One of our entrepid reviewers visited this charming forest cabin on the White River Country Estate in Mpumalanga while reviewing for Eat Out's 2013 magazine.

Food
They host a number of fabulous parties throughout the year, often highlighting ethnic cuisine. The food is therefore diverse and creative. Lightly smoked beef carpaccio is served alongside venison carpaccio; cannelloni may be stuffed with ratatouille and served on creamed spinach and roasted cocktail tomatoes. A light orange and yoghurt panna cotta served with a Valencia orange reduction celebrates the Mpumalanga region’s produce.

Wine

The private wine collection includes such great SA wines as Overgaauw Tria Corda, Uitkyk Carlonet 1997, Fairview Oom Pagel Semillon, Kyburg Cabernet Sauvignon. It is interesting to see that apart from the standard 750ml, they offer wine in other sizes such as 187ml, 375ml and 500ml bottles. Keep some space for a superbly prepared coffee.

Service
Staff are extraordinarily well-trained and know just how to pace a meal to ensure the diner’s enjoyment. They communicate with great care and orders are taken professionally. The female staff all wear tightly wrapped head coverings that add to their stature and presence and make their friendly smiles appear even brighter.

Ambience
As part of a larger building that houses the lodge, the restaurant is housed in a comfortable forest cabin, offering views over the gardens. While not entirely Swiss mountain cabin, this could be a charming rendition thereof.

And…
Owner Tanya Ruf is the quintessential hostess: you’ll find her equally comfortable in front of her computer dealing with menus as mingling with guests or making suggestions to a prospective bride. They recently employed a new head chef, and the local folks are abuzz about the fact that the quality of the food may have upped a notch.

By Hennie Fisher

Have you been to Oliver's Restaurant and Lodge in White River? Let us know what you thought by writing a quick review.