Lunching in Wellington? Schalk’s place well worth a try

WHERE TO LUNCH when wine-routing in Wellington? Especially if you’d like a good table at one of the cellars in the area? Until recently this has been quite a challenge, a really big ask. Then in stepped ‘Groot’ Schalk Burger of Welbedacht Estate on Oakdene Road in the foothills of the Groenberg Mountain. Converting his office into a wine tasting room (complete with leather chairs and a great view), he turned what was previously the tasting area into a restaurant called No. 6 – this also being the name of the flagship red in Schalk Burger & Sons’ Proprietors Range, a blend of six varieties, and, says Burger, “a testimony to our passion for everything we do”.


With rugby action photographs and other memorabilia on the walls, the restaurant also commemorates the Springbok and Western Province/Stormers achievements of Schalk Snr in the 1980s and, over the past 10 years, of Schalk Jnr, who has had an amazingly successful career as a professional player in the green and gold.

In charge of the cooking and the management at No. 6 are chef John and Susanna Tecklenburg, whose open-plan kitchen is fired-up for lunch Tuesday to Sunday and for dinner Tuesday to Saturday. The blackboard menu is inspired by organic produce sourced from small growers. There’s bread from stone-ground flour, rabbit from the farm next door, grass-fed beef, genuine buffalo mozzarella, main ingredients enhanced by rich sauces, stocks and reductions…

The meat dishes are particularly good, the prices range from R50 to R80 for starters, R88 to R155 for main courses and R38 to R55 for desserts. And wine wise the premium Welbedacht and budget-priced Meerkat options are good, notably the reds.

Would we go back? Sure thing, preferably in a group. A really relaxed country venue…

To book: Tel 082 836 8924, or to email click here.

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