La Colombe sits in the Cape Dutch homestead of Silverhurst Estate in Constantia, one of Cape Town's oldest wine-producing valleys. The cooking is French in its underlying structure — careful stocks, precise sauces, balanced compositions — but uses South African ingredients throughout, from Karoo lamb to the Constantia valley wines on the list. The setting, with the estate's gardens outside the windows, makes for a more relaxed version of fine dining than the city's converted-warehouse options.
The tasting menu changes seasonally and the wine list draws heavily on the surrounding Constantia valley estates. Evening bookings are essential; the restaurant also does a shorter lunch service that is somewhat easier to book and makes a natural pairing with a visit to nearby Groot Constantia.