Mount Grace Hotel & Spa Review: South African Heritage on a Plate

A New Culinary Chapter at Mount Grace Hotel & Spa

Perched on the hills of the Magaliesberg, Mount Grace Hotel & Spa commands a quiet regality, where the serenity of the countryside meets the grace of a bygone era, with the amenities of the 21st century. Welcomed with smiles and mimosas, we were graciously hosted by the General Manager, Barend Olivier, and Executive Chef, Pieter Malan.

The establishment has recently celebrated 43 years of welcoming guests. While evolving with the years, it has kept its countryside charm as it elevates its luxury status. Contoured by an award-winning spa, 26 private rooms each with its own heated pool, in addition to 5 other room types, and 12 conference and function venues, it’s the ideal escape for couples, families, corporate groups, and wellness or outdoor enthusiasts.

The most exciting part of their new chapter is the different, transcendent culinary experiences they offer to guests, which are considerate, deeply rooted in heritage and mindful of the environment that they inhabit.  

Once a student chef at Mount Grace Hotel & Spa, Pieter Malan returns as an Executive Chef of the prestigious establishment. Under his reign, he’s refreshed every menu from high tea all the way to fine dining. Equipped with a two-year personal study of the region’s natural ingredients, he also has an impressive culinary team by his side. This includes Sous Chef Edwin Theron, who, just like Executive Chef Pieter Malan, was also a contestant on kykNET’s Koekedoortjie.

Here for your relaxation, Mount Grace Hotel & Spa is a palatable adventure for all foodies who visit. Doubling down on indigenous ingredients, they also introduced new styles and techniques to further elevate the menu. The opulent culinary experience can be enjoyed through:

• 1852 Heritage Bar
• Rambling Vine (fine dining)
• The Garden Menu
• Seasonal high tea in the Lounge

1852 Heritage Bar

Our culinary journey started at the newly renovated 1852 Heritage Bar. Adorned in nostalgia, complete with dark wood finishes, moody lighting, a brass foot rail and a long marble counter, the bar is designed for optimal relaxation. Served tea-infused cocktails upon arrival, these were true to our proudly South African botanicals and diverse culture. The bar takes its name from 1852, the year the land was first registered as the farm Commando Nek.

It offers an à la carte menu for guests who want a more relaxed experience as opposed to a buffet or fine dining. A hug on a plate, the food is unpretentious with some play having gone into it. An example of this is their Pap and Vleis that is completely vegan. You can also look forward to:

• Oxtail bitterballen
• Petit lamb curry “bunnies” with spekboom salsa
• Beef short rib amagwinya
• Karoo lamb tails
• Slow-braised oxtail cooked for six hours with a steamed dumpling and umngqusho
• Arancini
• Karoo Waygu sliders
• Chicken lollipops
• Trout fish cakes

I thoroughly enjoyed the Karoo Waygu sliders that are served in homemade brioche buns, with a simple preparation intended to let the meat’s richness lead, and lead it did. Another tapa I really took to was the Karoo lamb tails. These are cooked low and slow, and finished on the grill with a brandy basting and topped with popcorn seasoned with Six Gun Grill spice (right? We all chuckled at that last ingredient)

Rambling Vine (fine dining)

A culinary journey through the Magalies region that showcases the area’s finest offerings, the Rambling Vine is its own destination. Under the leadership of Executive Chef Pieter Malan, he and his team took us on an expedition of indigenous cuisine, innovation and revisiting cooking techniques from a humbler past.

Seated for a 7-course & wine pairing treat, the menu comprised:

• Canapés
• Amuse-Bouche
• The Bread Service
• Entrées
• Main Courses
• The Cleanser
• Dessert Service

Let’s get into the dishes that shone the brightest.

Canapés

The Calabash

A beautiful, and I mean absolutely gorgeous, velvety amadumbe soup, with a bit of buchu emulsion and a drizzle of wild garlic oil. “For your tasting notes on this, you’ll see, it’s going to be this very rich, creamy, almost mushroom-like flavour in the soup. We’ll have those sweet flavours from the buchu,” Chef Edwin Theron explained as he was describing the flavour profile.

I yearn for The Calabash to this day. As a soup lover especially, I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and as a snack, and I’m not exaggerating. Traditionally, it would have been served in a ukhamba. And I wish it was – filled to the brim.

The Cigar

A 12-hour cold-smoked wild hog coppa mousse wrapped in honey tuile, with mountain Botanical at the head of the cigar. Smokey flavour encapsulated the savoury richness and hint of sweetness of the cigar. When bitten into, the honey tuile makes way for the creamy texture of the mousse.

Amuse-Bouche

The “Cradle” Stone

Finished off at the table, Chef Tshepo sifts wild mushroom and herb dust on the arancini, which is resting on a heated Magalie River stone with edible ash. It is then drizzled with truffle oil for a, quote on quote, “luxurious smoke”. Rested on a bed of corn velouté, the arancini was indeed a luxurious crisp ball elevated by the sweet, smooth texture of the velouté.

Chef Tshepo finishes The “Cradle” Stone with mushroom dust, truffle oil and herbs, adding earthy depth and a truffle aroma to the wild mushroom arancini. A corn velouté forms the base, bringing sweetness and a smooth texture alongside the crisp rice ball, served on a heated Magalies river stone with edible ash.

Entrées

Heritage Grain “Risotto”

A Southern African staple and favourite, Mabele grains are toasted and served alongside a savoury, melt-in-your-mouth braised oxtail. Served with a bone marrow foam and oxtail jus, the dish is a heavenly amalgamation of deep savoury flavours that marry well with the nutty earthiness of the toasted sorghum.

“Veldfire” Venison

A loin of mildly gamey Kudu served with samp, fermented plum and a chibuku emulsion in a burnt onion petal. The kudu’s earthy flavour meets the comfort of samp and beans, with charred onion sweetness, tangy fermented plum and a malty Chibuku emulsion bringing depth to the plate.

A mastery of South African fine dining, the indigenous Southern African ingredients are elevated by the culinary techniques. The kudu’s earthy flavour meets the comfort of samp and beans, with charred onion sweetness, tangy fermented plum and a malty Chibuku emulsion bringing depth to the plate.

Working within a strict 60km radius rule, all the produce on the menu is either locally foraged or comes from a local producer who supplies it.

The Garden Menu

An all-day, farm-to-fork menu with an Afro-Mediterranean style, served on the lawns, the historic stoep or the deck areas overlooking the Magaliesberg. Expect antipasti, sharing platters with local charcuterie and Magaliesberg cheeses, pizzas made with Neapolitan-style flour and local mozzarella, fresh pasta and local trout.

Seasonal High Tea

A formal, traditional high tea with South African flavours that changes with the seasons. It opens with MCC, and a waiter presents eight single-origin loose-leaf teas at the table, explaining their origins and suggesting pairings. Guests choose three teas during the experience. The stand includes finger sandwiches, three tarts, three savouries and three petit fours, with a trolley service for top-ups and herbal iced teas on warmer days.

Mount Grace Hotel & Spa gives you every reason to linger, from the comfort of its country setting to the care that goes into each plate. The ingredients are family staples, with the flavours being elevated, and enough imagination to make you pause between bites and appreciate what the kitchen has done with them. With Chef Pieter Malan and his team bringing their memories, skill and surroundings to the table, its latest chapter makes a compelling case for returning. And if anyone needs me, I’m still thinking about that Calabash.