I've just returned from a business trip to sunny Las Vegas, so over the next few day's I'm going to put in effort to get up to date with our daily photos!
Since the weather in Cape Town currently seems like the kind one would expect to experience in England - you know, the wet, cold and rainy kind, I think it's perfect to write about Winchester Mansions (map), a local little gem where one can go to have the most awesome English tea with scones.
Besides for the service being good and the scones being tasty and warm, the venue is simply exquisite. One enters at the hotel's reception area and walks straight past the concierge's desk to this little courtyard, filled with trees, a large water feature, tables and chairs, and surrounded by the quaint-looking hotel rooms. It really is a beautiful setting for a quiet afternoon outing.
The courtyard is a little chilly on cooler days, so consider taking a light jersey or jacket along if you, like me, easily get cold.
It's not every day that you're invited to dine at as magnificent a restaurant as the Bombay Brasserie (map) in the elegant 5-star Taj Hotel. We've heard so much about the Taj that we were super-excited to finally have the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about.
Kerry-Anne and I arrived at the hotel, and in millionaire-style simply stopped at the hotel doors, left the car engine running, and handed the keys to the parking attendant. It was awesome. :D
Stepping into the building, I felt a sense of history coupled with modern style and opulence. Bombay Brasserie, shown in this photo, was spectacular, and the photo doesn't by any means do it justice. The light was soft and intimate and the furniture and décor looked like it had come right out of a rich estate in colonial India. The quiet music and super-comfy chairs and seemed to encourage us to enjoy a long evening of dinner and conversation. It was brilliant.
The waiters were simply impeccable, and even though the Taj is "only a 5-star hotel" the staff made it feel like Bombay Brasserie deserved a sixth. It was really the most attentive, yet not overbearing, service that we've ever had.
Now, I've said so much about everything else, but of course the real reason for visiting such a top restaurant is... the food. In a word, it was "WOW". I think Bombay Brasserie may well be the best Indian restaurant in Cape Town. While the food isn't cheap, it's not outrageously expensive either considering the quality, and the opulence of the experience. I guess you could expect to pay around R300 - 400 per person for a very filling three-course meal with drinks (assuming of course that you're not much into expensive wine or whiskey :) ).
I've saved another photo and a few more details for a follow-up post, so come and check back tomorrow!
I've never been a waiter, so never had the privileged of being amused by story after story told hush-hush by patrons. I have to imagine though that (however hard) working in a coffee shop, or restaurant of sorts must have it's entertaining moments.
Kerry-Anne and I stopped in for breakfast at Arnolds in Kloof Street (map). The meal was good, but I have to advise you that, unless you like super-super strong filter coffee, you rather order cappuccino. Gosh - the coffee really was that strong.
I complained bitterly about Adega at Willowbridge in my previous post, however, in this post I'm highlighting their one redeeming factor.
The restaurant has a light, bright and spacious feeling about it. The décor is attractive (don't you love the tiles on these pillars?), and on one side the patrons have a view of people walking in the beautiful open-air mall, and on the other side huge glass windows provide a view of lush green hills.
While not able to compete with views of Table Mountain, Signal Hill, and the ocean, it really is a beautiful setting - arguably one of the most beautiful in the area.
Since colleagues had been raving about Adega's Friday lunch specials, we decided try the Willowbridge branch's Sunday afternoon buffet. After our visit I unfortunately have to give the restaurant a huge thumbs down. The buffet doesn't have a large selection at all - especially of veggies and dessert. I have to admit that the prawns were great, but on the other hand, the oysters weren't exactly fresh. All in all, I'd give the buffet a rating of 4 out of 10.
The service wasn't very good at all. Drink orders took very long and after our meal and the passing of far too much time I eventually stood up to find someone to ask for the bill. The manager also had a strange sarcastic and patronising attitude towards another patron who complained about a similar lack of service that we had observed.
Perhaps this was an off day - as I said, colleagues had raved about the restaurant. At this point I'm however completely unsure why.
D'Aria, in Durbanville, is one of the lucky wine estates to have their own dam. Can you imagine how much water it takes to keep their grapes plump and juicy?
Incidentally, D'Aria is the home of the popular Poplars restaurant (map). I'm not huge fan of the restaurant, but many people love it, so I do think that it's worth a try at least - perhaps it's your kind of place. :)
Mr Pickwicks (map) is a small, and very popular, restaurant on Long Street. The only reason why I refer to it as "dodgy" in the title of this article is because it's not what one could call pretty, quaint, or upper-market - it's really fairly rustic. However, if you're looking for a great burger, with an awesome milkshake - this is definitely a place to try. They actually have an entire page in the menu dedicated to their assortment of awesome milkshakes! :)
Sticking to the Cuban theme of Che Latino Café, mentioned in a previous post, Cape to Cuba (pictured in this photo) is a chain of three restaurants heavily decorated in typical Cuban style, featuring exotic furniture and décor. The twist is that almost all the pieces of furniture and décor in the restaurant are for sale, so if you like something, you really can get to take it home!
Cape to Cuba restaurants are located in Kalk Bay, Long Street (in Cape Town) and Stellenbosch (map). This particular photo was taken at the Stellenbosh restaurant, but if I were to advise you on which to try, I'd suggest Kalk Bay (map). It's by far the best known of the three, and I've heard plenty of great things about that particular restaurant. :)
If you're looking for a place to enjoy breakfast or lunch while your kids play on a large open lawn and go on horse-and-cart rides right in front of you, think of visiting the Joostenberg Deli and Bistro on the Klein Joostenberg farm.
The farm is on the R302, the long road that leads from the N1 national highway to Stellenbosch, so it's pretty convenient if you're planning a day trip to Stellenbosch. Kerry-Anne and I had an early breakfast under the trees at the bistro. The food was tasty (albeit a little rich for our delicate digestive systems), and the service was great (although, I guess having a friend wait on us has its advantages ;) ).
The leisurely horse-and-cart rides on the lawn cost R10 per person, and I *think* adults can join in the fun. If we weren't in so much of a hurry to get to some business in Stellenbosch, I'm fairly sure that Kerry-Anne would have insisted on a ride. :)
In the evening, Café Caprice (map), one of the restaurants that face onto the Camps Bay beachfront, transforms from its day-time beach-restaurant feel into a bar crowded with dozens of socialising people. While you'll find folk of all ages, most of the patrons seem to be in their mid 20s or early 30s, and are definitely ready to party.
Kerry-Anne was out with "the girls", so I spent a while here with two friends before we headed out for pizza at Col'cacchio. I'm not sure that night-time Caprice is quite my cup of tea, but I have to admit that (if you're single ;) ) there certainly is a huge amount of eye-candy all around.
We visited Wasabi in Constantia for a sushi feast with a few friends, and at this occasion I learned one important lesson about eating sushi out:
Pay full price for your sushi and never order the sushi platter that's on special. :)
This particular platter cost about R100 and seemed to contain all the small offcuts of salmon and tuna, as well as many vegetarian pieces that, judging by how dry the carrots appeared, weren't very fresh at all.
I ended up eating just over half of the platter before realising that I really wasn't enjoying it enough to continue. From the way the other folk at the table devoured their meals, I assume that the other sushi must have been good; but this was presumably because they didn't order the platter that was on special. :-/
We hadn't been for dinner in Camps Bay for ages, so, after a long, long week at work, Friday night was our night to relax with an ocean view and good food.
The Pepper Club restaurant, Pepper Club On The Beach (map), is situated at the spot formerly occupied by Summerville, and is the official beach-side restaurant of the soon-to-be-opened Pepper Club hotel in Cape Town city centre. Apparently hotel guests will have the option of being driven from the city to Pepper Club On The Beach (in a Rolls Royce), where they'll be able to change into their swimming gear in the restaurant's super-modern bathrooms. :)
The restaurant's setting is spectacular of course, but the thing that impressed us most was the service - it was absolutely impeccable, the kind of service you'd expect at a top 5-star hotel. The shellfish platter we shared was *wow*, but the two highlights of the evening were the Sapphire Silk cocktail and the Avocado Ritz starter. Both were absolutely delicious, and at the risk of being boring, I'm pretty sure that our next visit will once again include both of these items. :) The cost of a main course averages between R140 and R240 per person; there is a lunch menu as well, which features quite a few cheaper options. You can download the menu from the restaurant's website.
Click here to see a few of the other photos that I took at the restaurant.
Sevruga (map) is one of the pristine restaurants of the V&A Waterfront. Their steak is good, their fish is great, and the sushi, well, darn near perfect. Visiting isn't exactly a cheap outing, so when our impromptu sushi club caught wind of the half-price sushi afternoons (14h00 to 17h00), it was a no-brainer - Sevruga would be the venue to host our next meet-up.
The restaurant certainly didn't disappoint... as I'm guessing you can see from the photo above. :) And, just before you think I made an absolute pig of myself - this was the plate that Kerry-Anne and I shared. I doubt many would actually fit this entire plate of sushi in for dinner!
I stopped off at Fego Café at the V&A Waterfront for breakfast a few days ago. The restaurant/bookshop is fairly well tucked away from the general hustle and bustle of the other Waterfront restaurants, which makes it perfect for just sitting back and relaxing.
Alas, this empty milkshake glass wasn't mine, so I presume that the other patrons cast their querying eyes in my direction as I jumped up to capture this photo before the waitress took the glass away. :)
I'd have to go with chocolate, but what is your favourite milkshake flavour?
If you're interested in attending one of the dinners, take a look at the website, subscribe to the announce list, and put your name down for the next GeekDinner!
Hussar Grill, a traditional steakhouse in Camps Bay
We've always seen the uninspiring-looking Hussar Grillon Camps Bay Drive (just below the final hairpin bend leading into Camps Bay), but we've never bothered to visit for a meal. Finally we decided to give the steakhouse a try, so two friends met up with us for a quiet dinner.
Even though from the outside it looks (as I said) insignificant, inside is quite different. The restaurant brims with that old traditional steakhouse feeling. The staff were friendly, the seating was comfortable, the food was... well... the food was great!
I think the meals are slightly more expensive than Cattle Baron or Famous Butchers Grill, but I found Hussar Grill a little more upmarket, and the ambiance and décor (made up of classic books, '60s furniture, and old photos) make the extra few rands worth paying.
For the record, the 1kg of beef ribs that I had was awesome, and the Crème Brûlée was outstanding (I dipped into the one Kerry-Anne ordered). And, best of all, Hussar's has Jack Black on tap! :)
P.S. I'd love to, but I can't claim attribution for this photo. Jon (one of the contributors to our new Mobile Photos page) pinched my camera for a moment and managed to snap the best photo of the evening!
We met up with a friend of ours for lunch in Kommetjie, at Village Bakery Bistro. While it's a pretty building and very easy to find, don't go expecting to have a beautiful ocean view (you can see a bit of the sea in the distance, but only from the outside section). I think, however, that the fresh bread that they bake on-site (and provide with meals) has to go at least some way to make up for the lack of view.
The smells from the bakery were so good that I think that if we go out to the South Peninsula for a picnic (or even perhaps another braai at Jo's place in Scarborough) I'll have to put off packing in rolls from home and rather pick up a few from Village Bakery Bistro. :)
Vredehoek, Gardens and Oranjezicht are three old suburbs found just above the inner city on the slopes of Table Mountain, just to the right of Devil's Peak. For me, these three are more or less merged into a single large suburb, and I never know when I'm in one or the other.
You'll see a sign reading "Villa" on the left of the photo. That's the entrance to Villa Portuguese Restaurant & Pizzeria, and based on the restaurant's address (176 Upper Buitenkant Street, Vredehoek), it's safe to say that I took this photo in Vredehoek!
Something cool that I noticed when I zoomed in on the photo (and something that you may like to keep in mind) is that there's a sign posted in the window that reads "Mondays, 50% off pizza, sit down only". We may just have to take them up on that offer... :)
On Sunday we trooped through to Camps Bay for breakfast and, because of its reputation, ended up at The Roundhouse Restaurant (up above Camps Bay). We were unfortunately too late for breakfast, so we just had some Rooibos tea, admired the view for a little while and then left to hunt down some place still serving breakfast. (In case you're wondering, we were extremely late for breakfast. :) )
The restaurant's view and atmosphere certainly lived up to the reputation, and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The lunch menu mostly comprises picnic foods (like cold meats, cheeses, pickles, etc.). You place your order by ticking items on a sheet of paper, and a while later a picnic basket arrives with your selection carefully packed. While it would have worked for the two of us, I'd advise rather to visit in a party of 4 to 6 people so that your basket can contain a good variety of food without crashing your credit card.
Click here to read a little about the building's history when it was used as a guard house in the late 1700s.
Kerry-Anne and I visited Zula Sound Bar for the first time a few years back when Freshlyground was still largely unknown. It was their night to perform, and the intimate setting at Zula was amazing! Zula is practically an institution in Cape Town and definitely worth a visit (unless you can't take very crowded and vibey places :) ).
Each night Zula (in Long Street) rocks its patrons with the sound of a variety of live musicians. From what I've heard they have really good traditional food (like potjiekos, boerewors rolls and sosaties), and they also have half-price cocktail specials between 5pm and 7pm, Monday to Saturday.
I heard about Massimo's Pizza Club in January when they opened, and on Saturday we finally had the chance to visit for dinner with two of our friends. From the name I expected that the restaurant would be run by an Italian family, and as it turns out I was at least half right! And you do know that there's no better pizza than pizza made by a real Italian, right?
As you may already know, I'm in the IT field, so it was cool to hear that Massimo, the owner, spent many years as a mainframe programmer and software support specialist in Italy. He then spent a few years working in London (where I think he met his wife, Tracy), which led him to realise that IT wasn't the way he wanted to spend his life. So now Massimo and Tracy live in beautiful Hout Bay, and run Massimo's Pizza Club at night!
If you're in the mood for real Italian pizza, head over to Massimo's (here's a map) - and while you're there, try the Limoncello shots (which are really, really lemony) and the after-dinner flaming sugar cubes soaked in alcohol. They're really cool! :)
Café Max was the location for the 17th GeekDinner, codenamed Quarrelsome Quince. We were introduced to Café Max's spectacular buffet dinner, as well as two brand new Internet start-up businesses based in Cape Town.
The first, Personera, allows you to import photos (along with your friends' birthdays) from Facebook into a calendar that they then print and mail to you. The second was JobCrystal, a new (and different) careers portal that matches you to the most suitable available jobs, based on information you provide and questionnaires that you complete.
Dinner at Café Max was great - the dessert of Malva Pudding with Creme Anglaise was to die for, and the rare rib-eye beef was perfectly complemented by the Delheim red wine. The area that you see in this photo is a large hall alongside the main restaurant, and it's actually a lot prettier and more cosy than it appears here. It really is a nice little restaurant; take a look at their website to see what I mean.
We had the chance for the first time to visit & Union (yes, that's And Union) for drinks and a light snack last Friday. We had an awesome evening, not only due to the fun people that we met up with, the exclusive selection of imported beer, and the yummy bratwurst snacks, but also because we were fortunate to be treated to a few dozen songs by photographer and musician, Andy Lund (pictured here, on the right).
As you may have gathered, summer has arrived in Cape Town. Days are getting longer and evenings are getting warmer - which means that restaurants have started spilling over into the open air, creating an awesome party vibe throughout the city. I love this time of year!
If you're looking for directions to & Union, no worries, here's a map. :)
I mentioned a while ago that Chocolat, the coffee shop and restaurant in Durbanville, has interesting decor - most of which is for sale. This particular clock was standing on a small table, together with a beautiful lamp.
Isn't it cool that today, with all the modern furniture and appliances, you can still decorate your home as though it were an old-style cottage (or mansion if you're lucky enough to have one :) )?
Personally, I'm caught it a predicament where I like minimalist modern decor as well as this kind of retro old-style English/French decor. But perhaps there's a happy medium of minimalist old-style English/French - although some may argue that this happy medium is due only to my budgetary constraints. :)
I mentioned the coffee shop Chocolat in my previous post and decided that it's pretty enough inside to deserve at least two photos back-to-back. This one was taken in the opposite direction to the previous one and shows the bright light streaming into the extensively decorated inner room.
I sometimes find myself wondering why restaurateurs hire dull, lazy, and sometimes even abrasive staff as waiters and waitresses. Staff like these only serve to put me off returning to the particular establishment. The owners of Chocolat and Royale (the burger place in Long Street) certainly never made this mistake. They both seem to have succeeded in hiring friendly, spunky, happy staff that make it a pleasure to return. Well done to both of you (and thanks to the friendly, spunky, happy staff)!
Kerry-Anne's always raved about Chocolat (as well as chocolate), so eventually she managed to drag me along for coffee and cake. We'd actually intended to have lunch, but ran late and arrived only after the kitchen had closed for the day. So unfortunately we ended up just having coffee and cake - a huge piece of divine nougat chocolate cake, at that!
The decor is beautiful, with almost every decorative item in the store being up for sale. In fact, I do believe that I noticed a price tag hanging from our waitress's jersey. :) And, speaking of the waitress, the staff were really great - quick, polite and friendly. It's definitely worth your while to visit, but do take care - they close reasonably early on Saturday afternoons and aren't open on Sundays.
Buying lunch at Waterfront restaurants is normally fairly expensive - not unreasonably so for the most part, but proper meals certainly tend to cost more than at other locations. We discovered a place called Java Jive Cafe, near the Blue Shed, big Musica store and the Waterfront's famous Pumphouse.
Although we didn't indulge in the R28 curry, we did share pancakes and a cup of coffee. Well... no, we each had our own coffee, but shared the two scrumptious bacon, mushroom and cheese pancakes, which left us with a total bill of around R60 - not bad for a quick snack at the lovely Waterfront!
Cape Town has a way of looking beautiful and stormy at the same time. The angry dark clouds in this photo rolled in below the beautiful pink and blue sky, creating a perfect contrast.
Though slightly on the expensive side of average, Wakame more than makes up for it by having this awesome deck - perfect for sitting outside and relaxing while chatting with friends and enjoying a couple of drinks.
Also, I'm not particularly fond of sushi, but I have to admit that theirs is pretty good. Although for most people it's the raw fish that puts them off sushi, for me it's a combination of the seaweed and the rice - and Wakame's rice seems far more palatable than any other sushi rice I've tasted. :)
Well done to everyone who braved the excessively high winds in Cape Town to attend GeekDinner! I spent a few minutes outside Cappello to capture a few night shots of Cape Town and found it impossible to keep my hand steady enough to take the shot. Eventually I leaned up against a seemingly-sturdy pole to steady the camera, but alas, this was even worse - the wind was rattling the pole like a jackhammer rattles the stout construction worker holding it.
For many people, the word "geek" still conjures up images of socially awkward people interested only in chemistry, physics, astronomy and computers. This is not the case at Cape Town's GeekDinner meets. Also, over the past few months I've noticed an interesting shift in the gender distribution at GeekDinner events. Even though the guys still clearly dominate in numbers, it seems as though there are more and more women at each event... which, believe me, is something that I'm confident the guys are extremely happy about.
We'd never turned in at Meerendal farm before, so when we did we were surprised to find that the gates hid a farm with a rather appealing part-modern/part-old-English atmosphere about it.
We unfortunately arrived just in time to see the doors to the bistro and deli being shut for the day so I can't really say whether or not the food and produce is any good.
The signpost in the photo points to another, apparently more sophisticated, restaurant called Wheatfields. If the review on Travbuddy is anything to go by, then it sounds like Wheatfields is a restaurant that we'll have to visit asap!
