Cape Town’s Table Seven is genuine, unpretentious and heartfelt. The innovation lies in Luke and Katie Wonnacott’s understanding that if you cook from that place that made you want to start cooking in the first place, people will want more.

In any creative enterprise, you’ll come across the zeitgeist stars; those talented folk who caught the right wave at the right time and rode it all the way to the bank. The foodie scene in Cape Town is not exempt from this phenomenon. Between the bearded baristas battling it out for “best coffee in the world” to the stout and gin home-brewers and the tapas-touting, slate plated, paprika sprinkling chefs, it’s fair to say that Cape Town enjoys a food trend.

It’s fast-paced, dazzling and ever so slightly cutthroat: The competition for the customers’ attention is fierce and there’s very little room for mistakes. As diners we scamper to make bookings on the first of every month for restaurants in 90 days’ time, desperate not to miss the next fynbos inspired jus.

Grilled octopus

While all of this is happening, there’s a husband and wife team in Salt River whose innovation is coming from a completely different angle. Luke and Katie Wonnacott’s love of great food and great dinner parties inspired their latest endeavour — the Chef’s Table at Table Seven.

Having travelled the world, working in some of the best kitchens out there, Luke and Katie returned to Cape Town in pursuit of perfection. They sought to create the “perfect” dinner party for their guests. With one 20-seater dining table, an open kitchen and a small bar serving a selection of great wines, Table Seven feels more like someone’s (beautiful and sleek) home than a restaurant: which was exactly the intention.

They offer two options – a seven-course tasting menu or a sharing-style feast. Our party chose the latter, which just added to the relaxed dinner party vibe. The first course set expectations high despite Luke introducing it as the “bread course” – with chorizo piperade, duck rillette and trout tartare, it was much more than just bread.

The second course of grilled octopus prompted the Greeks at the table to squeal with excitement and declare: “This is exactly what you get in Greece!” Lamb ribs with salsa verde, lentil and aubergine stew and a cauliflower dish that would push any Banter into bliss followed: All of it interesting, creative and most importantly, delicious. The plates were passed around, the service was seamless the conversation flowed — and the food allowed that to happen. It wasn’t trying to pull focus like a fame-hungry starlet: It was one element of a really great evening.

Is Table Seven perfect? Not quite; but that’s because perfection is impossible to achieve. What you have instead is genuine, unpretentious and heartfelt. The innovation lies in Luke and Katie’s understanding that if you cook from that place that made you want to start cooking in the first place, people will want more.

They’re not trying to capture the Cape Town food floozie or hitch a ride on the next food trend wave; they’re here to cook great food and to give their guests an (almost) perfect dinner party. DM