This Moulin Rouge-red lean-to house is still a great romantic dining option. It’s tiny, it’s intimate and candles adorn the tables, fairy light in the magical milkwood garden. It really comes into its own when the weather is fair, restricted inside seating in poor weather, and it gets full quickly. At least there are also the few alfresco seats on warm nights.
On re-visiting the charming waiter informed me, before seating me, that no credit cards were accepted. I guess there have just been a few too many slips on this one. The rest of the service was fine, though a tables next to me grumbled about slowness… then again they also grumbled about their maid and the time of their connecting flight. It’s a small menu: starters like fish cookies with sweet chilli, cape malay bobotie spring roll, sweet ginger chicken skewers; mains are curries – goan fish curry, mild prawn or bang-bang curry, five spice chicken, khubhla beef curry… R70 main R38 st.
To begin a warm scented towel is presented, along with a small pork sausage! It felt like a Tupperware party from the 70s. Then my bang-bang prawn curry, which the waiter informed me was the hottest on their 10 point scale, at 8 or so. I don’t generally give much weight to these scales as we all have different tolerances, but this one did seem pretty nuclear. He also said, though, that it was balanced and full in flavour, which was true. For dessert they specialise in sorbets and ices, house-made, and I tried two, and the liquorice ice-cream was delicious though both were granular and packed with shards of ice. There is also a selection of teas to finish with – and I’ve just discovered they have one of the most creative websites of any restaurant in SA!
152a Old Cape Road. 044 382 1490. www.fireflyeatinghouse.co.za
