Images and information about Cape Town and its many amazing restaurants, new and old.

Caffe de Luca

Corner of Shortmarket Street and Lower Burg Street, Cape Town
Tel: 021 422 1487
Open: Monday to Saturdays 7am to 8pm, Sundays 7am to 6pm
Reviewer: Theresa Smith
Licenced: no
Smoking: outside


Cape Town weather dictates that it is time to move your coffee break outside and there are any number of places which will take your money with a smile this season.

Green Market Square has been rather noisy this past year, what with all the building and renovations taking place, but it is starting to quieten down enough for you to hear the stallholders arguing with each other, so building must be winding down.

The swish-looking Caffe de Luca has taken over the corner formerly used by Le Petit Paris for years and modernised the space inside to excellent effect.

Upstairs is now a whitewashed wood and steel and the stairs aren't quite so rickety anymore, though still as tiny, so be careful. Downstairs is white plastic and steel and cream leather on the wall couches.

The chandeliers add just a touch of gaudy while the plasma screen bodes well for electronic entertainment and the two ceiling fans are a welcome touch.

But great as the interior is, the absolute best part about the change is the fact that the nasty dragon lady behind the take-out counter is gone. Yay!

There was a time when I frequented Le Petit Paris because the coffee was good, the food was yummy and the location just perfect for contemplating life in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But I got seriously turned off by the bad service from that sourpuss and I wasn't the only one.

So now we all have a good reason to go back to the corner of Lower Burg and Shortmarket Street, because the service from the guys behind the counter is attentive and they are full of smiles.

You order at the counter, pay and then sit where you want to and someone brings your food and drink.

The cappuccino (R12) was slightly bitter but the foam cut the taste, which is the whole point. Taking it with a sweet double chocolate chip muffin (R13) also helped. Their muffins - made on the premises - are of the over-achieving climb-out-of-the-tray variety, but not so big that they are daunting.

It is basically a coffee bar which offers some light snacks such as sandwiches (R20 to R24), sticky buns (R10) and the oddest looking chocolate croissants I've seen in ages. The same biscotti you get with your coffee is also available and everything is available as a take-away order.

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You guys have some truly fab restaurants in Cape Town.. Fave restaurant would have to be Anatolia.. the Turkish boys are gawg..

Check out this book if you can...

Title: Cool Restaurants Cape Town
Author: Ulrike Bauschke
ISBN: 3832791035
Publisher: teNeues

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this thread seems good .

Awesome thread!!! Thanks Mo! Keep it up!

Cafe Pescado - Simon's Town
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The food in both places is heavenly but they are also fabulous for watching .

Watching people, watching the sunset but also huge tankers and other boats cruising by and from here you can even see the Mouilly Point Lighthouse !



Newport Market Deli great for lunch

47 Beach Road, Mouille Point
Western Cape, South Africa
Tel:+27 (0)21 439 1538
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and dinner:

Wakame Restaurant
Cape Town, Western Cape | Cape Town
1st floor,
Cnr Beach Rd & Surrey Place
Mouille Point, Cape Town
Asian, Seafood, Sushi(R125+)

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any good ones in Sea Point?

where is Mouille Point and does one pronounce it!?

so many...la perla and posticinos are excellent restaurants.

Mouille Point is between the V+A waterfront and sea point. Turn right out of the v+a front car park, past somerset hospital on your left and waterclub development on your right then you go past the metro golf course on your left and then you are into Mouille Point. Do go to Wakame: it is great food and the view of the sea to robben island is awesome.

Mouille Point is between the V+A waterfront and sea point. Turn right out of the v+a front car park, past somerset hospital on your left and waterclub development on your right then you go past the metro golf course on your left and then you are into Mouille Point. Do go to Wakame: it is great food and the view of the sea to robben island is awesome.
i think there is an image of wakame in the cape town restaurants thread.

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allAfrica.com


Tourvest Scoops Up Four Top Cape Town Restaurants

Business Day (Johannesburg)
NEWS
February 20, 2007
Posted to the web February 20, 2007

By Janet Parker
Johannesburg

TRUE to its stated intention -- the pursuit of growth via new markets -- Tourvest has landed itself four of Cape Town's best situated restaurants.

The executive director of the retail tourism group, Eric de Jager, says Tourvest has acquired four of Cape Town's seafront restaurants -- La Med, Quay Four, the Black Marlin and Bertha's -- in line with buying strategically located tourist-destination restaurants.

Analysts say the move is in line with its stated growth strategy, outlined in September. At the time, chairman Carol Scott described it as "a widening of Tourvest's geographic and operational horizons". This "widening" has seen the group's recent, and rapid, entry into the tourist accommodation sector, as well as a series of deals struck abroad -- notably in Nigeria, Ghana, the Caribbean and east Africa.

The restaurant acquisitions make sense, analysts say, as the move is a natural extension for the group, which, to a degree, controls tourist movement anyway. Now it can steer them past a number of strategically located restaurants it happens to own.

Tourvest is due to release its interim financial results tomorrow -- with most analysts expecting the numbers to look good. One Johannesburg-based analyst says the efficiencies the group built into its operation when the rand was relatively strong mean it's well positioned to benefit from a relatively weak rand. There had been a strong uptick in the inbound tourist market -- particularly the market Tourvest serves -- which boded well for the group's financial performance.

CEO Tommy Edmond says Tourvest will continue to make acquisitions according to its strict investment criteria, including more accommodation and tourist product, and location-based restaurants. He says tourists spend almost as much on food as on shopping, and a conveniently located, fun-to-be-at, reasonably priced portfolio of restaurants offers the group an attractive and logical proposition.

De Jager says independent research shows foreign tourists spend about 14% of discretionary budget on food versus 15% on souvenirs and gifts. Accommodation accounts for 31% and leisure activities/entertainment for 11%.

"Our focus is solely on tourist destination restaurants, which we define as restaurants where location and food, rather than quirks of fashion, attract customers on a sustainable basis," he says.

"The four Cape restaurants all meet this criterion. La Med is on the Clifton beachfront, Quay Four is a V&A Waterfront landmark, the Black Marlin is a long-established restaurant at Miller's Point en route to Cape Point, and Bertha's in Simon's Town is a regular stopover for passing tour groups. All are popular with foreign as well as domestic tourists."

Tourvest entered the tourist restaurant sector in July 2004 when it acquired the SANParks outlets at the Addo Elephant, Storm's River Mouth and Mountain Zebra parks. The thinking at the time was to secure a strategic portfolio on the Garden Route. Last year it branched out, making its first acquisition in the Cape Town tourist restaurant market by buying Tank in the Bo-Kaap.

It also expanded into tourist accommodation through the acquisition of the Adderley Hotel in Cape Town, the Casa do Sol hotel near Hazyview, the Makalali game lodge in Limpopo and a stake in the hotel management business Relais Hotels.

It also bought a stake in east African eco-tourism business Vintage Africa, was awarded a concession in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, and bought 60% of a souvenir store operator in Barbados.

Copyright © 2007 Business Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).

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Heart of Cape Town gets its beat back
April 5, 2007

By Herman Lategan

Just a few years ago Cape Town's city centre was a dreary moon landscape at night. Tired office workers migrated back home to the suburbs. It was deadly quiet with no atmosphere and dangerous on top of it. Tourists were mugged, warned about criminals and street urchins.

Culinary strips such as Kloof Street, Green Point and the outer suburbs flourished, but the heart of the city had no beat to it.

Thankfully, all that has changed now. The nightlife of the inner city has been reclaimed by the people of Cape Town and it has joined the ranks of other international hot-spots with vibrant city centres, such as New York and Hong Kong.

Yes, we might be smaller, but from a cosmopolitan food perspective we have nothing to be ashamed of. Zilch. New, exciting eateries have mushroomed all around the CBD. Not only do they look gorgeous, but they have menus to match.

Let's start our culinary journey by popping in at Patat on the corner of Parliament and Longmarket streets. The interior is lemon-fresh: clean lines in black and deep red, resonating the Art Deco feel of the building. Full length glass doors offer a great inside-outside al fresco-type caf atmosphere.

The mood is gentle and it's the perfect venue for conversation. Patat's food is the real thing: authentic South African fare and a fusion of Cape Dutch, Malay and Portuguese.

The food consists of sophisticated (rotating) daily buffets, as well as an alternate menu. Stunning items include broccoli and blue cheese soup; leg of lamb, marinated in soya, rosemary and garlic, served on a plump bed of pasta with fresh herbs. The chef is Nedine Lennox, a sprightly looking lady who cooks with a grand passion.

One of the desserts, the flavoursome poppy seed pancake with kiwi, strawberries and chocolate sauce, is a winner with guests. Since the restaurant forms part of the Cape Diamond Hotel, languages from all over the world can be heard in muted tones from tables around you.

Downstairs there's a funky, avant-garde new cabaret venue, light-heartedly called Gatta Patat, where you can wine and dine, while enjoying top cabaret acts.

Around the corner from Papat, is Bowl, a prime restaurant overlooking the historic Adderley Street. It has picturesque outdoor terraces, with uninterrupted views of the city. The menu features Euroasian cuisine from British chef Ian Cawkwell, who was trained in the classic French tradition under Gordon Ramsay.

While the cuisine is fine dining, the almost industrial looking interior, with red brick walls, black chairs and timber floors give it a more relaxed atmosphere.

Try the sizzling pan fried fillet with braised beetroot - fillet of beef cooked to your specification, topped with beignet potato, wilted spinach and served with a red wine jus. They also serve magnificent breakfasts. Incidentally, this spot is the sister restaurant of Wasabi, Wakame and Salushi.

Diametrically opposite the Bowl, Riboville, one of the city's best looking and imposing restaurants recently opened its doors
Click here!
. Think New York, ultra grand interior, mammoth venue, über dining. Seven years of painstaking restoration have gone into this building, and it shows.

Three separate kitchens have been set up on the ground floor and old bank vaults in the basement have been transformed into an extensive wine cellar. Diners can participate in the adventure by walking through the vaults to choose their own wines. The head chef is Evan Coosner, a man who literally has a finger in every pie.

The first floor houses a specially ventilated cigar library for that naughty after dinner-time indulgence, and private diningrooms are available for select occasions. The variety on the carte du jour is astounding: Beluga Caviar, Patagonia Calamari, exotic local and imported fish, grilled game fillets, duck and various freshly baked cakes of the day.

Right behind this shrine to beauty is the colourful Cafe Mao, with its tasty fusion of Asian dishes served quickly and at reasonable prices. It's part of the slick Mandela-Rhodes development and dishes are from Vietnam, Thailand, China, Japan, Malaysia and Korea.

This venue identifies strongly with Andy Warhol, whose colourful outsized pastiche prints of the Chinese namesake set a contemporary, pop-art theme.

The décor is chic, funky, minimalist, the service snappy and the crowd hip and happening.

Add into that the mix of a dramatic open-plan kitchen full of energetically-performing chefs, and what you experience is pure bells and whistles and theatre.

Chef Lin Liu, changes the Asian soups daily, with vegetarian options always available.

In the same building you'll find Signal Hill Wines, a rustic-type winery set right in the heart of Cape Town. The open-plan wine producer enables visitors to view the entire winemaking process of de-stemming, crushing, fermentation, barrelling, bottling, labelling, right on the premises.

In addition, they will also be serving light bistro meals with a wide array of cheeses during the day and their downstairs Barrel room will be available for functions, wine tastings and special catering.

And finally, the cherry on top of this culinary journey, is Addis in Cape just up the road in 41 Church Street. Ethiopia comes to Cape Town bringing its traditions, flavours and beauty with it. Ordering a variety of dishes gives everyone the opportunity to share and sample the different tastes of this fine gastronomy. Here they have two cutting-edge young Ethiopian chefs, Tadelech Asnake and Tejitu Tolossa.

All main courses are seasoned using their unique home-made Ethiopian blend of spices and is accompanied by Injera, pancake-like bread which is the staple food in many parts of Ethiopia.

Indeed, who would have thought that the world would be our oyster, and Cape Town the sparkling pearl in it? Enjoy.

Wonderful article!

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Five-Star Travel: Fine Dining Around The World
April 10, 2007 - 11:58am Dining

By Elizabeth Valerio

New York City may be the king of restaurant cities. But here are some foreign restaurants you shouldn’t miss.

Begin in Berkshire, England with Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck (fatduck.co.uk). The restaurant first opened in 1995 as a bistro in a pub-style environment, serving appetizers, entrees and desserts ranging in price from $9 to $20. Today, the a la carte menu is available nightly for $160 per person and the chef’s tasting menu, which samples Blumenthal’s specialties, costs $230 per person. Dishes offer some unusual tastes like the sardine on toast sorbet or the snail porridge with joselito ham. Stay in Berkshire more than one night to taste both menus: the restaurant’s Web site posts helpful links to hotels, inns and spas in the area and dinner reservations can be booked up to two months in advance.

Next, stop by Oaxen Skärgårdskrog (oaxenkrog.se), located on the island of Oaxen, south of Stockholm in Sweden. Part of an archipelago in the Baltic Sea, it has been functioning as a restaurant since 1994, with ferries shuffling patrons across the sea to reach it. The restaurant runs out of an old mansion, refurbished to suit its guests, and the dining room seats only 40 people at a time allowing for an intimate experience. Oaxen Skärgårdskrog features four menus: a la carte, five-course, vegetarian, and tasting, all with entirely different options. Reservations can be made at any time, and are necessary, especially since this restaurant has been named the best in Sweden.

La Colombe (lacolombe.co.za), in Cape Town, South Africa, is raved about as the most luxurious dining room in Africa and one of the most expensive, but not by American standards. With meals ranging from $35 to $42, this French menu boasts ever-changing options so you’ll never order the same dish twice. The facility has indoor seating with private rooms and wood-burning fireplaces for the winter in addition to an outdoor terrace overlooking the ocean, preferable for the summer months. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing and patrons are an even blend of locals and tourists so you’ll fit right in.

With famed head chef Ferran Adria manning the stoves for 23 years, it’s no wonder that Spain’s El Bulli (elbulli.com) is so well respected and not to be forgotten. Using the theories of molecular gastronomy, the application of science in the culinary arts, Adria prepares Spanish dishes experiementing with new technologies, tastes and textures. Extravagant is an understatement for the 30-course meal, costing an estimated $230 per person. You’ll no doubt sample everything Spanish cuisine has to offer. Arrive early for a drink at the patio bar and watch the sunset over the mountains or plant yourself in front of the kitchen to see Adria at work. Either make an enjoyable preshow for a stellar meal to come.

Make a stop in Monaco in the French Riviera to visit Le Louis XV Restaurant (alain-ducasse.com) and taste French cuisine rich in local flavor. Head chef Frank Cerutti’s menu describes dishes from the sea, the farm and the woods alike with Mediterranean sea bass and bacon-stuffed squid, black morel and Mona Lisa gnocchi potatoes, and breast of squab with duck foie gras all gracing the menu. Entrees range from $80 to $560 and you’ll want to save some room for the desserts, typically priced at $30. Located in the Hotel de Paris, the beautiful frescoed ceiling, fresh bright flower arrangements and floor to ceiling French windows make it difficult to focus on dinner.

Finally, jet to Sydney, Australia, and feast on 10 courses at Tetsuya’s (tetsuyas.com). The dinner goes for $185 dollars and is wildly popular, due in part perhaps to the multiple dessert courses. Menus change constantly, but some typical dishes are west Australian marron with asparagus and truffle mayonnaise, tartare of tuna with fresh wasabi and marinated fillet of trevally with preserved lemon set on sushi rice and tataki of venison with rosemary and honey. Large dining rooms overlook a traditional Japanese garden and are breathtaking at any hour. Reservations are a must, and book quickly in advance. The restaurant also serves lunch on Saturdays for a lighter fare.
Photo: Chef Ferran Adria of Spain’s El Bulli

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Five Cape restaurants make it on to list of world's best places to eat


By Dominique Herman

THE top five restaurants in the Africa and Middle East category on one of the most prestigious international restaurant lists are all in the Western Cape.

Le Quartier Francais (Franschhoek), Bosman's (Paarl), Jardine (Cape Town central city), Aubergine (Gardens) and Reuben's (Franschhoek) were ranked in that order in the S Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants' Africa and Middle East category.

Africa's only entry in the top 50 worldwide was Le Quartier Francais, which came number 47. Last year it was ranked 38. Last year, La Colombe was voted best in Africa and the Middle East but it did not feature on the top 50 list this year. El Bulli in Spain was voted the world's best restaurant again. France, with 12 restaurants, has the most in the top 50.

Now in its sixth year, The S Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants is "recognised around the world as the most credible indicator of the best places to eat on Earth", according to the list's website. It is compiled by a group of food writers, critics, publishers and commentators.

Published on the web by Cape Times on April 26, 2007. © Cape Times 2007. All rights reserved.

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I know it will obviously depend on the restaurant picked, but what would be the price of an average meal in a restaurant, in Cape Town? (including wine/water), for... let's say, a take away, a budget resto, an average one and an expensive one.

average meal about R50 excl beverages
full buffet from R150 upwards including starter, main meal and dessert etc.
high tea R90 upwards

Sorry, what do u mean by "high tea"?

Anton, could you please tell us the perception of the Spanians regarding the 2010 soccer world cup in SA and whats your opinion since you visited our forum. I would also like to know what you thought of our country before you visited this forum.

Sorry, what do u mean by "high tea"?
drink tea eat cake dress up..

drink tea eat cake dress up..

9.42€ (R90) for drinking tea and eat cake? Is the cake made of gold or something? :)

Anton, could you please tell us the perception of the Spanians regarding the 2010 soccer world cup in SA and whats your opinion since you visited our forum. I would also like to know what you thought of our country before you visited this forum.

Regarding the perception of the Spaniards about the 2010 World Cup in SA I'm sorry I can't help much... since I'm not a big fan of football I haven't really had a conversation about the 2010 World Cup with anyone... But I don't think many people have an opinion about it (2010 World Cup being hosted in SA)...

I heard the government officially supported the Moroccan bid, but I think people's feelings in general didn't go for or against any of the bidders, I think people just didn't care much about it, so I can't really talk about a certain reaction, you know?
Spaniards aren't really familiar with South Africa, and we also don't feel any real closeness to Morocco, so that's maybe why this issue wasn't of much relevance in Spain.

As for my personal opinion, I was interested in South Africa for a long time, actually, I could say that for almost half of my life (I'm 22). I don't remember how it started, I think it was a documentary I watched on TV or an article I read in a magazine, but I was amazed of what South Africa was like (imagine the perception of "Africa" a 12-13 year old boy here can have). Then, when I visited the South African pavillion in the Expo 1998 in Lisbon, it just made me more and more interested in your country, and I won't forget that nice South African guy that gave me some brochures there! hehe :)

Since then I started looking up on books and the internet any info related to SA, and now that I remember, that was how I found SSC [some years ago now, when I still used my old username], looking for pics of South African cities (I also remember reading the Mail&Guardian online and checking up the SABC web).

I can honestly say that thanks to this forum I have learned a lot more about SA, thanks to all the info you post and also the pics (I must have saved like hundreds of pics from this site!).
God... I guess I'm getting emotional, so I'll stop here :D

Something that I still haven't been able to figure out about SA is how bad the crime actually is... cos I just don't get an image of it, sometimes there's this crazy paranoia some people have painting it like a living hell (I don't usually trust people who exagerate), then there are others who say it's all b*llshit and crime is as bad as in "any other big metropolis in the world" (I must also have heard this one a million times), so after all, you say, what does it feel like to be there? is it possible to walk the streets as I would do in "any big metropolis in the world" or not? (I hope nobody sees in this comment a negative view of South Africa, cos that's certainly not my opinion).
I guess I'll have to find it out for myself, I'm looking forward to it... I was thinking of taking a language course somewhere abroad, and I considered Cape Town as one of the possible destinations... I just fear my parents would feel uneasy about me going there though...

Again, I'm really sorry for the rambling, it's just that when you make me talk about SA I can get like this, though I've never been there, I have very strong feelings about your country, very positive ones (also thanks to South Africans I've met).

9.42€ (R90) for drinking tea and eat cake? Is the cake made of gold or something? :)

Its just the location. Table Bay is R90 I think the Mount Nelson is more but I really can't see why it should be more.

Everybody appreciates your ramblings.

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^^Cubana , Cape Town. Claremont Main Road.

^^
Funny name, (cabaña = hut), is it a Cuban resto?

cubana a restaurant? oh yeah part of it i think..ive never had food there..u sure it served food...anyway my 21st after dinner party is at cubana but the green point one

So is it more a kind of disco/ball room?

So is it more a kind of disco/ball room?
Yeah just a club when ever ive been there

City dining matches the best in Europe
August 24, 2007

By Brian Berkman

This is being penned from Rome, Italy. After three weeks in Europe's great hotels and dining at some of its best restaurants, I continue to feel proud that South Africa delivers hospitality and cuisine that matches Europe's best.

Despite grumblings that Cape Town has become an expensive destination, in Euro terms we provide excellent value.

Consider this: an espresso and pastry enjoyed standing up at a side-street bar in Rome cost R16 while one espresso at the fabulous St Regis Grand Hotel Rome where I'm staying costs the equivalent of R50. The comparison is intended to show the vast difference in price for a similar product that obviously doesn't take into account the simple charm of the former or the opulent grandeur of the latter.

I can't think of where to get coffee for less than R6 in Cape Town while at the top end it is around R15.

Here's the point: five star luxury venues provide good value when compared with their European counterparts.

However, we are being ripped off by those at the "affordable" end of the market where the gap between what is offered (product and environment) and the money asked for is a yawning chasm.

Before leaving, we had a wonderful time at the Cape Colony's (021 483 1737) Wine and Dine evening. I've always loved the room, and the combination of Vergelegen's wines (most not yet released) and the reality-TV shtick (TV monitors show kitchen goings-on) made for a delightful evening. Mike Perry on piano and the band provided a delicious between-course break.

I was impressed with the Assiette of Salmon (done three ways as ceviche, sashimi and smoked). The free-flowing wine and bawdy jokes by both chef and winemaker spread the convivial spirit.

Meerlust Estate is next on September 27 and then Waterford on October 30, at R295 per person. We had such a good time, I hope they'll invite us back.

The meal at Aubergine (021 465 4909) was superb and comparable to anything I've tasted in Europe thus far. I loved the salmon soup (R52) - a pink-tinged soothing bath with foam and springroll garnish to use as a mini neck pillow.
Click here!


The ox tongue with oxtail sauce (R118) is a perfect dish - simple ingredients prepared honestly but with care and expertise to balance flavours.

The Spinach Bhajiya (offered as a vegetable side order with a green curry sauce) is a good example of Harald Bresselschmid's cuisine - local roots, global influences and meticulously considered.

Our bill came to about R400 a head but we had two courses, a bottle of wine each and a few rounds of Amaretto to end.

While in Europe, the most sublime evening was at Vila San Michele high up in Florence's hills.

As we watched the sunset from the loggia of the former 15th century monastery, whose layout and façade is attributed to Michelangelo, the cuisine delivered as much as the view did.

I started with a warm octopus salad - the sea scent accentuated by the summer truffle - and followed with a lentil-flour pasta with prawns and a frozen ricotta cake for desert. The bill came to around R1 000 per person.

We enjoyed an equally grand view, but over Rome this time, at the Hassler Hotel's Imago restaurant - formal, elegant and a wonderful place to enjoy contemporary Roman cuisine with views over the Vittorio Emanuele, St Peter's and much else from its position high above the Spanish Steps.

We feasted on duck foie gras terrine on a fig-flavoured brioche served with salted cod; an outstanding fusilloni (corkscrew) pasta with quail mince carbonara style (a softly poached quail egg ready to release its dressing); celery and gorgonzola tortellini; baked rabbit loin with almonds and peaches in a wine sauce; and finally a tart rhubarb and wine compote served with nut-encrusted banana and macaroon ice cream.

We dined as their guests with matching wine per course. Menu alone would cost R1 300 a head.

I keep on saying this to anyone and I will continue to say it: Cape Town (and actually the whole of South Africa) has the best quality/price report for restaurants of the whole world! Allthough prices have gone up quite steeply in Cape Town the last couple of years you can still enjoy world class cuisine there at maximum half of the price you would pay for the same in European cities (compared to cities like New York, London, Paris and the like even far less than half).

Below is a pic of "Den Anker", as a belgian restaurant/bar obligatory stop for me on any South Africa travel! Good beers, good food and one of the most beautifum outdoor seatings anywhere. However I must admit there are far better restaurants in the cape and in the country. Ginja is my favourite!

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What's the average cost of a menu in Den Anker? :) The setting couldn't be better...

http://www.denanker.co.za/menu_Aug07.pdf

There are much cheaper resaturants to be found in Cape Town but on the other hand in Belgium you pay about the double for the same plates. The nice thing is that, certainly in the afternoon, you can sit outside with this great view(and if you're lucky with a couple of seals in front of you) just for a beer or a coffee...

Thanks for the link! :)
Now I know a place where I must go to eat at least once when I visit CT someday... the menu sounds superb, and the prices are so reasonable!

Constantia
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Thai Lok - Table Bay
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Sea Point, Ritz Building, Revolving restaurant
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City restaurants get taste of success at annual awards



By Staff Writer

CAPE TOWN restaurants tasted success at last night's annual Eat Out Restaurant Awards.

Four city restaurants - Jardine, Aubergine, Ginja and The Showroom - are featured in the prestigious Eat Out Top 10 list, while the foodies of Franschhoek made a strong showing, with the multi-award- winning The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français topping the list and Bread & Wine and the Restaurant at Grande Prov-ence making it into the top 10.

For the second year running, chef George Jardine of Jardine Restaurant scooped the Eat Out Chef of the Year award, and Le Quartier Français picked up two of the main awards, Restaurant of the Year and the 2007 Eat Out service award.

The second annual Woolworths Taste bursary award was presented to 29-year-old Sipiwe Siyata, an up-and-coming chef from Gugulethu who is currently the chef at popular Green Point restaurant Beluga.

Siyata's award entitles him to one year of study at the Silwood Kitchen Cordon Bleu Cookery School in Rondebosch.

Legendary food personality and Milnerton resident Jos Baker was awarded the Eat Out Lifetime Achievement Award for what organisers called her "invaluable input into the hospitality industry". Baker is a former Wine magazine writer and editor of Wine magazine's annual restaurant guide.

This year's judges were Arnold Tanzer (director of the SA Chefs Association), food alchemist Peter Goffe-Wood, Letitia Prinsloo (principal of the Institute of Culinary Arts), and restaurateur Dario De Angeli who joined the judging team for the first time. - Staff Writer

Published on the web by Cape Times on November 25, 2007. © Cape Times 2007. All rights reserved.

Actually, only Linger Longer, Roots and Ninth Avenue Bistro are the Top Ten not in the Western Cape. All the others are iether around CT CBD or the Winelands. 7 of the top 10 within an hour's drive... The Cape is truly the culinary capital of Africa!

Thanx for all the info guys, certainly writing them down for my visit in Dec, already made a booking for some place in the waterfront, apparently its one of those place where you have to make a booking months in advance, forgot the name of the place, someone else booked it for me.

Hanging out at a sky-high restaurant
Lauren Cohen Published:Dec 22, 2007

The high life: Dinner in the Sky’ s Chad Doyle pours drinks for, from left, Nicola Bartley and Mina and Barry Thomas. Picture: Michael Walker

Dinner in the sky is a pastime usually reserved for airline passengers.

But a lack of leg-room, crying babies and average food is not everybody’s cup of tea.

Enter Dinner in the Sky, a Belgian concept consisting of a 22-seat dining table on a platform hoisted into the air by crane.

Now hanging 40m above Camps Bay in Cape Town, with scenic views of the Atlantic Seaboard and the Twelve Apostles mountain range, Dinner in the Sky has been ranked among Forbes magazine’s the world’s Top 10 most unusual restaurants.

Patrons are strapped into their chairs with safety harnesses before they, the chairs and attached table are raised into the air.

As one guest joked: “The last time I was buckled into a chair I was three years old and it seemed just as high as this!”

Dinita Prinsloo was surprised with a meal in the sky by her boyfriend, Mark Hewett. “ I didn’t think anything like this existed.”

Chef Vincent Breytenbach whips up meals while two barmen in the middle of the platform serve drinks.

Brought to South Africa by Chad Doyle and Jaco Gerber, Dinner in the Sky has been at MonteCasino in Johannesburg and is in Cape Town for the summer.

“We are open for Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas lunch and New Year’s Eve, for those looking for something different,” said Doyle . “Diners are usually asked if they like their food, but here it’s rated quite highly anyway!”

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This was in Fouways a week before it went to Cape Town, the BMF Executive were the guests of honour. This is the second of its kind in the world.

cafe balduci (cajan chicken salad) and balzahhrs the meat place are both favourites.
Peddlers for a quick beer on the way to false bay is also a tradition.

Havent been there for a while but La Med in Summer from about 3pm cannot be beaten in SA for a great view and atmosphere, shows my age now

peddlars...nice place..a favourite among the southern suburbians.
food is average.

never eaten there but had plenty grogs, also a sentimental favourite when going to rugger is forries

never eaten there but had plenty grogs, also a sentimental favourite when going to rugger is forries

forries is a cape town institution. wonder what will be its equivalent in the city when WP move to green point..maybe bronx. :)

forries is a cape town institution. wonder what will be its equivalent in the city when WP move to green point..maybe bronx. :)

^^then half the WP team will feel at home :lol:

whos been in the showroom in the cbd think its @ mandela rhodes anyway it was getting awesome reviews on the travel channel and looks the part

Yeah just a club when ever ive been there

Cubana is like a bar/ cigar lounge, & they have good food there. menu is similar to Havana grill at Suncoast.

I went to CT in mind to only have food from non chain stores, & did that most of the time. Was pretty satisfied with some places & some places shouldnt be open with the type of food they served, but most were pretty good. V & A has got a good selection of diff types of restaurants & I had a field time on Long Street. Also green market square had this pizza place that was awesome!!! But the best pizza I had was at this place behind the Cullinan, cant remember the name of it tho.

Durbs, maybe you're thinking of Col'Cacchio?

I had magnificent Thai food at Chai Yo's in Rondebosch (i think)... Went to Anatoli again for Turkish food... Also went for breakfast at Lazari's in Gardens, which was superb! Decor was ultra fabulous.

Royale on Long Street is still my number 1.

^^then half the WP team will feel at home :lol:

wtf!? forries thats like teen city underaged gurls in miniskirts and jocks in polo shirts fantastic ! wait.... i used hang out there
note 2 joburgers its like the bowls club @ zoolake

wtf!? forries thats like teen city underaged gurls in miniskirts and jocks in polo shirts fantastic ! wait.... i used hang out there
note 2 joburgers its like the bowls club @ zoolake

huh? i think you're talking about a different place. thats not forries.

wtf!? forries thats like teen city underaged gurls in miniskirts and jocks in polo shirts fantastic ! wait.... i used hang out there
note 2 joburgers its like the bowls club @ zoolake

Na forries is foresters arms on Newlands drive me thinks is the name of the road. Its a stones throw from Newlands and claremont

Durbs, maybe you're thinking of Col'Cacchio?

Not to sure, but its here.

http://i27.tinypic.com/339nm2a.jpg

booked a table in Ginja and Aubergine for our trip next april! So looking forward to it.

whos been in the showroom in the cbd think its @ mandela rhodes anyway it was getting awesome reviews on the travel channel and looks the part

The showroom is not at mandela rhodes it is on the greenpoint side of corner buitengracht/western blvd. Stunning restaurant: great food, great service and a fantastic wine list. When you are next down here in CT its defo worth going to, but book early as it is very popular.

Cape restaurants feature on prestigious list
Staff Writer
April 26 2008 at 03:17PM

Two Western Cape eateries feature on the 2008 list of what is arguably the world's most prestigious restaurant award, which was announced in London this week.

Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek just snuck into 50th place in this year's S Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list, competing against eateries such as Ferran Adria's legendary El Bulli, which has taken top spot for the third year in a row.

Although the award is called the "world's 50 best restaurants" the list extends to 100 venues and top Cape Town restaurant Jardine is featured in 93rd spot.

The S Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled from the votes of The Nespresso World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy.

The world is divided into 23 regions, with chairpersons in each region appointed for their knowledge of their part of the restaurant world. They each selected a voting panel. The panels cast a total of 3 410 votes.

There is no list of nominees; each member of the international voting panel votes for their personal choice of five restaurants. They may vote for two restaurants in their own region, while the remaining votes must be cast outside their home region.

The chairperson of the southern African region is local food guru Lannice Snyman.

The contemporary and creative Le Quartier Français has won more than 20 national and international awards since 2003.

Executive chef Margot Janse's food philosophy was quoted on the www.restaurants.co.za website.

She said: "Franschhoek has amazing produce. I love it when women from the village arrive at my doorstep with a colander full of black figs, berries or nettles.

"My food style is about being creative. I never stop thinking about food. Certain things are logical. Before starting anything you must know what you want to achieve. This applies to food as well. I know in my head what a dish will taste like - call it culinary logic if you like."

Jardine in Bree Street is still a relatively new restaurant, but owner and chef George Jardine is already used to accolades and awards.

Jardine won the Eat Out chef of the year award in 2006, and is lauded for dishes such as warthog belly on congee, rosemary-infused oxtail and velvety soft fillet with shavings of truffle, marrow, Bordelaise sauce and dreamy creamed spinach.

The Pellegrino list's top five restaurants are: 1 El Bulli (Spain); 2 The Fat Duck (England); 3 Pierre Gagnaire (France); 4 Mugaritz (Spain); and 5 The French Laundry (US).

Mo, it wil lbe nice if you, Johan and others could update us with pics in this thread.

Mo, it wil lbe nice if you, Johan and others could update us with pics in this thread.

dont i do enough updating elsewhere. getting a bit tired hey...hehe
will do my best .

Honestly you doing enough Mo, but for the laitie you have to do more than that. :lol:
I will try to do the same with Jozi.

Newlands restaurant makes Condé Nast list
April 29, 2008

By COURTNEY BROOKS

Cape Town's Myoga was named to Condé Nast Traveller's Hot List of 2008, one of only four restaurants in Africa and the Middle East to make the cut.

"We were very, very excited," said general manager Andre Smith.

"In South Africa these days, to be able to make an international list like this is very important."

He said that since they received the award Americans and other foreign travellers had been booking reservations months in advance.

"We've always set ourselves up to aim for that type of market," he said, adding that catering to locals was very important as well, as they were a huge support during the slow winter season
Click here!
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Smith said that the food chef Mike Bassett produces, and the funky décor, make Myoga unique. Myoga is located at the Vineyard Hotel and Spa in Newlands.

Condé Nast's website praised the diverse menu.

"The playful décor has eye-popping orange sofas, metallic-gray walls, and black chandeliers dripping with crystals … the service is informed and helpful, and the impressively varied wine list has both local cult labels and award winning estates," the website said.