Cuckoo Tree, Hermanus

By JPR | Published: August 17, 2009

Off the main drag, so especially useful if it’s one of those madly busy weekends, Cuckoo Tree is a delightful little restaurant with an even more cheerful courtyard out back. It’s recently seen a change of ownership, as long-time owner and founder Craig passed the keys to the Powers mother and daughter team. They’ve done a pretty complete revamp, and the space is now casual contemporary in wood and tile for daytimes and white tablecloths and flowers at night. Bright art and friendly service round it out. The menu is an all-rounder, and good for families too – from tea-time bakes to sandwiches and fuller meals, all at fantastic prices. I tried the moules frites (good, R42) followed by a super chocolate cake (R20) and the coffee was decent too.

Mon-Sat breakfast and lunch; Fri & Sat dinner. Corner High and Dirkie Uys Str. 028 312 3430.

Posted in Restaurants Cape | Leave a comment

The Bombay Bicycle Club, Cape Town

By JPR | Published: August 14, 2009

The Madame Zingara team are back in all their gypsy splendour. This den of merriment and affected madness is already fantastically popular – it’s a formula that really works for Cape Town. It’s bohemian (Cape Town is riddled with hippies and slightly better dressed just-ex-hippies), it screams party-party and it’s full of flesh. The music is loud and vibey. It’s an eclectic mish-mash of a room with a balcony section, it’s cluttered with all manner of stuff, and lots of chairs. They hang from the walls. Going to the bathrooms is an exercise in contortion. Going anywhere is tough, the place is so full of stuff and people. I quite admire the pierced and painted staff, that they can get anything done. They in fact do a good job.

The food is dire, but not as bad as the wine list. Cocktails and beer is the thing here. But the quality of the food is clearly not an issue for anyone who comes here, or certainly isn’t within half an hour of drinks from the bar. And the punters roll in, in droves and droves (they’re booked on weekends until September). On Thursday nights, they do the chocolate-chili sauced steak that became the Zingara and Lazuli signature, for club members – that’s you and me folks.

Nightly except Sundays. 158 Kloof Str. 021 423 6805

Posted in Restaurants Cape | 4 Comments

Reuben on the future of Cape cuisine

By JPR | Published: August 13, 2009

Posted in Food talk | 2 Comments

Ben’s on the Beach, Strand

By JPR | Published: August 12, 2009

Smack on the beach, and with casual beachside styling, I’d driven past this spot a number of times until stopping in for lunch recently. It’s bold and primary inside, with bright colours and fun metal fish sculptures on the walls – a touch brassy (and slightly “themed”) but works in the seaside setting. The front room has full-on sea views, inside there are booths for families. As the sign at the door indicates, lunch specials and pensioners’ specials are a large part of their trade, but there is more to this spot – which the good (and inexpensive) wine list is a harbinger of. Just as well, ’cause the music on this day would age anyone… and take an airport lounge to the cleaners. … continue reading

Posted in Restaurants Cape | Leave a comment

Geisha closes

By JPR | Published: August 11, 2009

After much speculation, it seems irrevocable that Conrad Gallagher has moved on, and that Geisha, one of his interests, has closed. This after a mass walk-out of staff a week or so ago. Have the Sundance coffee bars he started also gone? Mouille Point seems to be closed.

Posted in Restaurants Cape | 4 Comments

Limoncello, Cape Town

By JPR | Published: August 11, 2009

This tiny up- and downstairs pizzeria is showing some wear and tear and is certainly a very casual bet, but the pizza remains really good, light and crisp, especially when you request fior di latte cheese… Main plates are fine in a rustic fashion, grilled fish and meats from a very small and controlled selection, though on the day their fish filleting and cuts left something to be desired. The highlight of a recent lunch was the lamb penne – unctuous chunks of tender meat with a lovely marrow richness.

Breda Street (alongside Garden’s Centre). 021 461 5100

Posted in Restaurants Cape | Leave a comment

Kitima, Hout Bay

By JPR | Published: August 7, 2009

The Cape has its share of exciting restaurants, but in general Gauteng can show it a thing or two about service. Not necessarily finessed service – I am just talking about getting served, promptly and with some friendliness. I really don’t care for the waiter or -tress sharing their name with me, if they are good enough I shouldn’t need it for calling across the room. But if they share their name with me in a relaxed fashion, without that formulaic line we know so well, that’s also ok.

Hout Bay’s Kitima has good service. The Thai ladies greet you at the door, they seat you. The waiter service is smiling but not overly familiar, and the managers are clearly on the floor. Kitima is a wonderful space, the old Cape Dutch Kronendal manor house – now spruced with Thai touches, a suprisingly successful combination (mind you, it has been done with style). The rooms are noisy however, making low conversation difficult. The middle room is a popular bar, and out back they have added another bar/lounge called Raya Lounge, which is a wonderful in summer, a flowingly open tented space. We wanted to take our coffees in the lounge and walked there – the waiter took this in his stride, even though it is a fair way away from his “station”. This good service does come at a price. Every page of every menu refers to the general terms and conditions, to be found at the back of every menu. A list of non-negotiables marches down the page like a cellphone contract and I had to laugh when I got to clause 16.4: “No bare chests”. I have heard the bar here gets out of hand…

The menu is predominantly Thai, but the ubiquitous sushi has snuck in, as has fashionable dim sum. The sushi is worth avoiding, the dim sum is ok. The Thai dishes are far from profound, this is functional Thai – all the bits, but lacking integration or layering. It’s quick, it’s reasonably tasty, and the scene is heaving with wealthy southern suburbanites, many of whom clearly love the German mixologist’s creations very dearly (no doubt why clause 16.4 exists).

Posted in Restaurants Cape | Leave a comment

maze revisited

By JPR | Published: August 6, 2009

After my last visit, I thought I should see this space at night and so I popped by for a “working” dinner. And it’s true, maze is good for night-time, the ruddy tones, heavy and huge light-fittings and dark wood all create a cosy environment even though it’s a cavernous space. The One & Only restaurants are fantastically staffed. Service is really good, prompt and sure, though I was asked how my meal was on three occasions. The wine list is simply wonderful, and they have many and many interesting offerings by the glass. More and more wine lists offer a bigger selection by the glass, but what’s the point if this part of the list is staffed with ordinary juice? By the glass should continue the quality offered on the list itself – like it is here.

A starter of crab salad, a steak with a side, a coffee and two glasses of wine and a bill of R380 leaves me in no doubt that you can find better value elsewhere – on the plate. But when you consider the excellent service, the good glassware, and the fantastic friandises with your coffee (macaroons as good as they get) the proposition is quite alluring. From a rather marked and worn menu, my crab salad was very good, my steak was a regrettably thin cut, but well-cooked. Side of sherry mushrooms just right. Coffee very good. All served very quickly, so a boon for business or those in a congenital hurry.

Posted in Restaurants Cape | 1 Comment

Cuvée, Simonsig, Stellenbosch (Redux)

By JPR | Published: August 5, 2009

Back to this unusual and newish restaurant on one of the oldest wine farms to have a fully-integrated tourist plan – Simonsig was among the first Cape wineries to be on the Stellenbosch wine route. And now, interestingly, they are again being very innovative – in the style and extrinsics of their flamboyant on-farm restaurant, Cuvée. It’s a space that’s not to everyone’s taste, it’s loud (even though predominantly in black) and baroque, but it is pleasingly different. … continue reading

Posted in Restaurants Cape | 1 Comment

Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse, Midlands, KZN

By JPR | Published: August 4, 2009

Let’s get one thing straight. Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse is bloody far from anywhere. Especially at night, when you drive and drive, away, away from the relative civilisation of a place ironically called Rosetta… making this a true destination restaurant, though most people do come and stay for a few nights and don’t drive out just to eat. This is walking and twitching country.

At the same time, it is also a food destination of great repute. Richard Poynton is a well-known chef (who started Granny Mouse and was a leading part of the initial “meander” vibe) and the cookbook based on the cooking at Cleo has done very well internationally (on release outselling Ramsay’s latest, I was told). When you visit Cleo and walk down into the cellar, pictures of the Ponyton’s with various chefs and food meccas put you in the picture: food is the journey and the reason. … continue reading

Posted in Restaurants KwaZulu-Natal | 3 Comments

  • Fairbairn

  • submit your reviews

Windfall

Afrigator