Tag Archives: green point
Bridles and things
Café Manhattan at the Cape Quarter
The bar area gets a little rowdy in the evenings, so I wouldn't say it's family friendly. If you're looking for a slightly quieter place to hang out with a friend or four, take a seat in their lounge area - it's tucked away, near the kitchen, up a small flight of stairs.
Along Jarvis Street
Rooftop Cinema in Green Point
As with the Silent Cinema, the open-air Rooftop Cinema didn't disappoint - it was plenty of fun. The film selection was brilliantly curated, and there was a fair variety of films from producers whom I'd otherwise never have heard of.
I arrived real early (to get a good spot to sit and take photos), so I have to admit that I felt like a bit of a loser sitting there alone for the longest time ever, waiting for the production to start. :) But that said, as the seating started to fill up, and I noticed that the last of the last taking their place standing behind everyone else (who were mostly seated on comfy cushions), I was kinda glad I'd arrived early. (So what I'm trying to say is: "Take a friend and get there early.")
Make a plan to visit the Rooftop Cinema, they'll run until the end of April, or otherwise check out their drive-in in Vredehoek - I imagine they'll be running that throughout winter.
For updates about their Cape Town gigs, like their Short & Sweet Cape Town page on Facebook.
Great coffee at Green Point’s Shift
Delectable gelato
Gelato Mania's huge selection of gelato and real Italian ice-cream was pretty awesome - so much so that we were forced to return the next evening to try a different flavour. Next time you're out for dinner in the Sea Point/Green Point/Cape Town city area, visit Gelato Mania for dessert... or dinner, assuming you like waffles for dinner. ;)
Apartments against Signal Hill
But, in all seriousness, those apartments stacked against the slopes of Signal Hill look like they'd make a great holiday spot, don't you think? A word of caution when booking your holiday accommodation in Cape Town thought - check if the apartment has air conditioning; if it's not specified, it probably does not.
From our De Waterkant apartment
Even though the apartment block was called Harbour Terrace, believe me, it's no where close to the harbour - and the only view of the waterfront and harbour area is a distant one. I took this photo from our balcony on the first morning of our stay. The air was cool and crisp, and it was actually quite peaceful out on the balcony - after the distant doof-doof sound that emanated from local bars and clubs until the early hours of the morning. ;)
Cloud banks and stadiums
There’s something fishy about this art
This large pond forms part of the park's biodiversity garden - which itself is host do dozens of indigenous plant species. Right alongside the garden area are benches and large open grassy areas where you're welcome to lay open your blanked and unpack your picnic basket. The trees are unfortunately not yet large enough to provide lots of shade, so I'd probably advise an early morning or evening picnic - outside of core sunburn hours. :)
The park is right next to the Green Point stadium, very close to the Green Point lighthouse. Entrance is free and the gates are open every day from 07h00 until 19h00.
Where the streets have no name
A purple part of town
Dinner and a stylish Green Point restaurant
After relaxing with drinks at Sky Bar, on the hotel's roof-top, we returned to the ground level for dinner - an arrangement of bite-sized versions of the restaurant's new menu. (Click on the pictures below to see a sampling of what we were treated to - yum, right?) I won't go into the delicious details, but on the menu for the evening was an assortment of specialty breads, cheese soufflé, loin of lamb, beef fillet, kingklip, berry pavlova and an incredible, and I do mean incredible, chocolate mousse!
Something that I found really interesting about the restaurant is the origin of its name. I believe it's derived from the New York-style grill that they use to sear their steak at precisely 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a whopping 982 degrees Celsius! Now that's pretty warm heh? Chef Jonathan Gargan believes that it's their special super-hot grill that's responsible for the juicy goodness - and while I can certainly agree that the steak is juicy and good, I do think he's being just a little modest - it probably also has a little to do with years of culinary magic he's rehearsed in the kitchen. ;)
Visit Bistro 1800° at 47 Main Road in Green Point - you won't regret it. Also, when you arrive, stop your car right in front of the building, make use of the valet parking, and step out like royalty leaving the smiling staff to find a safe spot for your car in the building's basement - it's way more fun that way.
Zabad in De Waterkant
It looked stylish and inviting inside. It wasn't too busy (to make it noisy), yet not too empty to be uncomfortable. The menu selection looked pretty good, and both the coffee and breakfasts were super satisfactory.
As perhaps you know, I prize good service (and by that I mean chirpy and friendly, not surly and posh) over the quality of the meal. Sure, there's a point where great service just doesn't cut it anymore, but for me a visit to a restaurant is more about the experience than the food. A restaurant with great staff and atmosphere easily get away with merely average food.
As I said, the food at Zabad was great, but I can't think I'll return for a second visit. Sadly.
Green Point streets
Artful passage at the Cape Quarter
Reflections in De Waterkant
Steep streets
The perfect surf-ski launching spot
Three Anchor Bay
Even though it's extremely rocky the little section of beach looks to be quite protected from the ocean at low-tide and seems perfect for young kids, be careful to keep a close watch on them - the ocean get's pretty fierce pretty quickly and the rocky outcrops make it very easy for even young kids reach this danger zone.
The Square at the Cape Quarter
Something that you may not be aware of is that if you make use of the underground parking, keep in mind that the two sections (The Square and The Piazza) share one large underground parking garage. You may enter the Piazza's parking garage and unintentionally end up in The Square.
Wakame and Green Point Stadium
At least one of our UK readers in particular will immediately recognise the inside of Wakame, a popular tapas and sushi restaurant in Mouille Point, located very close to the Green Point soccer stadium. In fact, the stadium is precisely what you can see brighly lit out in the darkness.
While we were enjoying really (very) good sushi, I watched welding sparks dropping to the ground from the structure in the distance. It would seem the stadium's construction workers are putting in some serious overtime to catch up after last week's wage dispute.
Football World Cup logistics, organisation, and the vuvuzela
The Green Point soccer stadium, seen here from the Cape Town Waterfront area, looks to be fast approaching completion. There are still tall cranes looming over the empty stadium, but far fewer than you may recall in photos that I posted in 2007 and 2008. Just take a look at the progress made since June 2007!
If you've been following our recent posts you'll know that we're away from Cape Town on holiday for two weeks, and that Mandy J Watson has been kind enough to help out with a couple of photos, including this one.
This evening Kerry-Anne and I were privileged to watch South Africa and Spain battle it out in a Confederations Cup match in Bloemfontein; since this tournament is a trial run for next year's World Cup, and in light of this photo, I thought I'd give you a reportback on my experience from a logistics and organisation perspective.
First, I guess I should state that I'm not a sports fan, so I think I'm able to view the situation objectively without the excitement that allows fans to overlook the negative aspects of the experience.
So, objectively:
- It was easy to find parking and it took a matter of 5 minutes to get into the stadium, and head up the stairs to our seats.
- Finding our seats was fairly easy... we just looked at our ticket, consulted the boards, entered through the correct gate, read the signs, and we were good to go.
- Apart from the signs giving directions, it seemed that at almost every turn there was a friendly official ready to point us in the right direction.
- The venue wasn't too crowded, and the seating wasn't cramped.
- The queues at the ladies' toilets were VERY long at half time. This is normal, of course, but that doesn't mean it's okay.
- I've never been a fan of the vuvuzela (that long plastic trumpet that South African supporters blow at soccer matches), but to be honest, it really wasn't so bad. They weren't too loud and I have to say that they did add to the atmosphere significantly. They are an integral part of South African soccer culture and it just wouldn't be the same without them.
- The only time that the trumpets did become annoying was after the match while we were walking through the Loch Logan shopping mall next to the stadium. Googols of fans blowing trumpets in a confined space made of reflective tiles and glass isn't good for one's ears!
My only suggestions are:
- Think about where you will park your car before the time and how congested the area will be after the match.
- Buy ear plugs from a music store - you'll still be able to enjoy the atmosphere, even if you find a vuvuzela positioned right next to your ear. :)
Buena Vista Social Cafe in Green Point
We met a friend for coffee at Buena Vista Social Cafe, a Cuban-themed restaurant in Green Point. The decor is what I'd expect to find in an old Cuban bar; the best part of all is the old leather couches and chairs - like those you'd expect to find at your grandmother's house - making up a corner lounge-area, where you can enjoy drinks without having to sit at a table.
Buena Vista is a really nice place to visit, and if you've never been there before you should make a turn (and try the lamb and feta nachos!). Just be warned that the restaurant doesn't have a non-smoking section (which I thought wasn't allowed these days), so if you have an allergic reaction to cigars and cigarettes then best check that there aren't too many people smoking when you arrive.
Now that I think of it, perhaps the reason they're able to get away with a fully-smoking restaurant is because of the Cuban theme - you kind of expect to see people smoking cigars in a Cuban bar, don't you?
Keep me safe?
Why do you imagine someone would draw a bird on an old LP, write the words "keep me safe <3 hake" at the bottom, and then stick it on the side of a building in Green Point? I have no clue myself. I googled the words, and found nothing at all except this rather odd poem by someone called George Hake, which contains the words "keep me safe". Somehow I don't think it's connected. :-/
If you have any idea what it's about, or if you'd like to take a flying guess, please help us with this little mystery by leaving a comment.