. Sweet tooth or not, have the Peppermint Crisp king cone for dessert – Just. Do. It.
