Mill St Bistro brings beautiful, uncomplicated food to the heart of South Africa’s historic winelands.
In the shadow of the iconic Mill Street Monument sits a fairly unassuming-looking bistro. Newly opened this past winter, this ode to French bistronomy is, for now, an undiscovered diamond in South Africa’s dining scene. The brainchild of accomplished Welsh Chef Phil Carmichael, “Mill St Bistro” is the culmination of a lifelong dream.
The love affair began fifteen years ago, during a short stint at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze Cape Town, where he gave his heart not once, but twice—first to South Africa’s verdant and beautiful landscape, and then to his future wife. As he left, he says, “I made a promise to myself to one day return and make a life.”
HISTORY
Carmichael’s journey started in the kitchen of his local village pub in Wales, but his career truly began under the tutelage of Michel Roux Jr., at London’s infamous gastronomical bootcamp Le Gavroche. Here, postulants devote themselves to the mastery of French fine dining in unyieldingly strict conditions, a formative experience which eventually led to him earning his own Michelin star at Maze Prague.
It was at Le Gavroche that the young chef’s work ethic and self-discipline gained the attention of a trio of high-profile mentors: initially Michel Roux Jr, and subsequently Gordon Ramsay and Jason Atherton, all of whom later entrusted him with the running of several of their own ventures.
After building up a solid reputation as a “Chef’s Chef,” Carmichael spent a decade turning Berner’s Tavern at the London Edition hotel into one of the city’s hottest tables. Atherton says of him “I chose Phil to open Berners because my belief in him is total. His passion for food, and his pursuit of becoming a great chef were clear from day one. His ability to take so much on his young shoulders makes him a true leader.”
MILL ST BISTRO
At the peak of his career when the pandemic hit, and with three kids under five at home, Carmichael strapped on his knapsack, and together with his wife and young family, flew off to South Africa to follow his dream of making incredible food that is healthier and more sustainable.
Reconnecting with old friend and Spier resident organic regenerative farmer Angus McIntosh, where he spent a year running the vineyard’s food offerings. Finally, after over a year of searching, he found the perfect location and Mill St Bistro was born.
SIMPLE PLEASURES
Carmichael’s approach to dining, like the man himself, is entirely fuss-free. “We won’t be spending hours tweezing ornate garnishes onto food,” says Carmichael. Instead, dishes are simple—deceptively so—with hidden layers of depth and an underlying wholesomeness that somehow only adds to the experience.
This is where Carmichael’s intellectual curiosity and drive to learn and grow come to the fore. While you won’t often hear him mention words like microbiome or sustainability, he has quietly been pursuing regenerative farming practices, sustainable provenance, and home pickling methods for years.
The names of his suppliers come up constantly, like an excitable child on his heroes. From Farmer Angus to the Community Gardens, to Abalobi, the South African boat-to-table digital marketplace and non-profit, where he gets all his fish from.
This is what Mill St Bistro is really all about for Carmichael: taking classical French bistronomy, and marrying it with his passions, leaving the diner with a renewed sense of comfort, soulfulness, and wholesomeness.
THE FOOD
Still, don’t let this distract from the star of the show: the menu. True to his Welsh country roots, there is a lack of pretension that is essential to the brilliance of his dishes, and dishes take on the best of both worlds. Traditional in their formality and grace, each plate is entirely created around South African seasonality. Nothing is “freshly flown in,” instead “we use what’s available, what’s closest, what’s best,” says Carmichael.
Sourcing is focused sharply on regenerative practices and farm-to-table fare wherever possible.
While flavour profiles are familiar for gastronomy, the journey is new: the richness of a pork belly is cut through with a delicate sauerkraut, fermented on-site. Notably, the many featured ferments all come of age in-house in full view of diners.
Standouts from the current menu include Mushroom Parfait with marinated mushroom salad, pickled mustard seeds and shallots, and Day Boat Market Fish—direct from the fisherman—complete with sweetcorn, mussel and ginger succotash, baby marrow and nasturtium pesto.
“Everything we put in the succotash is from Somerset West Community Garden, which is two minutes from my house. I go down there, select what I want, they pick it, and it’s in the restaurant the next day.”
Anyone who knows South Africa in summer knows nasturtiums are everywhere, and they’re an ingredient championed by Mill St’s kitchen. “The flowers in the Nasturtium Pesto are actually from my garden,” says Carmichael, “We also use them to make a beautiful crazy bright orange vinegar, Nasturtium Flower Kombucha, pesto with the green leaves, and nasturtium capers with the seed pods, which we’ll use throughout the winter as garnishes on fish dishes and whatnot.”
INTERIORS
This isn’t just a restaurant for Carmichael; it’s a whole way of being, of living. It’s about family, being wholesome, being healthy. The interior reflects this. It’s pared-back bistro, synonymous with a pleasant relaxed, informal dining. The two key areas are the main dining space, where floor-to-ceiling bi-folds bring in the warm evening light, and the wine deck, perfect for pre-dinner drinks with smaller dishes. Both are perfectly poised for watching the hustle and bustle of Stellenbosch go by.
Most significantly, woven throughout is Carmichael’s colourful apothecary of pickling jars, with garlic, carrots, mustard seeds, vibrant Nasturtiums, sauerkrauts, kombuchas et cetera, all hanging out in the restaurant as they mature before finding their way into the dishes. Chefs work ‘mise en place,’ the sensory experience augmented by an open fire, where charring, barbecuing, and baking are constantly underway.
All dishes are served on hand-crafted ceramics from award-winning ceramicist Mervin Gers. The classic French bistro angle comes in the form of oak tables, and No.14 Vienna chairs by Thonet, but there’s not a checked tablecloth to be found, as the kitchen ethos of “nothing is hidden” makes its way into the interior.
THE WINE DECK
He says, “The best South African wines never even make it overseas. I want people, whether they’re local or from out of town, to know they don’t have to come for the full dining experience—they can drop by the wine deck for a glass of the finest South African Pinotage and a perfectly paired snack.” His excitement when he talks about these wines is palpable.
“We wanted to offer something different, and seek out the crazies, the people doing weird and wonderful stuff that gives real results.” Crucial to Carmichael’s bistronomic approach is the restaurant’s state of the art Coravin wine system, which gives guests a chance to enjoy top end wines by the glass.
The overarching ambition has been to offer an unusual and unrivalled selection that offers something a bit different. “Stellenbosch has some of the best wines in the world, but you see a lot of the same names cropping up on wine lists. Specifically, we want to give people a choice to enjoy the big, expensive wines by the glass, and sometimes even offer them as specials, thanks to our state-of-the-art Coravin wine preservation system.”
WHAT IS BISTRONOMY
Mill St Bistro is a textbook interpretation of “bistronomy,” says Carmichael. Bistronomy takes readily available seasonal ingredients, and pairs them with the elevated technical theory and training of French gastronomy, all in a relaxed, bistro-style of environment. Mill St Bistro’s point of difference lies in the addition of a refreshing accent of fermentation complementing the gastronomical richness. Where you might once have found apple cutting through a perfectly executed crispy pork belly, you would now have a delicate sauerkraut.
He isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel—it is such a natural progression, simply weaving his worldview and surroundings into the cuisine he has mastered and loves. Carmichael is a chef’s chef. Ultimately, he is all about flavour, technique, and ultimately, giving pleasure.
WRAP UP
In a world of social media noise where fusion, individuality and uniqueness reign, it’s Carmichael’s quiet diligence and adherence to classical mores that truly mark him out. He is a stalwart of the old school yet maintains a flexibility and excitement when it comes to learning.
His approach is unfussy and comforting, with a commitment to heritage and a steadfast reluctance to reinvent the wheel for its own sake. In person, he is the antithesis of the celebrity chef, describing himself simply as a “vocational cook.” When asked about his ambitions for himself, he typically deflects outwards: “I just want to make amazing food that makes people happy.”
For more information and online bookings, go to www.millstbistro.co.za or email
bookings@millstbistro.co.za.
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