I know the next time I blink it’ll be September already. So I have to jump in quickly and tell you about snuggling up at Delheim last Sunday for their jazz and fondue afternoon.
Delheim invites visitors to snuggle up in their semi-underground Cellar to enjoy an afternoon of fine wine, rich cheese fondue and something sweet while listening to the sounds of South African jazz musicians.
Having a brother who is a jazz musician, I was weary to promote the players of the day because I really don’t enjoy bad jazz! (Who does?!) But, when I stepped inside and saw some of the country’s best artists I felt an immediate sense of relief and excitement!
On our particular day, the Reza Khota Quartet was playing and featured Jono Sweetman on drums, Shane Cooper on bass, Reza Khota on guitar and vocals and Buddy Wells on saxophone. I’d describe the jazz as being similar to psychedelic rock, it’s spacey and groovy and the volume was excellent. By the end of the afternoon, they’d stirred up quite a vibe, it felt good.
Delheim Jazz & Fondue Menu
At R450 per person, I wasn’t skeptical about the value of the day, however, the wine is unlimited and it accompanies these fine musicians and excellent food. The courses included a glass of Gluhwein on arrival. I was midway through a serious flu so this was warming and delicious. This was followed by an absolutely divine cauliflower soup (I could have had more!).
The main course is a fondue with sirloin steak, ciabatta and mixed vegetables. Unfortunately, the pot fell out the holder setting off a river of boilinghot cheese all over the table and nearly onto the floor! And it was one of those situations where I couldn’t do anything about it for fear of burning my hands on either the cheese or the flame!
It was actually a small stroke of luck as our fondue was replaced with a better tasting batch! I could just smell the wine and buttery garlic a lot more in pot 2 and it was delicious!
For dessert, coffees are served as well as a “koeksuster”. Servers are on standby to pour more wine whenever you are ready and I had one or two delicious glasses.
Delheim Jazz and Cheese Fondue Tickets
Currently there are 2 dates left for this cosy Delheim event: Sunday the 19th and 26th of August 2018. Tickets cost R450 – which I initially felt was quite steep. However, if you break down the costs, it’s a reasonable price as it includes:
- R100 for the band
- R30 cheese stick and cauliflower starter
- R40 Gluhwein welcome drink
- R100 for sirloin, bread, veggie & cheese fondue
- R30 coffee and koeksuster
- R150 for as much wine as you like.
If you don’t drink, this probably isn’t great value for money for you, but if you love wine, then look no further than Delheim. Considering a bottle of wine is R150 in most restaurants anyway, this is a great way to spend a cloudy Sunday afternoon.
Awesome! Although initially I was taken aback by the steep price for a simple cheese fondue and some wine, I must say that it being accompanied by a live band and all you can drink wine is very tempting.
I felt EXACTLY the same way which is why I broke it down to see where the value lay.
And drinking a lot of wine and having exceptional musicians really is a pay off.
AND steak…