“It makes me feel full. And safe,” said my husband after he tucked into the creamy potato pie leftovers from The Table on Sunday night. It took a lot of love for me to give the extra slice to him – almost as much love as he could taste in the pie itself.

Earlier that day the sky is bright and there’s a slight autumnal nip in the air as my friend and I are warmly greeted by the staff at The Table on De Meye wine estate outside Stellenbosch, voted the Best Country-style Restaurant at the 2011 Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards.

When we sit down at the wooden table laid with vintage linen napkins, old-fashioned floral crockery and mismatched silver (whose weight is so satisfying in the hand), it feels as if we’re about to have a meal served on the family china. Chef Camilla Comins tells me later that some of the crockery and cutlery is indeed her mother’s; some has been sourced by her food photographer husband Russel Wasserfall; and some pieces – unbelievably – have been donated by patrons themselves.

This feeling of familiarity and generosity is carried through the restaurant, right down to the petite bowl of Collette’s crab apple jelly served with mains. It was made for the wedding of Camilla’s brother Jason, her partner in the kitchen, by their mother, but little portions have found their way onto the tables to show off the pork.

We are seated outside under the trellised vines – there are tables dotted around under trees and on the patio – and here we comfortably while away the afternoon in the dappled sunshine. Our starters of plump rope-grown mussels have been cooked in their own salt water with glugs of the delicious De Meye Chardonnay (which we tasted before lunch), cream, garlic and onion. Their flesh delicately tears apart in our mouths, bursting with juiciness, and we gently clack the empty shells into a waiting dish. Once the shells are gone, Jason’s fresh bread, smothered with farm butter, is soaked in the broth before being devoured.

We are kindly given a moment to breathe before the mains arrive in the form of tender pickled pork with a sherry and brown sugar glaze, a liberal platter of hot cabbage and pea salad (complete with twirly pea shoots) and that oh-so-nostalgic sour cream and potato pie. Dessert is served in a large ramekin for sharing: almond apple crumble with salted caramel ice cream and brandy custard. It disappears quickly, the custard slurped up in great big silver spoons like good (or bad?) medicine a la Mary Poppins.

After digesting this incredible meal, we get a chance to chat and I ask Camilla how much the Eat Out award altered things for The Table – steady stream of bookings notwithstanding. “It changed the way people saw us; the confidence people had in us. It’s been one of the ‘makings’ of this business. We have really been blessed with people who have come our way,” she says modestly.

Perhaps this is because The Table caters to a certain type that likes this homely vibe. “People are very respectful of that.” In fact, patrons feel so at home that many of them end up in the kitchen, clasping Camilla in a big thank you hug.

“My mom used to run a restaurant much like the way we run this one on the farm. She showed that as long as you give people a place where they feel safe and can engage with the food, they will try anything that you’re excited to make.”

Russel helps create this cosy environment, as he goes around to each table and chats to patrons, explaining what was sourced where and how the menu has come together. The lack of a choice on the set menu is not a sticking point at all – as Russel and Camilla’s friends initially suggested. The food is so effortlessly delicious and the produce is such good quality that every ingredient is a treat to be served.

In our meal we enjoyed microherbs from Steve the Magic Man, pork from Joostenberg, pastry made specially for the restaurant and mussels from the West Coast. These producer relationships have all developed organically and through word of mouth. Camilla might meet someone at a market; Russel might photograph someone’s garden and end up selling their cordial in the De Meye wine tasting room. The couple spends most Thursdays meeting new people and sourcing potential products. Supporting local producers is a must.

“I have a huge collection of cookbooks, but I have to be honest – because cooking and food have been a part of our lives, and the classic way that we combine flavours – most of my inspiration is from my mom. She is an incredibly talented woman. She encouraged Jason and I to eat everything and understand flavours, and, of course, she had a beautiful garden. It’s something that’s in the blood.”

I ask Camilla if there’s anything new on the horizon and she’s a little coy. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to say… There might be a recipe book. And we want to turn the wine tasting room into a food shop, and look at offering a local charcuterie and cheese platter.” She says they’re starting to do small weddings on the farm too.

The Table is indeed a thoroughly romantic setting. Camilla told me earlier, “When Russ and I fell in love and started entertaining in our own home, we realised that we shared the same passion: we both love people so much.”

And it’s no wonder the feeling is mutual.

By Linda Scarborough

See the Facebook album here.