Cherry On Top, Bergvliet

Discovered this unpretentious little place tucked down Hawthorn Road in Bergvliet, next to the line of shops where Woollies is. What a find! If you're needing some impressive sweet nothings for your next girlie tea, this is the place. Just look at these tiny fruit tarts, the detail that went into them, and they cost only - wait for it - R5,50 each! Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it.  Then there are the little cheesecakes, the tiramisu, the chocolate brownies, the lemon tarts...

This was one of those impulsive coffee outings as I was in need of some sweet TLC. My friend had O.D'd on chocolate earlier in the day, so was all sugared out and settled for coffee, which came with two of the teeniest crunchies ever. I had my usual Americano, which was just ok, and a darling little tiramisu. Oh me oh my, what a delicious treat. In the interests of you, dear blog reader, I decided I should try something else as well, so had the lemon meringue. The choice of delectables in the display case is a bit overwhelming at first and one would probably have to visit several times in order to work through everything on offer. A regular size tart or cake costs R12,50, a crazy price for something you would pay double for at most restaurants. Baked cheesecake looks like the real deal, and next time I'm in the area...

The setting isn't the most glamorous. It's a working bakery after all, and there are pies, quiches, bread and rolls for sale, plus they also create cakes for special occasions.. We sat at one of several tables on the stoep.  I'm not too keen on the functional plastic tablecloths and would prefer something more attractive, but if it's absolute value for money you're after, this is a good option. The place has only been open for a few months and it's definitely worth checking out if you have a sweet tooth.

TriBeCa - Kalk Bay and Tokai

I've been a fan of Tribeca coffee for quite a while, often picking up a cup-to-go from the Kalk Bay cafe, always hot and strong, just as I like it. Lately it hasn't been much fun in KBay due to the ongoing roadworks and mammoth earthmovers churning up the road just outside. It makes gentle communion with a cup of coffee well nigh impossible, and anyway I've never been into venues where conversation becomes strident to compete with churning espresso machines and clattering crockery (why DO they have to crash cups onto saucers and cutlery into drawers anyway?). I'm quite allergic to places where voices bounce against high celings and there's a general atmosphere of clamour, and the clang of metal chairs on tiled floors. Not that i'm picking on Tribeca, it's just a personal irritation and at the KBay outlet seems magnified by the roadworks. I'll go back when things are back to normal in the village!

When I received an invite to meet a friend at the new Tokai outlet I was keen to revisit. I'd been there once before and shared a wonderful sandwich overloaded with filling and way too much for just one person, plus an Americano, always reliable. Situated off a parking lot in a small centre, it's not the most leafy setting setting, but convenient for a quick catch up. We had picked one of those heat wave days we've been experiencing late this summer, and it was way too hot for an Americano, so I ordered an iced coffee. Oh me oh my, what a surprise! So used to generally getting a sweet coffee milkshake masquerading as iced coffee, I was offered a choice : either chilled coffee with an icecream topping, or coffee poured over chipped ice. I chose the latter and was delighted to find it even came unsweetened (I don't do sugar) and just the perfect icy treat for a sweltering day. This plus the attention to service by the waitron, and food presentation, definitely scored a 5 spoon reward.

By the way if you're wondering about the name TriBeCa - it comes from an area in Manhattan .. the Triangle Below Canal street!

Starlings, Rondebosch

Look at the loo! It's not every blog post that has a picture of a loo to kick things off, but a friend and I have this secret belief that you can tell a lot about an eating place from its bathroom! This room is as delightful as the cafe itself, with a bath full of plants and knick knacks, fragrant things and candles, mirrors and pictures on the wall.

I'd been promised I would love Starlings and it sure lived up to my expectations. What a divine space, the charming and quirky decor offers way too much for an artist's eye to admire over a single cup of coffee, and then there are all the eat-me delectables on show, cheesecakes and little chocolate deaths and tarts tempting our tastebuds. 

But it was a gorgeous day and the three of us headed outdoors to the garden to soak up some late summer sun. There are fairies in this garden! Among the flower pots and creepers, a rusty old bicycle frame, mirrors and a filigree gate, doo dads hanging from trees, and tables tucked into leafy corners inviting  intimate confidences, the fairies are hanging out just waiting for some interesting company, and it seemed they wanted to join us. We found a cosy nook between two leopard trees and soon Chris, our friendly waitron, brought an umbrella to shade us from the fierce Saturday morning sun.

We ordered coffee - Origins and faultless -  and were uncharacteristically boring in our choice of munchies, electing for toast and croissants, served with little dishes of butter and honey, rather than the delectable rich cakes on offer, which i'll certainly go back for, some time in the near future! Apparently the home made bread was delicious and as I grappled with a disintegrating croissant I browsed the menu to see some interesting breakfast options and had to smile  at their recommendation...."our eggs are from a family farm where the hens scoffle around as nature intended". 

There was definitely something in the air that day and being three creative people we were bouncing ideas around the table with hardly a pause to sip our coffee. We imagined, we designed, we planned, we dreamed, we sparked one another with inspiration and by the time we parted, after more coffee of course, we each felt wired and ready to hit our drawingboards with excited anticipation of what we could create. Was it the coffee, the ambience in the magic garden, or ...  maybe ...  the fairies?

Casa Labia, Muizenberg

When you walk through the ornate front doors of this special casa, you leave the 21st Century behind. Built in 1929 in the style of an 18th century Venetian mansion, and owned by a count, this national monument recently had an extensive makeover. Overlooking the windswept False Bay, the interior is exquisite and houses an art gallery, boutique and gorgeous Italian cafe.  Not really a place to just pop in for a cappuccino, the setting begs a lingering lunch or lazy afternoon tea.  On a previous occasion a friend and I wanted to view a specific art exhibition and then enjoyed tea and scones on this verandah, but last week I was treated to a special treat, a birthday lunch in the cafe. 

As the cafe itself was full, we were seated in the ballroom, flocked wallpaper, sparkling chandeliers, marble fireplace and priceless oil paintings providing the background.  A stiff white linen cloth draped a table set with heavy silver cutlery, dainty crystal cruet set and starched napkins and then a waiter offered us bread from an enormous basket tucked under his arm. All home baked, everything from rye to wholegrain, my slice of olive bread was perfection, and portions of butter were wrapped up like toffees. I ordered the Casa Laba Club Sandwich and could hardly finish it. Unusual toasted sweet potato bread was piled high with slivers of smoked chicken, avo, salami and cheese, and my favourite, caramelised onions - yum, with a generous rocket salad. My friend had a starter - slices of Bresaolo (beef) with fresh marinated mushrooms. After all that we could do no more justice to the decadent dessert menu than drool over it, so opted for tall creamy lattes. A gentle refined interlude in an exquisite setting.   

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River Cafe at Constantia Uitsig

"Sumptuous breakfasts", the website menu proclaims!  Perhaps my idea of sumptuous is different from theirs, as I have to admit to being a wee bit disappointed. If there's one thing that turns me off a place, it's a stingy portion! The plates is vast and white and my River Benedict cowers in the middle of it, far from the edge. However, I have to say that, apart from the limp streaky bacon, it was absolutely delicious and the coffee was great.  Others at my table ordered the scrambled egg with smoked salmon, and we were also taken aback at the size of that offering - a small mound of egg with the salmon stirred in. Friends at another table said they were delighted with their traditional breakfast, so maybe it was just the way our food was presented that made it look mean, although the prices are certainly not mean! Our table went through several baskets of toast - white, wholeweat and rye, as requested, because we had to admit that the eggs hadn't satisfied our appetites, and there were generous jars of marmalade, jam and real butter. The setting in the courtyard at this wine estate is pleasant enough but nothing out of the ordinary, so I'm not sure why it has such a grand reputation.

We lingered long over our breakfast and lazy conversation, then sauntered through to the wine tasting room and sampled some of the estate wines. Before sinking into complete sloth for the rest of the day we had a quick look at the vineyards surrounding the buildings. It was way too hot to walk in the sun, as planned earlier in the day, so we headed down the road for a stroll through what's left of the Tokai forest. A nice outing but nothing I would rave about.
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On the terrace at Cellars Hohenort

Okay so it's not a coffee shop, but I have to squeeze this venue in, to share the pictures, as it is just such a gorgeous place. Take a look at those roses! Arty friends and I were there to view an exhibition of Ardmore ceramics and took the opportunity to stroll through the incredible gardens of this historic hotel set in the rolling green hills of Constantia.There's actually 9 acres of garden, sweeping and swirling around the buildings, beneath a canopy of majestic trees.

A little woodland dell here, a swathe of purple there,  terraces of white iceberg roses, a bed of luscious rhubarb, all add to the mix.  Prickly green chestnuts the size of golf balls scatter across the path, defying one to try and pick them up, but of course one of us did. Cross a rustic bridge over a lily pond and find a secret leafy nook tucked away in a corner, with a bench beckoning any blocked author to sit for a while with pen and paper, awaiting the muse's guaranteed visit. It's also a photographer's dream, a tree lover's paradise, and I had the feeling there were fairies peeping out at us from deep secret hiding places.

It was way too elegant an afternoon to drink coffee, so we slipped into the refined atmosphere of the venue and enjoyed tea and scones on the terrace, our eyes enjoying a green bath as we gazed at the gentle vista and made slow small talk. Even the birds were muted, perched somewhere out of sight. High Tea is apparently quite an event, with silver tiered cake servers offering a selection of decadently delectable sweet things.  Worth checking out for a special occasion.     Visit the website

Octopus' Garden, St. James

"I'd like to be, under the sea, in an Octopus' Garden with you" ... inspired by this old Beatles tune from way back when dinosaurs roamed, the restaurant is situated in an historic post office building next door to the St James railway station, where in winter you can watch whales cruising across False Bay. Well, I was there on probably the hottest day of a heatwave summer down south, there wasn't a breath of wind, and the only thing cruising was probably way down under the sea. About 15 of us were seated at a long table under umbrellas in the back courtyard, a bougainvillea draped fence separating us from trains sleepily trundling past on the track between us and the sea. To say it was unbearably hot is an understatement and the umbrellas were not really doing the job of blocking out the sun. The serving staff were unable to solve the problem for us, so in desperation someone in the group fetched a sheet he just happened to have in his car (!), and we managed to drape it between the umbrellas for a little more shade.

I'm not sure about this place. It's certainly picturesque inside, a crazy collection of knick knacks embellishing a brightly painted room with wooden floors and a piano in one corner. Apparently there is live music some nights of the week and the setting must be quite romantic under the magical little fairy lights. The menu declares that the fare is Mediterranean and there is an interesting selection of tapas, but we were there for brunch, at 10 am, and were a tad disappointed in the offerings. Definitely not your average bacon and egg breakfasts, the closest was savoury scramble on a croissant, which I had, and which was very yummy, but there was a dis-satisfied vegetarian among us, as well as someone who didn't do croissants and just wanted an egg on toast. The waitrons were unable to accommodate us, declaring that the owner "doesn't do bread".... hmm... I found that a little bit precious and wondered why in Cape Town, of all places, there wasn't a bit more of a relaxed attitude. Apart from that grumble everybody seemed to enjoy their munchies - which ranged from Thai fishcakes and stuffed peppers, through a smoked salmon croissant, to my St. James Surfer, and the service wasn't too bad, just lacking a few smiles (maybe a remnant of a late night?). It was too uncomfortably sticky to linger over the table, so as the party broke up, a few of us sauntered off along the boardwalk to Muizenberg, hoping for a cooling seabreeze, but not feeling it, and instead opting for a couple of beers before the hot traipse back. Most definitely a day to rather be under the sea....

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