The Sidewalk Café, Vredehoek

On a busy corner of a residential suburb, this café is well positioned to be a neighbourhood regular – and happily it delivers. It’s a tiny space (and noisy), the tables are cheek-by-jowl, the space eclectic – it reminded me of a gardener’s cottage mixed with a country kitchen. Think bric-a-brac and mix-matched furniture, domestic objects hanging – successful in its “considered casual” ambience. There are also a few sidewalk tables, and counter seating with a superb view over the bay and Signal Hill. For portable professionals, wi-fi.

The cramped kitchen has been overhauled since this place last traded as a restaurant, thankfully, and now a small paper menu is the result, with casual comfort food where the emphasis is on bold flavour. Standards like Patagonian calamari, chilli and garlic but with a twist of rosemary; mussels in wine; chicken caesar; springbok shank; pastas – but also ideas like a nectarine, nut and feta salad with rocket and Spanish onion; a chicken, prawn, pea and chilli risotto; and asparagus and ricotta ravioli with anchovy cream, pinenuts, parmesan.

Value is excellent, with very few dishes over R100 and most between 40 and 75; breakfast also served, with a “Really Cheap Breakfast” at R20. Then there are sandwiches for between times or whenever people eat sandwiches post school days. And there’s a chicken burger or fish and chips at R65.

Tried a variety of the dishes, calamari was very good, the juices most moppable (the bread good). Linefish was well prepared, risotto (as above) was also well cooked, just crunchy, the chilli was a little exuberant, but ok if you’re ok with it. Ravioli of ricotta and asparagus was on the bland side, the anchovy bite missing, it could have saved the day. Desserts were a mixed bag, a bread and butter pudding was good, in itself, but too dry; while the chocolate brownie was poor – lacking in dark density and oily. Coffee was good. Wine list ordinary and tiny but the wine selection drinkable, prices fair.

In sum: I’d be very happy if this were my regular, and it certainly whips the others in the street. It’s worth a drive too.

33 Derry Street. 021 461 2839. I think it’s open every day, but let me know. Get’s busy, so book.

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