The experience at Vuur lingers long after you’ve left. Part of its allure is the paradox: it’s ranked among the world’s top 101 steakhouses – at number 87 – yet it feels more like an intimate countryside farmhouse gathering than a fine-dining destination.
The setting is sensational: at the foothills of the Simonsberg mountains outside Stellenbosch, on Remhoogte, a family-owned wine estate known for its tranquil vineyards and expansive views.
Vuur Goose Island opened just over a year-and-a-half ago beside a converted stable (also used for dining), and is one of only two South African restaurants on the global list – the other being The Blockman in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, at number 97. It’s a list dominated by establishments in Argentina, Spain and the US.
Lunch begins casually on the veranda of the main farmhouse, where guests sip a welcome drink before chef Shaun Scrooby appears to gather everyone for the short walk down to the restaurant. Along the way, we spot zebra, wildebeest and nyala.
The name Vuur – Afrikaans for fire – captures the restaurant’s ethos. Scrooby cooks exclusively over flame, using six different kinds of wood, each chosen for its distinctive flavour. The small ‘braai’ in the kitchen on one side of the restaurant – is compact and the heart of the space.
The result is a seven-course, seasonal menu that showcases the finest local produce, game and fish. All meat is dry-aged, typically between 90 and 150 days. With only 12 guests per sitting, everyone shares one long table – and while communal dining may sound daunting to some, it soon evolves into a spirited exchange of stories and laughter among strangers from across the world.
Scrooby is very much part of the experience. Warm, animated and unpretentious, he makes you feel as if you’re in his personal kitchen, sharing the inspiration behind the dishes. There’s no rush, no rules – you’re free to wander outside with a glass of wine as the afternoon stretches lazily into evening.
Lunch begins with a pan of bone marrow sourdough, served with black garlic butter and apricot jam – a refined, nostalgic nod to mosbolletjies.. Many dishes are prepared in front of the guests. The toebroodjie (or braaibroodjie) arrives as grilled leek bread layered with kudu tartare, cured egg yolk cream, and finely grated cheese – eating with your hands, as it should be.
From there, the menu unfolds through a series of elemental flavours: a thick-cut of beef seasoned only with salt; dry-aged yellowtail hung for nine days; a tart, citrusy palate cleanser. The main course is an array of the day’s best cuts – Wagyu chuck, Wagyu rump and 102 day-aged sirloin – sliced thin and served with crisp vegetables.
Dessert is Basque-style cheesecake made with cream cheese and mascarpone, baked over the braai. It’s paired with dulce de leche, simmered for hours until deeply caramelised, and burnt hay ice cream, made by washing, drying, burning, infusing, and churning hay into something delicious.
The restaurant sits beside a serene dam, with an outdoor patio for those who prefer a course or two outside. Over glasses of wine from Remhoogte’s Free to Be label, strangers become companions and the mood is one of warm camaraderie.
Menus shift with the seasons and guests’ dietary preferences – Scrooby lets the ingredients lead. “We don’t chase specific cuts,” he says. “We chase the best cuts”
Vuur holds an Eat Out star, but that seems almost secondary to its true essence. This is not just a lunch – it’s a slow, sensory journey through food, fire and camaraderie. It’s about time, place, people, and being. Just make sure you have nowhere else to be. END
