Suite Dining with Island Diner

Starched white linen, shining glasses and covered dishes bring to mind a time past when butlers served drinks in hotel suites and meals and cocktails were brought to the guest’s room for private enjoyment.

For me, the words Suite Dining conjure up the scene in Pretty Woman where champagne and strawberries are served in the hotel room overlooking the Los Angeles skyline. Stylish room service lends a sense of luxury and personal attention that seems to be missing in many modern day conveniences. 

Well, the Island Diner has decided to bring back this sense of privacy and opulence with the return of Suite Dining. At the Beacon Island Lifestyle Resort, and in the comfort of your hotel room, the Island Diner will now serve dinners, canapés, breakfasts and more for a private meal for two or a celebratory group of up to 15 people.

Imagine sampling a sumptuous seafood platter and chilled wine in the privacy of your own suite, whilst overlooking the beautiful bay and mountains. Dinner and sundowners doesn’t get better than that! Suite Dining can be set up for the ideal romantic gesture for a wedding proposal or celebration. The Beacon Island is known as one of South Africa’s romantic retreats of choice – now taking “room service” to the next level.

This exclusive service is not confined only to hotel guests but can be arranged at any venue of your choice. Suite Dining is an ideal solution for office parties or special functions, focussing on smaller groups from 2 – 15 people. Thus ensuring the continued quality, service and delicious food you have come to expect from the Island Diner restaurants, all served at the venue of your choice.

All of this to bring back a bit of old-school charm and service to any dining experience, function, celebration or intimate occasion. 

For more information, contact the Island Diner at the Beacon Island Lifestyle Resort on (+27)44 533 35 45 or email functions@islanddiner.co.za

www.islanddiner.co.za  

Dinner Dance – Playa Sea Lounge

“We are fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” – Japanese proverb

There is a very good reason why the Beacon Island Hotel is designed to resemble the helm of a ship – views from the rooms, restaurants and sea lounge create an atmosphere of being on a cruise ship, anchored in a bay along some far distant coastline. Waves roll towards the hotel, tumbling against the rocks and the sun shines diamonds and watercolours on the ocean.

It is here, in the legendary Beacon Isle Sea Lounge, that the Wednesday Night Dinner Dance takes place. Suspended over the rocks and ocean, enjoy a meal with family and friends including some mouth-watering dishes, then dance the night away with Peter, John and Tessa’s 3 piece band. There really could be no better place to enjoy a spot of Dinner & Dance than the Sea Lounge. Between bouts of twirling around the dance floor, the Island Diner is putting on a stellar 3 course meal to keep you going well into the night!

All for only R145 pp, dress is smart casual and the party starts at 19:00.

The menu includes glamorous new dishes and old favourites:

Starter choice and breads for the table

Greek Salad with wild rocket and herb dressing

Spanish Gazpacho Soup with an herb brushette

Grilled Calamari served with a Lemon Butter sauce

Chicken Livers LM served with a mild peri-peri sauce

Main Course Choice:

Rump Steak, seasoned and grilled, served with a mushroom sauce

Fresh Line fish, grilled, and served with a lemon butter sauce

Chicken Breast, pan fried with a Madeira port and kumquat sauce

Brinjal Melanzane with a béchamel and parmesan sauce

Dessert Choice:

Chocolate Nut Torte with a berry coulis and cream

Vanilla Pod Ice Cream with a caramel nut brittle

Dance the night away on the deck of the Playa Sea Lounge, float on a dream of music, good foods and great views. The Island Diner knows how to put together an excellent meal and you will love the musical offerings of Peter, John and Tessa. It’s as good as a holiday… in your own backyard!

 

 Don't forget the free "pick up and drop off" service available to add a bit more luxury and glamour to the evening. Simply call or email to book your table at the dinner dance and your transport for the evening!

Call (+27)44 533 3545 or Email  functions@islanddiner.co.za
www.islanddiner.co.za

6 reasons to dine out this week!

The Island Diner and Indigo Bay restaurant at the Beacon Isle Hotel have put together a divine weekly menu to tempt your taste buds. As part of Island Diner’s commitment to providing quality food and wine, unsurpassed views and value for money all wrapped up in a warm ambience, the restaurants are now offering nightly dinner specials along with their diverse a-la-carte menu. Add to this their "Safe Home Drive" initiative, a free pick up and drop off service for diners and you have the recipe for a "VIP" evening.

Sunday Night: Fishing Boat Special

“A bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at the office.”

Starter Choice:

Greek Side Salad

Soup of the Day

Main Course Choice:

Calamari, grilled or fried and served with chips, rice or vegetables

Fillet of Linefish, grilled or fried and served with chips, rice or vegetables

Eight House Prawns, grilled and served with chips, rice or

vegetables

R98

Service 18:00 – 22:00

Monday Night: Italian Club Night

Italian Proverb – “At a table with good friends and family, you do not become old!”

Starter Choices

Italian Side Salad

Soup of the Day

Main Course Choice

Any one of our menu’s tasty and tempting Pizzas or Pastas (excluding seafood)

R89

Service 18:00 – 22:00

Tuesday Night: Rodizio Seafood Night

Eat as much Seafood as you like at Indigo Bay

“Enjoy the Seafood diet! Everything you see, you eat”

Creamy Garlic Mussles

Fried Calamari

Grilled Linefish served with lemon butter sauce

Wok Prawns served with a peri-peri or lemon butter sauce

Served with chips, rice and vegetables

Salads and bread for the table

R120

Service 18:00 – 22:00

Wednesday Night: Social Dinner Dance in Playa Sea Lounge

Dance the night away with a superb sit down dinner,

Live band and spectacular sea views

Japanese Proverb – “We are fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance”

Starter choice and breads for the table:

Greek Salad with wild rocket and herb dressing

Spanish Gazpacho Soup with a herb brushette

Grilled Calamari served with a lemon butter sauce

Chicken Liver LM served with a mild peri-peri sauce

Main Course Choice:

Rump Steak, seasoned and grilled, served with a mushroom sauce

Fresh Linefish, grilled and served with a lemon butter sauce

Chicken Breast, pan fried and served with a maderia port and

kumquat sauce

Brinjal Melanzane served with a béchamel and parmesan sauce

Dessert Choice:

Chocolate Nut Torte with a berry coulis and cream

Vanilla Pod Ice Cream with a caramel nut brittle

R145

Service: 19:00 – 22:00

Thursday Night: Butcher’s Grill Night at Indigo Bay

All served with a choice of chips, rice or vegetables

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop

whatever we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”

250g Rump Steak, grilled and served with a mushroom sauce

Baby Chicken, grilled and served with a peri-peri or lemon herb sauce

Lamb Shank, slow roasted with herbs and red wine

R89

Service 18:00 – 22:00

Friday Night: Island Diner Combo Feast:

“Turn your meal into a feast!”

Rump Steak, 250g and half peri-peri Chicken R120

Sirloin Steak, 300g and fried Calamari R120

Hake, grilled or fried and five House Prawns R98

Five House Prawns and Calamari, grilled or fried R98

Service 18:00 – 22:00

On top of all that, order any of the above specials and get a bottle of house “bin” wine of your choice for only R65! Plan your next evening out at the Island Diner or Indigo Bay at the Beacon Isle and Bon Appetite!

Conditions Apply

To book 044 533 3545 or functions@islanddiner.co.za

www.islanddiner.co.za http://fineislandining.blogspot.com/

Safe Home Drive - New Plett Service

Safe Home Drive – Free Taxi Service

Finally, a restaurant service aimed at the locals of Plettenberg Bay! Island Diner, at the Beacon Island Lifestyle Resort, has taken the long awaited initiative and launched Safe Home Drive, a special service that will make every restaurant guest feel like a VIP. The restaurants, in partnership with Jansen's Taxis, is now offering a free pick up and drop off service for diners at the Island Diner, Indigo Bay and Coral Reef restaurants. So treat yourself to a special evening any night of the week and take advantage of this wonderful new facility.

A good evening out often includes a couple of drinks and would it not be better and more fun to get dropped off right at your own front door? Fortunately, there is a solution: Safe Home Drive. Brand new to Plett and it couldn’t be simpler.

Planning an evening out? Just pick up the phone and dial the restaurant, booking your table and arranging transport in one phone call. This free service adds a special charm to dining out. What a wonderful addition to an excellent evening of good food and wine, a warm ambience and music than to be collected and dropped off at your front door and the Beacon Island lobby. One can really relax, enjoy the meal and let the good times roll without the anxiety of the drive home.

The restaurants are ideal venues for birthdays, celebrations and staff parties as the menu includes incredible specials on seafood, steak and more, including trendy platters and the pickup service can accommodate groups between 2 and 32.

There are, of course, some conditions to this incredible FREE taxi service:

1) It is only available to diners eating at the Island Diner restaurants of Indigo Bay, Coral Reef, Playa Sea Lounge and Café Estoril

2) Free transportation is dependent on a minimum of two people and a minimum spend of only R100pp

3) Service is available between 6pm and 10pm daily and transportation does need to be booked.

4) Service is available to residents in the Plett suburbs and CDB up to the N2

The Island Diner has a fantastic Meal Planner of specials to suit every taste bud, so check out those specials on www.islanddiner.co.za or http://fineislandining.blogspot.com/

To book: please call 044 533 3545 or mail functions@islanddiner.co.za

A Valentine to Remember

The history of Valentine’s Day is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain, February has long been known as the month of love. But the question remains, year after year, what to do for Valentine’s Day? A card or chocolates? Flowers or an elaborately prepared meal? A meal where one person spends all night in the kitchen, whilst the other tries not to be impatient or more than a little bored.

In our busy lives, filled with commitments and every manner of communication, one of the greatest gifts is undivided attention. A bit of time to talk, laugh and enjoy each other’s company. A dinner out can be the ideal time to reconnect as cell phones are switched off and tablets and laptops left at home. Could there be a better place for this than the Island Diner’s Indigo Bay at the Beacon Island Lifestyle Resort? A short drive from home with nothing but a cosy table, a tasty meal and kilometres of ocean and mountain views.

Sharing is caring as the saying goes and the restaurant has put together a menu designed for sharing, talking and enjoying the most loving day of the year. The restaurant staff and some patrons were dressed up in red, creating a festive atmosphere complimented by the entertainment of the legendary Tessa and John.

The Valentine’s Platter for 2 was an enormous hit and included 10 juicy

house prawns, Frango rump espetada, grilled line fish fresh off the boat, fried calamari and creamy garlic mussels. To end the meal, Dessert for 2 was served: vanilla and chocolate sorbet with succulent fresh berries and mint – the perfect end to a dreamy dinner.

After the meal, there was a lucky draw with incredible prizes including: gift vouchers from Adam & Eve Clothing at the Upper Deck, Robertson’s Sparkling Wine, gift vouchers from the Ice Palazzo and the Grand Prize of a weekend stay at the Beacon Island Lifestyle Resort!

Celebrating the New Year - Island Style

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”

This past year has been one of great change for the Beacon Island and New Year’s Eve is an appropriate time to look back on this past year.

Traditionally, January marks the first day of the Gregorian calendar and is named for the Roman god, Janus. Known as the god of gates, doors and new beginnings, Janus is represented as having two faces, one looking towards the future and the other towards the past. This is a time of reflection and celebration of new beginnings and is true this year at the Beacon Island more than any other since its opening in 1972. The renovation of the hotel has both staff and guests looking towards the future with pleasure and anticipation of many more years enjoying the best of the “BI”.

To ring in 2012, the Island Diner put together an epic feast and party which will be remembered for many years. The Sea Lounge and Indigo Bay were decorated in a festive “Salsa” theme with a dance floor on the deck. The evening was warm and the excitement in the air was palpable.

To start the evening off, guests were served a welcome cocktail, bread basket and a salad bowl for the table. The feast began with a starter platter including crispy crumbed mushrooms, Beef trinchado and mild Peri-Peri chicken livers. In true Island Style, the main platter included fresh seafood: Queen prawns in lemon and garlic, fresh Line Fish, local Mussels in a creamy garlic, white wine and parsley sauce and crumbed calamari strips. Mouth watering! If that wasn’t enough reason to celebrate, there was also juicy Rump Espetada and mushroom Chicken Fillet!

Dessert was white chocolate mousse with a sweet berry topping and biscotti, with champagne chilling in anticipation of midnight. Out on the deck, the music played a soundtrack to the end of a year and the beginning of a new one and it didn’t take long for the diners to digest their feast and put their party shoes on!

For those looking for a more elegant celebration, the Coral Reef restaurant was set up to see in the New Year in style. This uniquely organic restaurant, with unsurpassed views of the bay, served an exclusive menu. Welcome tastes and drinks were enjoyed in the cool restaurant: French champagne and Cape sherry, toasted almonds, marinated olives and spicy potato skins. The intimate tables were garnished with a bread basket and fresh organic salad. To get the party started guests were offered a starter of Beef Carpaccio, Salmon Nagiri, Coral Prawns, Fried Dim Sum or Caprese. The light and tasty starters served were all natural and organic.

Main course options continued to impress the revellers with an option to suit any fancy. There was a Fillet Roma served with hand cut chips and mushroom sauce, an indulgent shellfish platter with West Coast Lobster tails and Prawns and a slow roasted Karoo Lamb with mint béarnaise. Also on offer were roasted Chicken Breast with an orange and port sauce, fresh Line Fish served with a lemon and thyme sauce and an appetizing Vegetarian peanut satay pastry.

The delectable spread was well received by all diners and finished off with a variety of desserts including white and dark Chocolate Mousse and Crème Brulee then a cheese platter and coffee.

Meanwhile, upstairs the party was getting into full swing with dancers celebrating. The New Year was rung in true Beacon Island Style with the setting off of Chinese Lanterns and a vibrant fireworks display. A very memorable evening in a very memorable hotel!

A South African Christmas

Christmas traditions and meals have long been a part of so many of the world’s cultures and can vary greatly from continent to country. Meals vary depending on local produce and local custom. However, Christmas celebrations and good food have always gone hand in hand and for many people the thought of preparing a Christmas meal is filled with stress, kitchen disasters and hour after exhausting hour in front of the stove. Not so for those who booked their Christmas lunch at the Beacon Isle’s Island Diner this year.

Both restaurants: warm Indigo Bay and intimate Coral Reef offered two seatings on the 25^th of December this year. The restaurant staff was busy from early morning, preparing food and decorating the tables for a festive feast. The theme was a traditional red and green; red being the colour of “festivity” and green signifying “life”. But you won’t find roaring fires and snowmen! There is no need as a truly summer South African Christmas is nothing short of paradise!

The restaurant started to fill up with families for the first sitting. They settled in with laughter and chatter amidst the sound of Christmas crackers and bottles being opened. Families snapped photos of each other and the beautiful view of the bay, while Christmas Carols floated through the restaurant along with the appetizing smell of Christmas lunch cooking.

An interesting fact to note is that in 1899, Queen Victoria of Great Britain had, amongst other dishes, the following on her Christmas Buffet: boar’s head, game pie, woodcock pie, roast fowl and tongue! Naturally, local produce for the region and familiar dishes for the era, but the Island Diner had something quite different in mind.

The restaurant offered what must be the quintessential South African coastal Christmas meal and the menu consisted of fresh bread basket for the table and crunchy Greek and Roast Butternut salads. A fantasy Christmas Platter to suit every taste bud was the central dish of the banquet. Faces lit up with anticipation as waiters, sporting Christmas hats, started to serve the platters. Laid out for all to share and enjoy were Christmas staples of roast turkey and glazed gammon, tender and juicy. Tender rump cubes and roasted lamb spelled out a truly South African celebration and the addition of fresh filleted line fish and crumbed calamari steaks were stars of a truly Beacon Island feast. The platters allowed families to share their food and time with each other on the special day of Christmas.

By the time dessert was served, steamy Christmas pudding on Amarula milkshake the good times were well under way. Those that would normally be rushing off to the kitchen to wash dishes and stow leftovers could lean back in the seats, watch the tables being cleared and relax. This is how Christmas should be… sharing a meal with loved ones, simply served, delicious and oh-so-easy!