An interlude in Jozi – dinner at Chez Girard

Chez Girard

My home for last week was Johannesburg and being a born and bred Capetonian this was a bit of a shock to the system. My beautiful mountain and quite streets of the southern suburbs were traded in for a cacophony of sounds and big roads and plenty of road works.

While I enjoy Johannesburg, I feel that it is only a place I can visit as I long for the beauty of the mountain which juts out from almost every window you glance out of and the quiet peacefulness that Cape Town exudes. Yes we are known as a “laid back” city, but I think there is something to be proud of and hold in high honour. Oh boy do I love Cape Town … Continued

Dinner at The Duchess of Wisbeach in Sea Point

Duchess of Wisbeach

The Duchess of Wisbeach is a relative newcomer to the Sea Point Restaurant Scene and she announces herself with a London Double Decker Bus bright red front door and an antelope head of some kind above the bar (keeping a watchful eye over the entrance!)

We had a fairly large table with stragglers arriving way after the time the table was booked for.  Seeing as the group is quite a rowdy bunch and seemed to spend more time chatting and having a cigarette on the pavement, our waitress suggested putting a few of their sidewalk tables together and so we ended up dining, Parisian café style, on the pavement! Continued

Hidden spots for tea in the southern suburbs of Cape Town

Tea-time in Cape Town

It isn’t difficult to hide little tea nooks in the leafy southern suburbs of Cape Town. Many of those listed here are tucked away, off the beaten track, some of them in resuscitated period homes, others not necessarily here for their menu but rather their venue. But each of these is worth a visit for its particular offering, be it the location, the food, the décor, or simply because you need to know about it. Treat each with the respect it deserves, and only tell your very best friends about them… Continued

Perfect Polana – dine with the crashing waves only a few metres away

Polana

I hadn’t been to Polana for a good three years (Ive got no idea why I stayed away for that long!) but a friend had a birthday party here on Saturday night and I was reminded of why it’s such a great spot.

The location of this venue could not be closer to the sea – in fact you could probably touch the rocks if you leant far enough out the enormous windows!  The view, on a clear day or not, is spectacular – the crashing waves only a few metres away and of course being able to see right across the bay to the mountains on the other side … Continued

Lunch at Zevenwacht – simply heavenly

Zevenwacht Estate

It is more than a little fitting that Zevenwacht Wine Estate should lie on Langverwacht Road in Kuils River. We found ourselves on Bottelary Road in Bellville, a road we were not familiar with – something we enjoy doing on a weekend; seeing where the road takes us – and as we headed into and past Brackenfell, our hopes (a long time waiting) at finding a lunch venue extraordinaire diminished somewhat – Brackenfell hardly equates with sprawling vineyards and mountain views.

Fortunately for us, Zevenwacht was sign-posted left off Van Riebeek Road towards wine country on Strand Road, and we found ourselves heading up the hill to one of the lesser known wine farms in this part of the world … Continued

5 top spots with kids in Cape Town

Bugz kiddies play park

Cape Town, with its focus on the great outdoors, is seldom short of places to which you can take your children – beaches, walks, picnic spots abound – but there are times when the more formal, child-designated spot comes in handy, and a few of these are worth taking note of.

The top five, in no particular order (having gone through no competitive process to reach these pages other than to have gained my approval), are the Barnyard in Tokai, Bugz in Kraaifontein, Deer Park (also known as Rocklands Park) in Oranjezicht, Imhoff Farm in Kommetjie, and Scarecrows in Hout Bay. Most of these are outdoor venues, to accommodate the gorgeous summer weather, and places where parents also get to unwind. Continued

Hudsons (The Burger Joint) in Kloof Street

Hudsons, Kloof Street

I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t have their favourite burger spot, whether they are vegetarian, chicken eaters or meat lovers, and last night I definitely found my spot. For those of you who haven’t yet tried Hudsons (The Burger Joint) on Kloof Street in Cape Town you most definitely need to give them a try.

Set in a busy part of Kloof Street they are well situated for both walk in trade and those who have already discovered the delight of the place. As you walk in you immediately relax as the atmosphere is cool and calm with a definite retro feel. You can either take a seat up at the bar, inside or outside under a cover. The waitresses are friendly and eager to assist you in your choice … Continued

Eight at Spier – a definite ‘must’ for brunch

Eight at Spier

Before the word gets out, I thought I’d share my addiction to the latest restaurant to open on the Spier Wine Estate in Lyndedoch Road, Stellenbosch. Eight at Spier serves good wholesome breakfasts, brunches and lunches on the grounds of the popular weekend destination.

The restaurant is child-friendly, affordable, and one of very few restaurants with a green ethos where environmental consciousness and commitment to the Earth is a high priority. Most of all, the restaurant lacks pretentiousness, and easily ranks as one of the best places to get  a decent, healthy breakfast over a weekend … Continued

Dining at Jardine Restaurant at 185 on Bree

185 Bree Street

Friends were visiting from Mpumalanga last week and invited me to join them for dinner at Jardine.  Included on the S. Pellegrino Worlds Best 100 Restaurants list for 2009, dining at Jardine is not something to be missed.  Owner and Executive Chef George has worked all over the world and since opening Jardine in 2006 has established the restaurant into one of the leading fine dining restaurants this country has to offer …

Situated at 185 Bree Street (on the corner of Bree and Bloem) in Cape Town Central, Jardine is located in a building that over the past century has also been home to a butchery, chocolatier, jewellery shop, radio station and most recently Cape Towns branch of the Church of Scientology!  After renovations, the restaurant now seats 70 covers upstairs (some on a wrap around balcony) and the ground level of the restaurant serves as a bar area – perfect for enjoying a pre dinner cocktail or an ABF before heading home! Continued

Rise and shine, Cape Town …

Brunch is, almost by definition, a lazy meal. It usually involves waking up late on a weekend morning and easing ever-so-slowly into the day with a leisurely, often decadent breakfast. Which means it might just be the perfect Capetonian mealtime, bowing only to the not-quite-late-afternoon cocktail hour, and maybe not even then. Having picked up on this fact, more than a few Cape Town eateries cash in on the tradition by offering a plethora of scrumptious breakfast specials – most of them available till sometime in the late afternoon … Continued

Olympia Café in Kalk Bay

Olympia Cafe

Aside from the fact that whenever vaguely in the vicinity, I find reason to pop into the Olympia Café’s bakery, which now offers its breads, pastries, danishes and other delectable tasties around the corner from the eatery on the corner of Main Road and Boyes Drive, I have also had occasion to breakfast there at least once and found reason to dine there more than twice - and I don’t even live in Kalk Bay!

This rather obviously expresses my enthusiasm for the popular place. The food is, well, it’s really good. And for what you receive on your plate, excellent value. The bread is heavenly (I defy anyone to find tastier ciabata on the peninsular) and the menu takes its cue from the accessibility and availability of fresh, local, organic where possible ingredients … Continued