+1 888 812 2543
Belthazar, the celebrated ‘Theatre of Fine Food and Wine’ at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, recently celebrated six months after it re-opened in November 2022. Not only is the restaurant, wine bar and grill renowned for the best meat and seafood extravaganzas, it also boasts the largest wine-by-the-glass bar in the world and panoramic views of the Waterfront and Table Mountain.
Belthazar Interior showing state of the art meat fridges and wine collection
The perfect destination in all weather conditions
Belthazar boasts a spectacular all-weather dining enclosure on the terrace equipped with a mist cooling system and heaters. It is the perfect destination in all weather conditions.
“We opened Belthazar 20 years ago, and it became one of Cape Town’s leading restaurants, collecting many prestigious awards including Best Steakhouse in South Africa, Best Seafood Restaurant in Cape Town, and Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence for our wine list. Read about another noteworthy Cape Town spot here.
View from Belthazar
Grand re-opening
“It was with heavy hearts that we were forced to suspend trading during the pandemic. Re-opening after 2 years is a joy. To see Belthazar buzzing with happy customers and witnessing our team doing what they do best – that’s what every restaurateur desires. And complimentary feedback from our customers is the proverbial cherry on the top,” says co-owner Ian Halfon.
Belthazar at night and a famous Waterfront landmark
The wine experience
The wine experience at Belthazar is second to none with more than 400 wines. An iconic wine bar with the biggest nitrogen-infused tap unit in the world serves between 200 and 250 premium wines by the glass. Patrons are expertly advised by four trained sommeliers under Jan-Hendrik Venter, the group beverage manager, on an award-winning winelist. The wines are professionally stored in a designer vinotèque and served in Riedel glassware to enhance the wine of your choice. With a superb wine selection by single varietal, blend and style, the state-of-the-art wine list at Belthazar highlights vintage ratings, critics’ ratings, wine awards and taste indicators.
The wine bar
The wine list
The wine list is updated twice a year for vintage updates and regular winemaker dinners are hosted in the restaurant.
Some of the Cape Bordeaux style blends (blends made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot) on the wine list include Chamonix Troika, Tokara Director’s Reserve, De Toren Z and De Toren Fusion V, Muratie Melck’s Blended Red, Vriesenhof Kallista and Delaire-Graff Botmaskop.
The largest wine by glass bar in the world
Under the South African icons are Crystallum Cuvée Cinéma, De Trafford 393, Thelema Rabelais, Waterford Estate The Jem and the Mullineux Schist Syrah.
Some amazing Pinotages available include Beeslaar, Beyerskloof, Kanonkop, Simonsig and L’Avenir. Here’s another Cape Town spot with a superb wine list.
Beeslaar Pinotage
Rare wines
Jan-Hendrik says: “The rarest wine that we stock, is the Rust and Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon 1984 Magnum. Wines that are hard to get, is allocation wines where you are only allocated about 6 or 12 per vintage, such as wines from Alheit; Delaire Graff; Rijk’s Cellar; Sadie Family Wines such as Palladius vertical of 2016, 2017, 2018; Palladius Magnum 2019 and Columella; and Sjinn.
L’Avenir Single Block Pinotage
In addition to an extraordinary wine list, Belthazar also specializes in cocktails, whiskies/whiskeys, single malts, brandies, Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados, liqueurs, beers (traditional and craft) and ciders.
Dining at Belathazar
Some of the favorite dishes at Belthazar include the 500g T-Bone Steak, Rib-Eye Steak, Wagyu Steaks, Fillet Steaks flambéed with brandy and prepared in one of seven homemade sauces, Seafood Platter, 2kg Mozambiquan Lobster and Langoustines, Grilled Prawns and Calamari, Baby Kingklip, Mussels and Garlic Sauce, Norwegian Salmon, Ostrich, Springbok Carpaccio, Game Kebab, Pork Ribs, Chicken Wing Skewer, decadent Chocolate Ganache and Crème Brûlée and more.
Lunch with a view
Only the best meat
Belthazar’s in-house Master Butcher sources only the very best AAA grade grain-fed and grass-fed beef, including superior free-range, grass-fed organic beef and Wagyu beef. Matured for a minimum of 28 days, all the meat is hung on the carcass (dry-aged) for three days in specially designed temperature-controlled cold rooms with humidity. Thereafter, the Fillet, Sirloin, Rump and Rib-Eye are ‘wet-aged’, while the T-Bone, Chicago Cut (Belthazar’s signature Rib-Eye on the bone), Fillet on the Bone and Sirloin on the Bone are left to ‘dry-age’ for up to 40 days. Belthazar also offers top quality Karoo Lamb, Beef, Lamb and Pork Ribs and their extensive Game Menu includes Ostrich, Crocodile, Springbok, Kudu, Impala, Wildebeest, Blesbok, Gemsbok and Eland.
Only the very best AAA grade grain-fed and grass-fed beef
Seafood by the sea
Belthazar specializes in locally and sustainably sourced freshly caught Cape Linefish, from the sea to your plate in record time. Other seafood specialties include Fresh Wild Oysters, Mussels served with Creamy Garlic or Napoletana Sauce, Baby Kingklip, Grilled Prawns (Queens, Kings and Tiger Giants), Calamari (grilled or panko crumbed and deep fried), Giant Mozambican Lobster, Mozambican Langoustines, Norwegian Salmon and a choice of five sumptuous Seafood Platters.
Belthazar specializes in locally and sustainably sourced freshly caught
Spotlight on Local and Value
Ian concludes, “We re-opened Belthazar with a ‘Spotlight on Local and Value’, offering a wider selection of cuts of steak to provide a broader range of affordability options, with a focus on local less expensive seafood and a bigger selection of well-priced own label house wines to accommodate all palates and pockets. We want Belthazar to be the locals’ first choice when considering a grill. We are offering exclusive deals to loyalty card holders throughout the year as well as amazing value specials for the whole family in winter.”
A dining experience not to be missed
Shop wines from around the world here. Follow Sip & Read for the latest wine news and hottest wine destinations.
BY Maryke Roberts | June 14, 2023
Maryke is an award-winning, Cape Winelands based journalist who has been writing about local and international wine and travel for over three decades. When she's home, her days are almost exclusively concluded with a walk on the beach and a glass of South African fine wine or spirits.
Maryke is an award-winning, Cape Winelands based journalist who has been writing about local and international wine and travel for over three decades. When she's home, her days are almost exclusively concluded with a walk on the beach and a glass of South African fine wine or spirits.