One of the basic rules of keeping a restaurant is keeping your locals happy. On the coast, and in city hotspots, there is plenty of temptation to cater to the du jour masses who’re here now, but when they’re gone, it’s your local and you. The brothers behind Hermanos, a relatively new spot in Hermanus, seem to get it. They’ve created a place that looks relatively upmarket, but in fact serves very reassuring food, the kind that the Hermanus local, a generally conservative eater, prefers. They aren’t aiming too high, and they’re pretty much on target.

Hermanos is set in a lovely house with an irresistible courtyard with decorative fireplace, the interior is light toned on warm tiles, walls adorned by simple “Picasso style” line drawings on natural paper. White clothed tables and sunflowers, the waiters all in neat uniform. The standout on this visit was the professional manner of the service staff: in the delivery of menu and the execution of duties all very good. Overall, the restaurant has a very elegant feeling, calming. The wine list is mainly local and well priced, while the menu is tight: five starters and seven main courses, four desserts. The choices err on the simple side, and for a place of these lines, their signature turns out to be… ribeye steak with rosemary wedges.

Starters include – tiger prawn and avocado stack; Thai fish koftas; risotto of asparagus and parma. Mains like – beef fillet served on hot rock; rack of lamb with polenta; fillet of pork with sage butter, horseradish mash and cranberry sauce; crespelle of vegetables; creme brulee, Signature chocolate tart. Prices are very reasonable at around R40 for starters and R70-100 for mains – another canny move.

So, a lovely space and excellent service. It’s all up to the food… which is ordinary – generally safe, but verging to being off the mark. Perhaps it was best to order a hot rock fillet or a ribeye steak, since our choices were not memorable, leaving us feeling fed, but not necessarily nourished. The risotto was passable but over-cooked (probably cooked to the SA palate?), the fish koftas good but served with sweet chili sauce that could have come from a bottle. The vegetable crespelle was not such, more a moist veg bake, underseasoned. Pork fillet was perfectly cooked and tender, but also lacking in seasoning (no discernible sage) and the “horseradish” mash was neutral. Even the cranberry was mute. To finish, the chocolate tart, promised by the waiter to be for serious chocolate lovers only, being so dark, was mild and fatty, served with vanilla ice cream that only accentuated its fattiness. Coffee poor.

All in all, its a neighbourhood regular, dressed up. Which could actually be a very good concept, just the menu needs to be careful not to over-extend, which some courses seem to. I’ll try the steak next time – the hot rocks were sizzling out the kitchen all night.

028 313 1916.

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