When you ask for the best international restaurants in Cape Town, many would point you in the direction of chef Harald Bresselschmidt’s Aubergine. His impeccably classy yet unstuffy bistro and lounge-bar arrangement occupies the 19th-century home of the first Chief Justice of the Cape, which was once an extensive estate; today, the enclosed courtyard is where you can dine beneath the stars, while the modern interiors work reasonably well within the historic framework. Certainly the venue serves as an elegant backdrop to some downright avant-garde culinary creations; Harald (an import from the Luxembourg border region) likes to play, and-when it comes to sauces-reduce, reduce, reduce, until he’s uncovered a taste that’s worth showing off. Yet, while he experiments with combining medallions of springbok with foie gras, or pork and pancetta pralines, he’s equally adept at creating uncomplicated dishes, such as his rare fried ostrich medallions. Whatever you do, don’t miss his exceptional signature aubergine soufflé with marinated goats milk cheese. Aubergine is tucked away in a city bowl residential neighbourhood that tends to get very quiet after dark, but don’t let that put you off-there’s good reason it’s such a consistent draw for well-travelled gourmands.