This 6 course lunch was paired with Nitida wines (have a look at that website, it’s one of the coolest wine estate websites I’ve seen). But not just one wine per course, we were given a mini vertical of each wine so two different vintages of each! I was impressed with Nitida wines, I’d never really had the opportunity to try them properly. Testing the different vintages was interesting, I was really blown away by the older sauvignon blancs. Also, wines are always better paired with great food. It was interesting trying both wines with each course and working out which paired better.

The food, every course, was amazing. The dessert was really spectacular.

Below is the menu with not very good photos (taken with my Blackberry) of each course. When you’ve had a look at it you will probably want to book for the next Chef’s Table. You can do so by calling the restaurant on 021 789 1390. There are only 15 seats at the Chef’s Table and the price is about R600. More information is available on the Foodbarn website.

Course 1
Fresh fish sashimi with lemon and chives on slightly smoked eggplant, served with croutons, confied shallots and home grown tender leaves
Paired with: Nitida Sauvignon Blanc 2009 and 2011

Course 2
Home made fettuccine with shitake mushroom, buttered miso, fresh mint & coriander
Paired with: Nitida Semillon 2003 and 2010

Course 3
Crispy duck livers served with braised endives & fresh wild rocket, finished with a Port and mild chilli cream
Paired with: Nitida Coronata 2007 & Coronata Integration 2010

Course 4
Grilled free range beef rump, served with mushroom & ricotta ravioli, finished with a walnut and parsley vinaigrette
Paired with: Nitida Calligraphy 2002 and 2010

Course 5
The friendship “tartine” of Camembert like my Granddad used to do
Paired with: Nitida Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 and 2010

Course 6
Fresh black figs and berries gratinated in a almond sabayon and served with a peach and rosemary ice cream
Paired with: Nitida NLH 2008 and Nitida Modjadji 2011

There seems to be a trend of people opening small restaurants with limited menu and wine list, often open for limited hours. I reviewed The Dog’s Bollocks the other day which is basically a guy selling burgers out of his garage in the evenings, and this last weekend I went to The Table at De Meye.

We were lunching with our good friends Roger and Dawn from Jorgensen’s Distillery, and they suggested this as a good place to have a nice long, relaxed lunch. They were right, it’s a great place to have a nice long, relaxed lunch. It was a boiling hot day and the tables were all positioned in the shade of the various trees scattered around the lawn.

It was warm but we kept well hydrated. They stock Darling beers so we had to start with a round of those. Then to be responsible we ordered some water. They offer tap water, served in those cool retro Dairybelle orange juice bottles (remember from the days when they delivered milk and orange juice to your house?). But the filtered water (still or sparkling) is only R10 a bottle as they filter and gas it themselves. The filtered water is also served in a reusable bottle. And if you are one of those people who puts the reusable bottle in your bag and takes it home, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! It’s called stealing. Look it up.

We then got serious and ordered some MCC. They only sell De Meye wines except for alternatives when they don’t have that variety of grape. So the MCC is from Saltare and it’s great. The wines are very reasonably priced. The MCC was R150 and it’s priced at R140 from the estate so that’s a steal. The De Meye wines are priced from R55 to R90 with one costing R125.

It’s good that the wines are inexpensive because the food, at about R250 for 3 courses, is not. But there is a good reason for that. While just about every restaurant these days tells you they use fresh, local ingredients where possible (something I quite expect regardless), the provenance of each ingredient at The Table is important and this information is shared with the patrons. Commitment to the sourcing of ingredients of such high quality attracts a premium price.

The way the menu works is a bit different to your normal a la carte restaurant. The Table is only open for lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the menu for each week is set in advance. A ‘menu du jour‘ if you will. You can view the menu on their website before booking to check that you are happy with it. Vegetarians will be catered for with advance notice. The ingredients are all purchased according to the bookings (less than 10 tables per day) so last minute cancellations are a costly exercise. Why do Capetonians do this?

Below is the menu we enjoyed:

Starter

there’s a trick to good chicken livers that Camilla learned years ago from a griller called Goodman. she’s got a stunning knack with getting the spiciness just right and will only use livers from free range, hormone-free chickens. They are completely delicious and we’ll be serving them with crusty bread on a bed of Steve the Magic Man’s organic baby leaves as a salad for starters.

Main

oven roast Karoo lamb is the main, we’re still quibbling over the cut, but our butcher Wim has sourced some lovely meat for us. there will be hasselback potatoes with that because they’re just so good and a little seasonal salad. one of our favourite books at the moment is Movida, and the Moroccan-influenced carrot salad will make another triumphant appearance on tables this week.

Dessert

if you have room left, we are considering the heat and serving ouefs a la nege, a light dessert of soft meringue islands in creme anglaise. thoroughly delicious and just the ticket before a little sleep under an oak tree.

As you can see, very personalised and all about the ingredients. Everything was delicious. It’s certainly not fancy (except for the dessert, that was pretty fancy). The food is served on platters for the table and each person helps themselves (except for the dessert, that was fancy). It’s country style eating with a focus on the simple, true flavours of the ingredients combined in slightly unusual but careful ways.

The same attention that is paid to the food, is paid to the service. While Camilla and her brother look after the kitchen, Russel, Camilla’s husband, handles front of house with the assistance of 1x super jacked waitress (Mariska). Russel introduces each dish to the table, explaining a little about the ingredients and from where they are sourced. The service is best described as personal. Almost as if you’re having lunch at a (very helpful) friend’s place rather than a restaurant.

We arrived at about 1:30pm and departed at about 5:30pm after a stroll around the deli which sells some of the handmade sauces and relishes which accompany the meal. Don’t book at The Table if you’re short on time, it’s the quintessential long, lazy lunch. But be sure to book early in the week to avoid disappointment.

The Table at De Meye
Muldersvlei Road, Stellenbosch
Tel: 083 252 9588
http://www.thetablerestaurant.co.za

ps. I took the photos off their website as mine did not turn out well.

I can’t recall how I heard about The Dog’s Bollocks. It may have been some mentions on Twitter and if you Google it (try dogs bollocks roodehek), you’ll see a bunch of people have reviewed it already. It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s a guy, called Nigel, selling burgers from his garage. I’m not sure it’s even legal.

It’s supposed to be a takeaway burger spot, there are some tables and chairs (old school wire garden furniture to be more precise) for people to wait for their burgers to be prepared. Wait you will, as these are no McDonald’s burgers which can be slapped together in 1 minute and 17 seconds. These big boys are made individually, with love. So expect to wait around 10 minutes.

Some people choose to eat their burgers there (as we did). We also bought some of the wine that Nigel makes. It’s called Ukuva iAfrika. It comes in 1.5L cardboard tubes and he charges R50. There were 2 whites and one red on offer, we opted for the 2010 cabernet sauvignon & shiraz blend which was pretty easy drinking.

The interesting thing (well, is there anything about this place that isn’t interesting?) about The Dog’s Bollocks is that Nigel only makes 30 burgers an evening. When they are gone, that’s it. Which means you want to get there fairly early to ensure you don’t lose out. We were there at about 7:30pm. He opens at 5pm, Monday to Saturday.

There are about 12 different burgers to choose from (no vegetarian option that I noticed). It’s all beef patty and I noticed a prego option but don’t know if it’s steak or a normal burger with prego sauce. All of them are priced at R55, except for the plain burger which is R50. I went for the Old School 1950′s Style Mega Slider. Nigel tells me this is how burgers were made originally, with melted cheddar and caramelised onion. All the burgers come with a generous amount of salad in it too. My burger was pretty damn tasty, but don’t make the mistake I did of biting into it as soon as I got it. I burned my mouth quite badly.

The rest of the table ordered cheese burgers and a mexican chilli burger which actually has a chilli con carne sauce (hot). Everyone was super happy with their burgers, one person even suggested that it was the best burger he had enjoyed in South Africa.

Nigel also makes the Ukuva iAfrika sauces you may have seen around. So those are available if you want a little extra spice. I see there are also nachos on the menu but I didn’t see anyone order them. I assume they use the carne that goes on the Mexican chilli burger, which means they will be pretty tasty.

Nigel said we can tell people about the place but not where it is. So you’ll have to find it yourself, but if you happen to go down Buitenkant Street and turn left after the Shell into Roodehek Street, start looking at number 6.

They don’t have a website, but there is a Facebook page.

I attended the opening of Harbour House in the V&A Waterfront a few weeks back and I could tell straight away it was going to be a popular spot. I wasn’t wrong as I went to try it out on a Monday night recently and it was packed. Admittedly it is December and most restaurants in the Waterfront were packed but I think it definitely belongs in my Top 5 Waterfront Restaurants.

If you’re a fan of Harbour House in Kalk Bay then you are likely to be pleased with the new one as the menu and wine list are exactly the same. There is a also a fabulous view of the harbour (not quite as fabulous as Kalk Bay, but fabulous nonetheless). My dining partner described the decor as ‘riverside chic’. I don’t really know what that means but apparently those in the know will. The external walls are all glass, affording a good view of the harbour on one side and the hustle and bustle of the Waterfront on the other. The floor, beams, pillars, etc are all made of wood as are the chairs and tables. The chairs are white and the tables are covered with white tablecloths, creating a crisp, clean, chic look.

We started at a table outside which was great until the sun set and the heaters could no longer hold back the cold wind. Fortunately a table became available inside and we enjoyed our mains and dessert there. Service was friendly and capable, by a Zimbabwean gentleman named Sunshine.

We started with the ceviche (R85) and the masala dusted calamari (R75). I found the ceviche to be rather unusual, more like a ceviche salad with fresh cucumber, tomato, etc. The calamari was tender and the masala subtle.

I had the tuna nicoise (R155) main, which was a seared tuna steak served with boiled baby potatoes, green beans and anchovy mayo. My dining partner had the yellowtail linefish (R135) which came on a bed of spinach with a beurre blanc sauce. We were both pleased with out dishes.

Dessert was definitely the highlight though. We struggled to choose as the waiter recommended the traditional creme brulee, but everything sounded so good. We finally chose the New York style baked cheese cake with cinnamon ice-cream which was unbelievably good. Seriously, if you’re a cheese cake fan, put this on your list. The cinnamon ice-cream was also legend. I had the caramelized lemon tart with chocolate ice-cream. Also fantastic, although I’m not convinced that chocolate is the best flavour ice cream to pair with the very rich tart. I might have served it with something a bit lighter, like a melon sorbet or something.

The place was buzzing, so there was a great atmosphere. We arrived at 8pm and only left at 11:30pm. We popped upstairs to the bar afterwards but it was closed. It looks like a great spot for drinks and maybe some sushi. Overall, a great addition to the Waterfront.

Harbour House
Quay 4, V&A Waterfront
Tel: 021 418 4744
http://www.waterfront.co.za/eat/eatcontent/Pages/HarbourHouse.aspx# 

Sake House is hidden away down a dead end road in Claremont. It’s the Old Stanhope Road, just before the big intersection which connects to Landsdowne Road as you head toward Kenilworth along Main Road. The restaurant has a modern streetfront, well lit and with big glass doors which show off the appealing interior. When you walk in the modern theme continues with contemporary dark wood furniture and Eastern design elements. While the interior is pleasant and warm, the well worn office carpet tiles are one of several elements that remind you that it can’t be described as plush. The venue certainly outperforms many or most in the same price range.

We ate only sushi, but the menu does offer hot food as well. Things like dim sum, various noodle and rice dishes, soup, etc. All at quite reasonable prices. The sushi is also reasonably priced. A 4 piece california roll is about R32. We had a chef’s special called the sushi cocktail (R82), which was great. It’s unusual which I quite like as I find standard sushi quite boring. It comes in a large glass bowl which is filled with rice mixed with chopped up sushi and some spices and a little mayo. Then draped all around the glass bowl are slices of salmon and tuna sashimi, about 4 of each. It’s enough to be a meal for one person.

We also ordered some additional items to try, the crunchy prawn roll (R42), the creamy spicy prawn roll (R59) and the Eddy’s Gift (R59). All the sushi was fresh, tasty and interesting. I felt it was good value. But they offer 25 and 50% off most of their sushi Mon to Thurs, lunch and dinner, which is amazing value. We were there on a Saturday night and there were less than 10 tables of people, but I believe it’s packed when the special is on.

I think many restaurants don’t realise the impact of specials, if people can get the sushi at half the price during the week, they will be reluctant to pay full price over the weekend. Sake House might as well just run the special all the time and have a restaurant that is packed every night.

We shared the chocolate and banana spring rolls with ice cream (R36) for dessert. Pretty good.

I didn’t drink any wine and neglected to look at the wine list, but I imagine it’s not expensive.

The service was very friendly and capable.

Overall, a top experience and good value.

Sake House
17 Old Stanhope Road, Claremont
021 674 7600
http://www.sakehouse.co.za

What you’ll see, if you do happen to look inside, is an appealing looking restaurant. But it’s not a restaurant, it’s a wine bar and aperitivo lounge. It’s not just a fancy name, the difference goes deeper than that. Toro is about the wines. The idea is to provide an ever changing selection of high quality wines that are not well known.

I can vouch for this as we drank Ladera when we were there. Ladera is a boutique winery and the wines are difficult to get hold of. The wine is excellent and amazing value for money. Grant and Matteo (the owners) are very proud of their wine selection, and rightly so. It’s a refreshing change when many places are ‘selling’ their wine list to the highest bidder.

It’s also an aperitivo lounge because they serve some food. It’s a focused menu, with an Italian influence. We started with a selection of antipasti. The meats and cheeses are all R15 each, so 3 different meats and 3 different cheeses would set you back R90. It comes with bread so that would make a good snack/starter for two people. I was impressed with the quality of the meats.

There are also panini and bruschetta at around R40. We had the artichoke & truffle oil bruschetta which was very tasty. The breads are from Jason’s Bakery. I haven’t tried any of the desserts, but I see they have churros on the menu, so I must go back and try that.

Grant and Matteo seem to be there a lot of the time and the place is very small so you can call someone over easily if you need service.

In terms of decor, it’s a pretty funky place. The side walls house the wine collection on well lit (maybe a bit too well lit) glass shelves. Olive green walls, terracotta tiles, and some interesting and fun art pieces. There is also a selection of carafes (at very good prices, incidentally) and other wine paraphernalia on sale. There are about 6 tables and two big leather couches. I’d recommend playing it safe and booking as most of the tables were reserved when we went.

It’s a good spot for an intimate dinner or a small function, maybe birthday drinks or something. There is a small outside veranda for smokers as well. They have free wifi for those who might want to check emails while grabbing some lunch.

Toro is a nice addition to the Greenpoint offering, certainly somewhere I would take people for a drink and a bite. My dining partner that evening has also written a review and included pics of the food on her blog My Love Affair with Cape Town.

Toro Wine Bar & Aperitivo Lounge
68 Waterkant Street, Greenpoint
Tel: 021 418 2846
http://www.torowines.co.za

I’ve eaten there twice and have to admit I had pizza both times (boring I know, but they were so good!) but I did taste other dishes. On the first occasion, three of us shared the peri peri prawns starter (R78) which is definitely enough for a main or for two people to share as a starter (which is what I would recommend because you don’t want to miss the mains). The six prawns come in the tastiest sauce which you mop up with bread until the plate is so clean it can go straight back onto the shelf.

For mains on my first visit I had the anchovy & olive pizza (R65). I love anchovies and was worried they would use the fake anchovies (salted sliced pilchards), but they were good quality anchovies and the pizza was delicious. The base was nice and thin, the way I like it. Someone gave me a taste of the lamb pizza (R70) which was also very good. On my second visit, I changed my order slightly to the mushroom & artichoke pizza (R58) but I couldn’t resist and asked them to add anchovies to it. Delish!

I tasted some of the other mains ordered by my dining partners. The (vegetarian) chickpea & lentil burger (R40) was tasty but I found the patty quite dry. I suppose that is what happens when there is no fat in it. It can also come on a gluten free roll for R10 extra. The battered fish (it just didn’t listen!) comes with greens and roasted baby potatoes (R70), so good!

I’ve always been too full to have dessert but the chocolate fondant (R38) is apparently amazing.

They sell Darling beer which I was excited about so had that on both visits but the wine list is short and inexpensive. They way you would expect it to be at a casual eatery like Woodlands. It’s casual in every way, with mismatched chairs and antique light fittings contributing to an eclectic decor. There are some tables outside which must be perfect for lunch on a sunny day. The staff are friendly and casual in manner, but efficient and helpful at the same time.

It almost feels like you’re eating at a friend’s place, which I suspect might be the vibe they are going for. The food is simple but tasty, the prices are reasonable and the vibe is warm and welcoming. Woodlands Eatery is a perfect local.

Shop 1, 2 Deer Park Drive
Vredehoek
Tel: 021 801 5799

Perhaps it has more to do with the space. Hotel restaurants are notoriously difficult to fill these days and Maze was certainly never very busy either. I say these days because in the old days, the top restaurants were in hotels and you went there for special occasions. Reuben’s took over from Maze a while ago and not much changed in terms of the menu and the decor. There were certainly some teething problems as the new staff were trained up, but things have settled down now and although the place still looks pretty much the same, Reuben now has his own menu in place.

Reuben’s fans will be pleased to see his most famous dishes on the new menu. Things like the chilli salted squid (R70) starter and the blue cheese tart (R65) starter. I actually chose to start with the wild mushroom soup (R65) with sage, goats cheese and maketaan soldiers. If you don’t know, maketaan is a watermelon and ginger preserve. I didn’t know what it was and if I had I would have been very dubious about having pieces of toast with watermelon and ginger preserve in my mushroom soup! It was amazing. This is what differentiates the top chef’s from the rest. A completely unusual taste, but it worked well with the mushroom soup. My partner had the warm duck confit salad (R75) with orange segments, cinnamon & soy dressing, miso & honey mayonnaise and toasted cashews. It was a great salad based on an unusual selection of very fresh greens.

For mains I opted for the soy braised pork belly (R125) with crackling, chilli & ginger caramel, pommes puree, shitake mushrooms and steamed greens. This dish a special treat for the tastebuds which can’t be rushed. That first forkful of pork with some potato mash and  a scoop of the chilli & ginger sauce… you can’t help buy close your eyes and your ears, lean back in your chair and just focus on what’s happening in your mouth. It is a big portion of food, as was the mushroom soup, so by the time I finished mains I was over replete. My partner decided to have the gnocchi with fried porcini (R85) with pumpkin, brown butter, parmesan, sage and pumpkin seeds. She was well impressed and couldn’t stop commenting on how nice it was and how light the gnocchi was didn’t I want to taste it, on and on. I was glad she was enjoying her meal, but just wanted some space to focus on my pork belly!

When they cleared the table (after we had licked our plates), they offered us the option of dessert. I was quick to decline as my survival instinct kicked in, but my partner decided she wanted to try the chocolate peppermint crisp (R65), a dark chocolate mousse milk with chocolate and hazelnut praline and peppermint. She still not talking to me because I ate half of it. Yes, I completely sacrificed my comfort in order to smash half of that dessert because it was so good. It’s the most memorable dessert I’ve had in a very long time. I have a few friends who are dessert mad and I’ve told them to go to Reuben’s and just order that dessert as soon as possible.

In terms of wine, they still have that massive selection in the impressive looking glass cellar. However, I don’t think they are replacing everything that goes out as a couple of the wines I tried to order were no longer available. It can be quite irritating because the wine list is so long that when you find something you want it’s quite a relief, so you don’t want to be told you must choose again. I settled on a Hartenberg Shiraz which did not disappoint. The prices range but it’s certainly not a cheap wine list. The wine glasses are awesome, I think they can hold about half a bottle each. So my strategy was to choose one great bottle of wine and enjoy each sip, rather than trying to drink more than one bottle of cheaper stuff.

That’s about all I can tell you. The coffee was also good and I really liked that you can choose how many cheeses you want on your cheese platter (not that we had a cheese platter). Two cheeses cost R50, 4 cost R90 and 6 cost R135. Most restaurants just offer a cheese platter at a set price and you take what you get. The cheese selection is also really good with interesting and varied cheeses. The service was excellent, but I did mention earlier that the restaurant was quite empty so we had their full attention.

They are also offering a buffet on Sundays at R195 per person. I just read through the list of dishes and it sounds spectacular.

Everything about Reuben’s is quality. The cutlery and crockery, the glassware, the service, the food… the dining experience holds your attention so much you won’t notice that there isn’t anybody else there.

Reuben’s
One & Only hotel, V&A Waterfront
Tel: 021 431 5222
http://capetown.oneandonlyresorts.com/cuisine/reubens.aspx

It’s the most gorgeous little place, run by a lovely couple. It’s in the middle of nowhere and the place is surrounded by veggie gardens and olive groves. It’s a beautiful setting and the mountains in the background add to the already great view. Much of the fresh produce is used in the kitchen.

On a fine day, sitting outside on the large veranda is idyllic. But the house itself is cosy and warm, perfect for a cold day. The decor is unusual, but attractive. It’s the kind of place you would expect to see featured in an interiors magazine (see my pics below). As you walk in the ‘harvest table’ in the middle of the room attracts your attention. The walls are unpainted and decorated with different items in the various rooms. One has colourful pot lids, another the dead branch of a tree, etc. Each room as a window or door looking out onto the beautiful view.

Breakfast offers the usual options like French toast, eggs benedict, and variations on the English breakfast. Prices range from R28 to R58. I was there for lunch and struggled to choose between the springbok & beef gourmet burger (R65), the chicken, mushroom & leek pie (R65) and the toasted chermoula chicken panini (R56). There were also nice wintery options like lamb bredie stew (R75), rib eye steak (R95) and porcini mushroom risotto (R65). I went with the chicken pie, which had very light pastry and was filled with big chunks of chicken. It was served with mash and fresh veggies.

I didn’t have dessert but was tempted by the warm sticky apple pudding (R35), decadent chocolate tart (R38) and the fresh scones (R24).

Owner run places are always better. Carrick handles the kitchen and Aimee looks after front of house, so food and service are under their watchful eye. We found the service to be friendly and sincere.

The restaurant is open 9am – 4pm, Thursday to Sunday and for dinner on Friday evenings only. I had a peek at the dinner menu and it offers some lovely sounding dishes like fennel seed roasted pork belly (R85) and cajun spiced Norwegian salmon (R95). I would recommend booking as it’s already very popular and has only been open for a couple of months.

I didn’t get to look at the wine list, but I am guessing it will be a small and reasonably priced selection of wines from the Robertson Valley.

If you’re planning to be in the Robertson Valley, I’d recommend you make De Kaap one of your first choices for dining.

De Kaap Country Restaurant
Just outside McGregor, Robertson Valley
Tel: 072 693 4052
info@de-kaap.co.za

The place looks completely different. It’s really quite beautiful. It has a modern feel, but the character of the old building features in various places, for instance the raw stone wall in the entrance and the exposed wood in the bar upstairs. This juxtaposition of old and new is a trend which I quite like.

Comfortable in the modern space, are quirky decor elements like the upside down potplants hanging from the ceiling and the simple but effective wall tattoos. For me there are restaurants where you never notice the decor, and then there are those like Dear Me where as you walk in, you can’t help but look around and appreciate the venue.

Dear Me is only open for breakfast and lunch, Monday to Friday. As well as dinner on Thursday evenings only. However, the bar upstairs, Tjing Tjing, is open in the evenings and you can order tapas style snacks up there. I had a look around upstairs and found that they have a function venue on the 2nd floor which looked perfect for a function of around 50 people. The Tjing Tjing bar on the top level is really funky. With lots of wood, unusual leather couches and interesting cushions, it’s no surprise it’s the in place for drinks these days. There is also an outside area.

The menu changes often, if not every day. This is to cater (hehe) for the passion of the chef, Vanessa Marx, for fresh, seasonal ingredients. I ate there on the Wednesday and when I looked at the website the next day, there was a new menu. So I can’t really tell you what you should order, but I can tell you what you can expect in terms of quality.

I was feeling quite hungry, so greedily ordered the biggest sounding (and most expensive at R105) item on the menu, which was the fillet steak sandwich with a duck egg, emmenthaler cheese and bacon. Many of the options come in starter or main portions. The rest of the table ordered a starter portion of soup (R35) and a starter portion of the pork rillete (R55). We also ordered a selection of cheeses and meats from the deli menu. They have an interesting selection of both, priced at around R25 per portion of meat and R20 per portion of cheese. To be honest, I wasn’t very impressed with the meats. We tried a few different salamis, which were ok, but the chorizo was not great at all. The more interesting cheeses were great like the Witzenberger and the Green Goose Ficksburger.

All of the meat and cheese is sourced from artisanal producers and the bread is made on the premises. They make a selection of breads and the freshness was very evident. We all enjoyed the dishes we ordered, mine was definitely the best. I washed down the steak sandwich with one of their selection of craft beers (R40) while the rest of the table shared a bottle of Ken Forrester chenin (R89).

The prices might be a little more than you would anticipate paying for lunch, but the focus on fresh, high quality ingredients from local producers does go some way to justifying the premium and the lovely venue compensates for the rest.

The service was assisted by the fact that the place is very small so you can catch someone’s attention quite easily. Our waitress was a little over conscientious and wrote down everything we mentioned, even jokingly so we ended up with a few extra items and a bottle of wine instead of a glass. The food also took quite a while and we had kids with us so that sort of thing gets noticed. But overall the service was friendly and quite capable.

I’d recommend a visit to this endearing (hehe) little eatery, although it can be difficult to spot, I drove right past it. If you turn down Longmarket from Bree Street, it’s on the right just before you hit Long Street. Look out for the little green awning. And do yourself a favour, visit the Tjing Tjing bar one evening, it’s fab (see pic below).

The are also running a special until the end of July where their Thursday evening menu is less 25%.

Dear Me Food World
165 Longmarket Street, Cape Town
Tel: 021 422 4920
www.dearme.co.za