Word came to me that the Harbour House restaurant in Kalk Bay had decided to take a good hard look at it’s operation and relook, amongst other things, at its menu.
They’ve had a consultant in for one month.
I made the trip down to Kalk Bay to check them out. They have one of the most stunning waterside [...]
After a schlep out to the countryside that takes 90 minutes, instead of the promised 45, the last thing you want to experience is a second rate restaurant. And let’s face it, unless you are aiming at Stellenbosch or Franschhoek, there’s a high probability that you’ll end up somewhere that is gastronomically challenged.
So to end [...]
It’s one year exactly since I last ate at Nobu in Cape Town.
The experience was so bad that it has taken me a whole year to be able to brave another trip.
One year on, and recession afflicted, the One and Only, leopardskin wearing, top hatted door staff are now only too eager to valet park your car.
Inside, 10 [...]
Cape Town restaurants aren’t really suited to Winter.
Summer is their thing.
Warm weather, blue skies, spectacular views and streetscapes mean that open spaces, alfresco dining and starry skies are the backdrop to some of the best dining experiences in the Cape.
But come Autumn and Winter a metamorphose occurs. What were once airy breezy restaurants become cold [...]
Waitrons in Cape Town have been getting me very hot and bothered recently. The standard of service in most restaurants in this city is not up to scratch. So, in an effort to get to the bottom of what the issues are I’ve decided to do a bit of research.
First up, I thought a good [...]
Only 90 minutes from Cape Town, Robertson is a set in the heart of the Route 62 wine producing region, and its wide streets are lined with jacaranda and oak trees.
Nestled down a leafy side street The Robertson Small Hotel looks like, well….it looks like a small hotel.
Actually it’s a Victorian manor house, which has been [...]
It’s winter specials season, and restaurants across Cape Town have gone into overdrive to keep bums on seats during the Autumn/Winter period, between now and the much touted World Cup bonanza.
It got me wondering whether or not all these specials were all they were cracked up to be? or are they a restaurants chance to [...]
So you’re stressed out, have had a tough week at work, and need a break.
My strong advice is to point the car in the direction of Montagu. Leave Cape Town at 2pm on a Friday and by 4:30pm, at the latest, you’ll be there.
Check in to the Mimosa Lodge and have a relaxing bath in [...]
Arriving down the little bendy road we pull up in front of The Roundhouse. Attendants, dressed like waiters, direct us to a parking spot with torches. Getting out of the car we drank in the glittering lights of Camps Bay below, framed by the luminous grey of the mountains.Our group of four were excited, and a sense of anticipation lay in the [...]
This is a restaurant that has whipped up many a controversy in its short 7 months of existence.
The Irish owner, Cormac Keane, has developed a reputation for adopting a no nonsense approach to customers. He has charmed them, argued with them, started e.mail wars, thrown them out and sat and wined and dined with them.
Cormac’s mercurial qualities have [...]
Set up on a corner overlooking Napier and Jarvis Streets in the Waterkant, Uncle Jack’s English Tavern does exactly what it says on the tin.
It is done up in the style of an olde English pub, with lots of wood, mirrors and a large fireplace. It has a wrap around deck, which is handy for people spotting. It being [...]
The first time I ate Camil’s food was in 2002 in Residence Klein Oliphants in Franschhoek. I still remember the rack of lamb he cooked that night. It was exquisite.
Camil’s restaurant in Green Point is open about 5 months. It’s part of the Cape Royale Hotel complex.
I arrived in Camil’s for lunch on one of [...]
Doreen Alcock, pastry chef at The Sweetest Thing Patisserie in Simonstown was awarded the Diners Club Award in 2008 for The Most Promising Pastry Chef Newcomer in the Whole of South Africa. I’ll repeat that, The Whole of South Africa.
This chef has got to be good, I thought,and worth a trip all the way to Simonstown.
So on [...]
What’s a bookseller doing opening a restaurant? Is this an act of madness? In this case, I think it’s a stroke of genius.
Ann Donald, owner of Kalk Bay Books, has opened The Annex and based on my meal last night, I would say she has hit the jackpot.
It’s a wow. Honest to goodness cooking with style [...]
Zen minimalism and a tranquil air envelop you as soon as you enter Kyoto Garden Sushi.
Cape Town is bursting at the seams with half price sushi joints (and they are packed) so why come here? Well, the chef is genuinely Japanese. Koshi Koyama hails from Tokyo, and he trained in Japan to be a sushi [...]
The Mowbray venue is not as impactful as last years Tamboerskloof location. But with the sun setting behind a cloud shrouded mountain last nights opening night did have plenty of character. It’s well organised, with lots of parking and helpful stewards to point you the right way.
There’s loads to see and do. The Pick n [...]
Mezzaluna means half moon in Italian. It is also the name given to the type of knife which consists of a curved blade with a handle on each end, and is used for chopping herbs, pizzas or pesto.
It’s also the name of Jimmy Fiore’s Trattoria, on Loop Street. Jimmy worked in banking for 25 years, [...]
In the new Cape Quarter you chance upon little jewels of shops that are hidden around corners, or tucked into funny places. Daniela’s is one of these. You are in the shop before you realise it, as it straddles one of the walkways through this centre.
Your first impression is one of an enormous impulse to [...]
We decided to visit Bukhara after friends exclaimed “What do you mean the Bombay Brasserie is great?? Wait ’till you try Bukhara!” .
So with an open mind and certain expectations I trekked, on a warm Sunday night, into the CBD, near Greenmarket Square, to eat there.
Planet Bukhara was found down a dark side street. After a bit [...]
Congratulations to Deborah Paterson of Tamboerskloof, and Sarah Van Leiden of Claremont who each win double tickets for the opening evening of Taste of Cape Town, on March 24th.
19 of Cape Town’s finest restaurants will offer their best dishes and delicacies for your tasting pleasure. Nothing costs more than R40 a plate. Mowbray is the [...]
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