Obz Cafe

The only time I venture to the Observatory area is to visit my favourite Mexican restaurant Pancho's. Every time I do however go there, I notice the Obz Café. It look so cosy from the outside with the red and white checked table cloths and dark wood interior.

I then discovered that they have a pizza and pasta special on Thursday evenings and I no longer had an excuse not to visit them.

The night we visited, the place was packed with more tourists than locals. I love seeing this and I know why they visit. Great service, delicious food and a very cosy atmosphere. They only get rave reviews on Tripadvisor.

The host and our waiter were brilliant. Very attentive, welcoming and contributed to the relaxed atmosphere of the night.

There is a beautifully dark wooden bar at the entrance of the Café that contributes to some elegance in this relaxed café.

The pizzas we tried were

• Spicy meatballs and pecorino ( Usually R74 but due to 1/2 price it was R37)
• Mediterranean - Sundried tomatoes calmata olives, peppadews and feta (Usually R75 but we paid R36)

Only R37 for this pizza! Bargain!

The pizzas are served on cool wooden planks and are rectangular in shape. They reminded me of the pizzas at The Grand Beach cafe but they are just way more affordable and just as delicious. The Mediterranean was the clear winner between the two pizza. If you are a fan of thin based pizzas Obz Café will be enjoyed by you. I prefer a thicker base!

We enjoyed the Craighall's Cabernet sauvignon merlot which paired great with the pizza's. 

If you are not in the mood for pizza or pasta you can enjoy steak(R109), schnitzel(R80), lamb chop(R110) or prawn curry(R80).

Other specials
2 for 1 Burgers on Monday evenings ( Normal burger prices R55-R68).

Special or not I will return to Obz Café. They have established themselves as a great contender  for best restaurant in the Observatory area :)

Located at 115 Lower main road, Observatory, Cape Town
Visit them 7 days of the week 09:30 - 22:30
Contact them at 021 448 5555
For more information check out their website
Follow then on twitter @Obzcafe
Like them on Facebook

Cocoa Oola

Cocoa Oola strives to deliver quality food in a relaxed setting. Each visit they want you to treat yourself and therefore ensure hearty portions and only the use of fresh produce.


I visited Cocoa Oola one morning after a late night in the Dubliner. Needless to say we wanted to treat our bodies too something healthy.

I was surprised when I opened the menu and there was a full two-page spread of options. There are numerous french toast dishes such as the classic bacon and maple syrup or indulge in cream cheese and a sweet berry compote .


Eggs are available on croissants or toast and they don't stop there. They offer great combinations such as chilli bolognaise or chorizo, tomato and onion just to name a few.


Our table enjoyed the humus(R29) and avo(R36) paired with fluffly scrambled eggs on two toasted pieces of farmhouse brown bread.

Omelettes, egg benedict  and smoothies are also items too look forward too.


My breakfast and a cup of coffee was less then R50. My budget said thank you :)

You get a free cookie with your tea or coffee! Treat :)

I enjoyed the breakfast so much that I look forward to visit for lunch and try a burger, pita or wrap.


Oh and have I mentioned the sweet treat selection??? Another full page spread of various treats such as white chocolate and lemon poppy seed(R33), chocolate or carrot(R29) cake.


Draft (Jack Black, Naked Mexican, Black Label ect) and bottled beers(Darling brew, Stellenbrau, Van Hunks), cocktails and wine are available to enjoy with your meal.


As you can see from above Cocoa Ola offers you a diverse choice and I am 100% certain you will find something you like at a very reasonable price.

Large space with quirky details.

Look how cool these tables are!

Our service was okay but everyone I spoke to, after I mentioned Cocoa Ola, first complained about their slow and non chalant service so just take note of this.


A special to look out for is the pasta special on Tuesdays where all pasta's are R39. Normally they are priced at R65-79.  Burgers are also 2 for 1! A friend who has tried this special said that they delivered with great flavour and a very large portion. A majority of the breakfast option are also at reduced price if you order
before 09:00.

They have pizzas to enjoy as well!

Large selection of drinks available!

 
They also have a great loyalty card. If you buy a smoothie, coffee, cake or a cookie you get a stamp and 10 stamps= 1 free of any of the above I just mentioned. So you don't have to work though ten coffees or smoothies to get a reward like all the other café's :) Sign me up!


Located at 100 Kloofstreet
Visit them Mon-Sat 07:00-23:00 & Sun 08:00-22:00
Contact them at 021 422 3638 or enquiries@cocoa.co.za
Like them on Facebook
Check out their website
Follow them on twitter @cocoawahwah


* They also have branches in Rondebosch, Observatory and the forshore of the Citybowel.

La Mouette

I visited La Mouette a few months ago. I should have blogged that evening because the weeks that followed were too busy and I could not find enough time to dedicate to them. The visit to them has been one of my favourite this year and I needed enough time to fully explain to you how much I enjoyed it.

Now the visit was for the boyfriend's birthday. This was actually the first time I could not decide how I wanted to spoil him. Usually I have too many ideas and can't choose but when April came along I was blank..... What to do? I then discovered the La Mouette 6 course tasting menu for ONLY R185pp ( R320 including wine) and I decided that I won't find anything better!

 

La Mouette is situated in Seapoint. When we were following the GPS driving through Seapoint main road, which honestly is not a pretty sight, I began worrying if I made the right choice. Luckily in the distance the La Mouette's "manor house" with it's large gates and beautiful courtyard and fountain was spotted and I could not wait to get inside.

I booked us a seat at one of the five  fireplaces. It could not get any cosier. Service was impeccable. We felt so comfortable. It was as if I was eating at a friends' house. The wine, new cutlery and food just appeared every time with a great smile and comforting comment from the waiter. The host also came around a few times to chat to us and enquire if everything is meeting our expectation! La mouette exceeded our expectations.

Unfortunately my visit to La Mouette was during the time that I had some camera problems so below you will see my "bad blackberry photos'" compared to the "great facebook pictures" I borrowed from La Mouette's page. Their pictures do way more justice to the food than mine.

During the autumn and winter months they have the 6 course tasting experience that change every month. A great thing about them is that they are open seven days of the week!

Here is the April Tasting menu we were treated with. Some of the courses are set and others you have the option of choosing between two.

Course 1
Sweet potato soup with lavoche and cheese truffles croquettes. The croquettes are a signature dish of La Mouette and customers sometimes order bowels full of these delicious eats. We thoroughly enjoyed the richness of this dish!

 

Course 2
Butternut ravioli with pickled mushrooms and sage butter. This was our favourite course of the evening! The different flavours of the dish was a marriage made in heaven and the burned sage leave that accompanied the dish was something I really enjoyed paired with the ravioli.

Course 3 was a choice between...
Pan fried line fish paired with carrots, capers and gnocchi served with a braised beef croquette. Again the croquette did not disappoint and the seasoning of each individual element was spot on. It was amazing the different flavours you experienced when you paired the fish individually with the carrots or the gnocchi.

or

Beetroot tartare with goat's cheese, hazelnuts and toast. Anything paired with goats cheese is a winner. The slight acidity of the beetroot was soothed away by the creaminess of the goats cheese.

Course 4 was a choice between....
Mushroom risotto, mushroom puree, salt and pepper mushrooms, rocket salad and Parmesan foam. Risotto is one of my favourite dishes and mushrooms my favourite vegetable so this dish could not go wrong in my eyes! Loved it!

or

Roasted chicken, caramelised onion, wilted spinach, mash potato and thyme jus. This dish reminded me of a typical Sunday lunch but just served in a way more elegant manner. The chicken was moist and juicy and the mash potato was a great contender with my favourite mash from Bombay Bicycle Club.

Course 5
Deconstructed waldorf salad of Gorgonzola, celeriac puree, green apple jelly, candied walnuts and grapes. This was the only dish I did not enjoy but that is due to personal taste. The dish was presented beautifully.

Course 6
Dessert at last! Chocolate ganache ball, orange sorbet, chocolate soil and almond financier. Anything chocolate gets five stars in my book. I loved the freshness of the orange sorbet! The almond financiers was the only thing that did not get me excited.

 

I have done a few tasting menus in the past and this has been the best one yet. Taste and money-wise.  As you can you get a plate of food. It's not just a little appetizer they put on a big plate.

Their a la carte menu prices are for starters (R45-R65), mains (R90-R145) and desserts (R50-R65).

If you want to impress someone La Mouette is the place to take them! I will be visiting again soon!

The July menu (from 3rd) offers the following

• Caesar salad  Quails egg, pecorino gel, Caesar dressing, brioche croutons
• Coconut broth  Vegetable dim sum, crispy onion, peanuts, pickled cucumber, bean sprouts, sesame oil
• Mushrooms on toast  French toast, mushroom puree, pickled mushrooms, truffle dressing or Open lasagne of crispy prawn  Pink grape fruit, cauliflower puree, prawn bisque
• Winter vegetable tagine tabbouleh, smoked aubergine puree, pomegranate, crispy goats cheese or Braised lamb shoulder  Soft polenta, confit tomato, basil, polenta tuile
• Warm doughnut and chocolate sauce
• Passion fruit tart  Manderin caviar, lime leaf and lemon grass cream

Visit them at 78 Regent Road, Seapoint, Cape Town
Open 7 days of the week! Dinner Monday - Sunday 18:00 - 22:30 and Lunch Sundays 12:00 - 15:00
Contact them at 021 433 0856 or reservations@lamouette.co.za
Like them on Facebook
Follow them on twitter @ teamlamouette
Their website displays their a la carte menu as well as the various tasting menus of each month.