With its industrial warehouse edge softened by bold colours and exposed brick, Ongetem in Cape Town’s city centre exudes cool confidence. Spacious and unfussy, it features leather-style banquettes, geometric floor designs, an open kitchen and even an old Harley on display.
A few animal skulls and motorcycle parts complete the look. Chef and entrepreneur Bertus Basson is wearing a skull ring and on the tables are salt and pepper shakers in the same design.
The restaurant opened recently inside the five-star Canopy by Hilton Cape Town located in the heart of the Kloof Street district — one of only two Hiltons in the city. While Basson is best known for his acclaimed fine-dining establishments in Stellenbosch, Ongetem is a deliberate departure. “It’s not fine dining,” he says. “It’s untamed: no-nonsense food in a no-nonsense space”.
The name Ongetem means “untamed’ in Afrikaans, and the vibe and menu embrace this spirit. It’s meant to feel like a local haunt, not just a tourist draw. “I have a sort of split personality. I love hamburgers, I love pizza, I also love simple, delicious cooking,” says Basson. “This is a place that does just that. It’s built by locals, for locals.”
Basson’s culinary resume is packed: from Spek & Bone (small plates wine bar) to De Vrije Burger, Eike (heritage-driven SA cuisine) and more recently, Chorus, Kantien, Geuwels and Clara’s Barn. With Ongetem he again brings his take on heritage dishes with an unpretentious style. Think of bobotie reinterpretation at Eike, reconstructed and plated as a refined tartare-style or wildebeest parcels served on giraffe bone.
When approached by Hilton about opening a restaurant on-site, he was clear: this had to be a neighbourhood spot, not another formal fine-dining destination. And it’s working. On a recent Tuesday night, the space was already buzzing.
For those sceptical of haute cuisine (like my husband, who once left a top fine-dining restaurant still hungry), Ongetem delivers. After a hearty course of mussels to start (his verdict: delicious) and moreish salt and vinegar fries, he couldn’t finish his steak, and we both brought leftovers home. The chutney chicken was a standout. Portions are generous and plating is stylish without being fussy.
I celebrate everything in this country — it’s important.
— Bertus Basson, entrepreneur and chef at Ongetem
Prices are reasonable by Cape Town standards. Think: spatchcock baby chutney chicken for R260; mussels in a Cape Malay-style curried sauce with fresh coriander for R130; and a souffle as light as anything to finish.
Basson is known for championing SA heritage cuisine. “I’m a middle-aged white Afrikaans-speaking South African,” he says, “but I celebrate everything in this country — it’s important”. At Eike in Stellenbosch, he focuses on open-fire, heritage cooking. Chorus, perched in the mountains, is all about simple, fresh food with spectacular views. Spek & Bone serves shareable small plates. The common thread? “We want to build places that feel approachable, where people feel welcome.”
He’s critical of the idea that a restaurant always needs a defined concept. “Delicious is good enough,” he says. “It doesn’t always have to be a thing, it can just be food, it’s also OK … I want restaurants where people can go twice a week.”
He draws inspiration from everyday eating. “We just came back from France. We didn’t go to fancy restaurants — we went to bistros and brasseries, filled with French people eating French cuisine”.
His favourite overseas food city is London, because it has global flavours. “If you go to Italy, you eat mainly Italian. If you go to France, its mainly French but London has this diversity in restaurants and cuisines.”
At Ongetem, almost everything is made in-house — from the rigatoni pasta to fresh bakes — and some products from his Stellenbosch restaurants (like bacon jam and pickled cucumbers) will in time be available in Cape Town too.
Basson has long been a familiar face on South African screens — from The Ultimate Braai Master to Brood en Botter; Goed, Beter, Bertus and In Die Sop: Restaurant Evolusie. Over a decade ago, filming Braai Master gave him a renewed sense of national identity. He spent two months driving around SA shooting for TV and realised he’s very much a South African.
“I could relate to every single person I met along the way”. He learnt about the country “and where we find ourselves. I made a very conscious decision to be more South African in the way that I cook”.
Today, he runs 10 businesses, including Abundance Catering in Somerset West and two Vrije Burger outlets (Stellenbosch and the V&A Waterfront), with a third planned for Sea Point and another location being scouted in Durbanville.
Though he’s had opportunities abroad, he’s staying put — at least for now. “We considered Belgium and the Netherlands, and we thought about it, but it just wasn’t for us. I can’t do all the fun things I do here like ride motorcycles, and hunt, it’s just not who we are”.
Despite juggling numerous ventures, Basson is focused on building up the next generation of chefs as he expands and takes on new business partners. “A big part of my job now is making sure they’re visible and doing well.”
The aim is to be a community restaurant, so expect events like wine festivals, chef’s tables and culinary collaborations.
