The Company's Garden Restaurant

I am final year at last but that also means that my time for exploring and socialising are way less than before :( BUT this weekend was one of my off weekends and I visited a great place Saturday morning for brunch.

Madame Zingara has worked their magic again to revamp the old Company's Garden Restaurant to a hot spot for young and old. It has a lovely and relaxing atmosphere with ample seating underneath the large historic trees and little 'egg nests' where you can  hide away from the crowds or take that 'Instagram' photo :)

Welcome to The Company's Garden Restaurant

The place was packed when we arrived and we waited about 15 minutes to get a table. The wait was fine as you can wander through the gardens, watch the squirrels play or if you have a massive phobia for birds like me be constantly at war with all the pigeons that the crowds are feeding.

You can enjoy a birds eye view of the gardens

 

Loads of places to sit around and relax

The front of house and waiters are very friendly. Service at times was slow but always done with a smile. The restaurant was completely full so one could understand why. I would not recommend them for a quick lunch. You should really come and relax here and take in the surroundings.


The restaurant completely full!


They specialise in breakfast and light lunches. Breakfast will cost you between R39 - R78. I enjoyed delicious banana bread French toast served with crispy bacon, strawberries and maples syrup. I'm a big French toast lover and the twist with the banana bread really made theirs unique. It was too die for and presented beautifully. My brunch guest enjoyed some toasted sandwiches and a omelette.

Yummy!!

 

You can choose your next Cape Town spot with this cute compass



Lovely brunch!

There were some tiny faults. I asked for my maple syrup on the side and I received my bacon on the side. The omelette was requested with ciabatta bread and my friend receive rye bread. The one side salad with the sandwiches was served with salad dressing while the other one had no dressing. Tiny faults that did not ruin our experience but also something that should not happen.

Loved this Cape Town gem!

Other food to try are salads, burgers, pasta, fish of the day and ploughman platters.

Their wine by the glass start at R30 and a bottle of wine from R125 upwards. It's a lovely spot to go for a late afternoon wine and cheese session.

Oh and I saw some delicious baked goods go past our table. Think red velvet cheesecake, koeksisters and more! My next visit will definitely be for tea and cake!

Visit The Company's Garden for simple but delicious food but more so for the great vibe and beautiful surroundings! I will be back soon!



For more information visit their website
Like them on Facebook
Contact them at companysgarden@madamezingara.com or 021 423 2919 for a reservation
Visit them Monday-Sunday 07:00-18:00

The Twankey Bar at The Taj Hotel

Cape Town has a lot of great drink spots and you can add The Twankey Bar to that list. Located in The Taj Hotel it has an elegant feel. It's the perfect spot to stop by for a quick drink before heading out to dinner or a show.

I enjoyed a  rose and hibiscus mojito(R50). Other mojitos you can try are grapefruit, chilli, cucumber and kiwi. They look huge but they do add a lot of ice. Complimentary popcorn is served while you enjoy your drinks.  CBC and Jack black are available as drafts for the boys!

 

Rose and hibiscus mojito

 

Pink grapefruit mojito

 

If you want something of substance you can choose between tapas, curry, salad, chacuterie platters and more.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner but I would have to head back to them before I can recommend anything.

Service was friendly and efficient.

They have specials for every day of the week. The Monday special looked enticing to me. For R90 you receive chicken tikka with naan or rice and 3 craft beers or wine.

Cheers and enjoy!

Tweet them @twankeybar
Located in Wale street
Visit them Monday-Saturday 07:00-23:00 or Saturday 14:00-24:00
For more information visit their website
Free wifi

The new Haas still 'Haas it'

Welcome

I popped in at the new Haas last week after a lovely promenade walk! They've moved from the Bo-Kaap area to 19 Buitekant street which is a few buildings down from Truth .

I really prefer the new spot. It's larger, so more customers can share in the goodness of Haas, and I love the décor more. They still have their usual bric and brac everywhere but the earthy tones they used overall really adds a stylish feel to the place.
You can read  about my first visit to Haas here when they still were located at their old spot.

The counter with all the yummy treats

 As we entered Haas their array of sweet treats at the bar counter looked delicious. We rather opted to enjoy a late brunch but next time sweet treats WILL be ordered.

Stylish new space

I was joined but my friend Kerry who is also big lover of French toast so naturally we both ordered that. Both of us had some requests around our order and Haas delivered. The French toast is made from baguette style bread and they serve it nice and crisp. For R48 this really was a delicious sweet breakfast. They add some strawberries for garnish, but I would love them to add some more to the dish, as it helps to neutralise some of the sweetness.

Yummy!

Their coffee is awesome and I am sorry to say(or not) that I prefer theirs to neighbour Truth.
Kerry specifically commented on their coffee to milk ratio that she loved which some coffeehouses really get wrong at times. Haas was spot on! They also don't roll their eyes if you add sugar to your coffee.

Where the coffee magic happens!

If you visit them during lunch time you can feast on sandwiches, salads and curries. A bit of the Bo-Kaap lingers at Haas as their bunny chows are still on the menu! They also have lunch specials that changes daily.

One of my favourite décor pieces was this basin!

Service was friendly and efficient! Our waitress Phumza was a sweetheart!

The new Haas really makes me more excited than the old one! I will be back ASAP!

Open Monday-Friday 07:00-17:00 and Saturday-Sunday 08:00-15:00
Contact them at 021 461 1812 or info@haascollective.com
Like them on Facebook
Tweet them @haascoffee or @haascollective
For more information visit their website

Current menu

On 19 at The Westin

One of the restaurants at The Westin Cape Town was recently revamped and relaunched. The Executive Club Restaurant was given a R1,1 million face-lift and also renamed to On 19. The boyfriend took me there for a belated birthday dinner and post-exam celebration.

Newly revamped On 19

I was really excited as I knew absolutely nothing about the restaurant. As the name states it is situated on the 19th floor. The view is amazing and the whole restaurant is surrounded by glass windows giving you a view of Table Mountain, Cape Town harbour, Cape Town Stadium and Signal Hill. It was cool to see the sun set and watch Cape Town come to life to enjoy their Friday evening.


Awesome view



City preparing for Friday evening

We arrived early as we wanted to enjoy the view and watch the sun set. I started my evening with a berry daiquiri(R45). It was really disappointing. It was warm and tasted like an artificial smoothie. It was as if they did not make it with ice. I did not finish it. Cocktails range between R45-R90 and the majority of your classic cocktails are on offer.  The boyfriend enjoyed a Devils Peak brewery first light golden ale.

The drinks

Part of their relaunch is that you can enjoy a two course for R260 or a three course for R300. Initially we decided to enjoy a two course meal.


For starters I tried the ramen noodles(R80). I've not had a dish like this before and wanted to try it as I know that the creators of Lefty's has opened Cape Town's first Ramen Noodle Bar a few months ago. This dish is a Japanese noodle soup dish consisting of wheat based noodles in a meat or fish broth flavoured with soy sauce or miso. I chose the charisa pork, grilled octopus, chicken with scallion, shitake mushroom and red cabbage combination. This was a very meaty dish and can be enjoyed as a main meal. To me the dish lacked flavour. As I ve never had a dish like this before I can't really compare it to what it should taste like but it needed something extra for me.

The Ramen noodles

The boyfriend had the lamb and goats cheese fritters(R80) served with red pepper humus, grilled corn and a cumcumber and tomato salsa. This was delicious and the dipping sauces were so good I wanted to eat them solo!

Lamb fritters

For mains I had the age beef fillet with cauliflower mash, biltong confit onion and choron sauce(R195). The beef was tender and cooked to my liking. The cauliflower mash was also something I've never had but 'banting' friends told me about it and I also enjoyed it. All the components of the dish worked well together and there was a smokiness to the dish that really paired well with my glass of Blaauwklippen cabernet sauvignon.

Beef fillet

The boyfriend chose the wagyu beef, turkey bacon, brown mushroom and cheddar cheese burger (R120) served with battered onion rings, thick cut fries and one of the BEST home-made tomato sauces I have ever had. One thing that stood out for me at On 19 was that their sauces and salsas were very good. The burger I would definitely recommend.

Wagyu burger

Initially we decided to do a two course meal. In the end the boyfriend chose dishes that were less than R260. They still charged him for a two course meal which I feel was unfair. We however did not say anything because we were not in the mood for a confrontation.

The highlight of our evening was our waitress Lizzy. She was kind, attentive and very welcoming. We really enjoyed her!


I personally feel that the 'hotel restaurant feeling' is still there and that something has to be done to create some ambiance. It seemed as if the majority of the guests were foreigners and guests of the hotel. They can maybe put real candles on the tables and play some cool background music. They just need something extra to warrant what they charge for their dishes.

On 19

The food is nice and the view is great but they did not tick every box to my liking so I can't splurge like that again for a meal. My tip would be to visit them for a drink and a snack and if you like what you see then do enjoy a meal there.


For more information visit their website
Visit them at Lower Long Street, Convention square, Cape Town
Contact them at 021 412 9050
Tweet them @WestinCPT
Like them on Facebook

The Eastern Food Bazaar

Welcome to the Eastern Food Bazaar

The Eastern food bazaar needs no introduction.

I went in with the notion that I was going to compare it with Bukhara where I discovered my liking for Indian Cuisine. Unfortunately, you wont find the same quality at the Eastern Food Bazaar BUT you will be able to buy loads of food in large portions for ridiculously cheap.

One of the food pick-up points

The Dosa house

One of the seating areas downstairs.

All the different food prep stations nestled closely next to each other.

The cheesy chicken masala dosa being prepared.

My boyfriend and I decided to go for dishes we have not tried before. For starters we shared a bowl of fried bites  I won't order that again. It was oily and old so rather stay away.

For mains the boyfriend opted for a lamb bunny chow and I had the cheesy chicken masala dosa. If you are not into Indian cuisine you can also buy pizza here.

Lamb bunnychow, snack bowl of starters and cheesy chicken masala dosa

Portions were so large we only ate a quarter of it!

The food was tasty and way too much! This was a once off experience for me. Our whole meal was R100 and the low prices really makes this establishment attractive.

The best part of the whole meal was the delicious ice-cream. For R10 you receive two scoops.

 

There's seating downstairs where you buy your food as well as upstairs. It's very vibey and a range of diners can be observed. There were a lot of tourist, large families and friends dining together. Just be careful with all your belongings. Two of my friends have been robbed here.

Eastern Food Bazaar won't be my go to place for Indian cuisine but it's a place you have to experience once and a option when there is more month than money left in you budget.



Location: 96 Longmarket street
Open times: 

• Monday - Thursday 11:00 - 22:00
• Friday - Saturday 11:00 - 22:30
• Sunday 11:00 - 22:00

Food is 100% Halaal



 

Located around the corner of Eastern Food Bazaar is one of my favourite sushi places, Nuri Sushi ! Do check them out!

Chefs warehouse

I spotted Chefs Warehouse on one of my foodie friends' Facebook. Something that always gets my attention is a restaurant where you can share food, as it's more social,  and don't experience just one or two flavours. So I gathered a few friends and we payed them a visit.

Situated in the trendy Bree street, 50 meters from fellow tapas bar La Parada, Chefs warehouse is owned by Irish chef Liam Tomlin. He was also one of the judges for the recent Eat Out awards.
Chefs Warehouse is part tapas bar and part deli where you can buy top of the range kitchen equipment and produce.

 

Seating is limited and they therefore don't do any reservation. The tables are narrow and this would bother some but as you are not there for a full on dining experience I don't think it would bother you. I will definitely revisit them in the summer when you can sit outside, enjoy their food and soak up the Bree street vibe.

 

 

The menu changes often and you have the choice between fixed deli meals, tapas for two(R280) as well as some desserts.

We decided to share the 'tapas for two' between four. It was enough to satisfy each of us but if shared between two, it will definitely be consistent with a full meal.

On our tapas platter we had the following (going clockwise on the photo)

• Sweet bread
• I had no idea what this was last night but we loved it. It tasted like sweet and sour pork. I did some research now and sweet bread is actually glandular tissue that is soaked in water and then poached in milk to remove the outer membranes and then it's breaded and fried. Now by glandular tissue I mean thymus, pancreas or even parotid gland of a cow or pig. If I knew this beforehand I probably would not have eaten it but it really was delicious and I will order it again.
• Ricepaper wrap
• This was just nice. First time I had a ricepaper wrap and will eat it again the future.
• Crunchy calamari
• Seasoned well and I loved the pairing with the tangy pineapple.
• Seared steak served with nectarines
• This was my favourite dish. I love the freshness the fruit gives the protein, as above with the calamari.
• Jelly cubes served with beetroot (can't remember this one exactly)
• The one dish that did not leave a lasting impression.
• Mushroom risotto
• One of my faves. They give Societi Bistro's risotto a good run for it's money. It was creamy and the mushrooms were true stars in the dish. Their flavour were not lost within the creamy goodness.
• Fish curry
• The coconut broth the fish is served in was delicious and I could easily eat an entire bowl of this.
• Tuna tartar (in the middle)
• Another winner!

Wine is sold by the glass and bottle. Bargain at about R40-R50 on average per glass. The menu is set out with categories such as 'easy drinking' red wine so even if you are no wine connoisseur you will find a glass of wine that you can enjoy.

We loved our dining experience and this is a place for a cosy date or a small group of friends to catch up.

Open

• Lunch 12:00-15:00
• Tapas 16:00-20:00
• Saturday tapas 12:00-14:30

Visit them at 92 Bree Street, Cape Town
Contact them at 021 422 0128 or info@chefswarehouse.co.za
Their website shows the changing menu, however it seems they are lagging behind a bit for this month.


We ended off our evening with  milkshakes at the Fire and Ice Protea Hotel. They are currently renovating so they are hosting in one of their event halls. I must say I was a bit disappointed with the dirty bathrooms as well as the slow service. The milkshakes(R55) were top notch as always. We tried the Lindt, Oreo, Ferro Rocher and Brownie flavour. The Lindt was the clear favourite!

Milkshake pints!

The Lindt winner

Find them at 200 Bree street, Cape town