Our latest nominee for the Boschendal Style Award packs a serious design punch, coupled with some simple, heavenly cuisine.

The restaurant:
Aptly-named Hemelhuijs offers an otherworldly dining experience right in the centre of Cape Town’s CBD.

The food:
Comfort food with a twist. Think decadent, moreish dishes where flavours are well-balanced. The rich rolled lamb shoulder with home-made garlic mayonnaise is lightened up with tangy pickled radishes, making for an intriguing mix of tastes and textures; salads comprise unusual combinations like beetroot, strawberries, praline and duck. The cheesecake and lemon meringue pie also come highly recommended. (The Eat Out team has been known to visit solely for a slice…)

The x-factor:

Part designer, part stylist and part chef, Jacques Erasmus knows his stuff; this is one seriously trendy place to lunch.

Like the food, the décor is cleverly balanced, with some intriguing combinations. Sombre charcoal walls and minimalist design are lifted with quirky tongue-in-cheek details. The antlers of the wall-mounted deer are a bird’s nest of broken crockery; a chandelier is draped in so much black cord it looks as if an oversized spider has cocooned it, while a painting is affixed to the ceiling, rather than the wall, making it clear that there’s a sense of humour at work here.

The food, too, is beautiful – dramatically plated on custom crockery – as are the cocktails and juices – jewel colours served in jugs.

Does Hemelhuijs have what it take to win the Boschendal Style Award at the Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards?