Ghosts in my soup

Steeped in myth and mystery, an evening at Cloete's restaurant at the Alphen Country House Hotel in Constantia is like a game of murder mystery.

On arrival we're met by two ghosts, the first Dr James Barry (who looked more like a women to me) and the second, Johannes, the ghost of slave from a past era — probably the early 19th century.

My partner started wolfing down the roasted duck spring rolls with plum and sesame dip unperturbed, while I sipped on my glass of High Constantia bubbly, perplexed.

On further investigation and another peculiar visit from slave-boy Johannes (who I am sure I recognise from the Baxter theatre), it turns out that as the story goes, Dr Barry was in fact was a military surgeon in the British Army who served in South Africa. Although Barry lived his adult life as a man, it's widely believed that Barry was female and previously named Margaret Ann Bulkley, but chose to live as a man so that he might become a surgeon.

My fingers stained red

As the warm brie parcel melted in my mouth, the raspberry foam staining my fingers, I contemplated how different life must have been back then.

But the terrifying tales don't end there: Dr Barry had a dual with Captain Josias Cloete over the affections of one Miss Dreyer (a beautiful specimen who once lived at The Manor House). Neither was hurt, but a startling encounter nonetheless.

The Alphen dates back to the 17th century and there are many such mysteries that have been uncovered over the years. The first proprietor of the estate was Jacob Cloeten — a soldier from Cologne in Germany — who sailed to South Africa with Jan van Riebeeck in 1652.

My partner and I were at Cloete's for its reopening after a long winter of sensitive refurbishment (the old building needing close and careful attention to unlock its former beauty).

We were seated below a devilish looking painting that haunted me as we dined on Chef Simon Kemp's ethereal white tomato soup, which in fact tasted divine.

Finally, after tending to my succulent venison Carpaccio with to-die-for white truffle oil, I leant over to one of our fellow diners — an artist himself — and enquired about the painting.

The dead cat

A visual feast, which you either 'love or hate', the painting is the work of Penny Siopis (who previously and in our lifetime won the Young Artist Award). It was commissioned for Nicky and Dudley Cloete-Hopkins in the late 1980's.

It's a family portrait that features the couple and their children, Alexander, Delia and Nicolas, who were rather upset on the day that Penny visited them because their cat had died. Naturally Penny included the dead cat (times two) in the painting, adding to its eerie constitution with fiery red backdrop.

As we drank from the extensive wine list, dedicated to the Constantia valley, we tried more of Simon's cuisine inspired by the Alphen's historical roots.

Cured salmon gravadlax stood astute upon chive crème frâiche, capped with caviar and saffron dressing. Next a crayfish bisque and, then, fillet in a Port wine reduction, cemented in gorgonzola melt.

The dessert was wonderful — coconut and cardamom crème brulee, with sesame fried bananas — and it reminded me of a trip to the East.

If you're looking for an evening of discovery then you can head to Cloete's, at a reasonable price too — a two-course meal will cost you R160 and three-courses R200. Not bad for a meal at a historical gem, that's if you don't mind the ghosts in your soup of course...

Constantia, Cape Town. Contact them on +27 21 794 5011 or visit www.alphen.co.za