Recently my partner and I had the pleasure of treating ourselves to a magnificent experience on The Alba, located in the Waterfront in Cape Town.

The Alba, a first of its kind and the only fine dining restaurant boat in Cape Town. Guests will be taken on a spellbinding tour through the fishing industry and yacht marina in the Waterfront.

It has been designed to be smooth and stable in the water, with floor to ceiling glass windows and air-conditioning, which will ensure a comfortable dining experience with exceptional views.

Cruise length is two hours, beginning with four cruises a day. The Alba will also cater for private functions. Cruise menus feature quality seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and are available for your perusal but they are also happy to tailor-make a menu for your specific event.

On arrival for the lunch cruise, at about 1pm we were warmly greeted and directed to our table, perfectly positioned on the boat.

We settled in and were served some bubbly and sparkling water. Within a few minutes, the boat started its journey and we were off for what would be a truly magical and unique dining experience.

A little while later our waitress came over to take our order for the 3 course meal, which includes wine pairing with each course. For starters I opted for the Baked Camembert, with a berry reduction, figs, honey and spiced toasted walnuts.

It was absolutely heavenly, incredibly fresh with a range of great flavours and textures, hitting all the right spots!

My husband opted for the Karoo Springbok Carpaccio - Springbok carpaccio encrusted with rosemary, thyme and peppercorns with mixed baby greens, shaved Grana Padano, red onion and vine ripened tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a balsamic cream. This starter was quite impressive, the presentation and flavours were top notch.

After finishing up our delicious starters we enjoyed some much needed wine and chatted for a bit, a short while later we were served the mains.

I indulged in the Braised Springbok Shank - Slow roasted in mixed berry juice, accompanied by potato mash, caramelised onion and red cabbage.. The springbok was incredibly flavourful and tender. The attention to detail in this dish was very impressive, wonderfully prepared and the quality absolutely amazing.

My hubby delighted in the Beef Fillet Medallions - Served with a mixed berry and roasted bone marrow jus, truffled mashed potato, grilled beetroot and mange-tout. The medallions were perfectly cooked, this dish was absolute

After thoroughly enjoying our mains we again sipped on some wine, while taking in the most magnificent views.

Next up was the much anticipated dessert. We both enjoyed Dark Chocolate Mousse - Topped with orange zest and milk chocolate truffles rolled in pistachio with a touch of chilli. The sweet goodies were absolutely heavenly and ticked all the right boxes for us.

Thereafter I took pleasure in a lovely creamy coffee and my hubby indulged in a few beers while we enjoyed what was left of the lunch cruise.

We were really so impressed with the service and quality of food and cannot wait to visit again soon! The Alba really is an exceptional and unique dining experience that we loved every minute of!

For more info on The Alba, click here.