Bellevue Market

Bellevue Market is the place to be tomorrow evening. Every last Friday of the month you can wine and dine underneath the stars while listening to live music. My first visit to the market was last month and I am so sad that I am missing tomorrow night as I am on call :(

Bellevue Market

 

It starts at 16:00. Perfect to head over straight after work. Start off with a glass of wine, craft beer or even gin cocktails. My favourite was a pomegranate flavoured gin. While you are getting in the mood browse through various clothes and décor stalls.  There's ample seating but if you want to be more comfortable bring a blanket and make a picnic of it!

It is always gin'o clock!

Food wise they cater for all. For the adventurous tuck into delishous curries or pulled pork burgers. We enjoyed a delicious vegetarian pizza that we spiced up with some jalapenos and onion marmalade. As the cold showed face this week you can even tuck into some hearty soups and maybe take away some for the week?

Delicious pizza!

Before you leave be sure to grab some dessert on the go. I left with a few cupcakes and my weakness, a pecan nut tart.

Loved the fairy lights!

Bellevue Market, the perfect place to start your weekend! See you definitely next month!

 

 

Location: 5 Bellevue road, Kloof

Time: 16:00-20:00

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Durban Burger Joints

Durban is spoilt for choice with craft beer and burger bars. I've visited two of them and let me say this now... I am not going to choose between the two! I loved them both :)

Republik in Durban North

What striked me from the start at Republik was how warm the initial reception was as well as the overall friendliness of the staff. I felt comfortable from the start which is great for their business because then I can easily eat, drink and be merry!
 
They've got ample seating inside and outside. Both times I've visited we sat on the veranda. Perks of the forever summer here in Durban :)
 
 

Hello Republik

 

 
Now they have a big selection of beers. Familiar ones I recognised from Cape Town was CBC, Darling brew and Devils peak. My tasting companion (now Husband yay) enjoys Weiss beers and ordered the CBC Amber Weiss (twice haha)! It is an old favourite which did not disappoint.  Other beer variants available are ales such as the Van Hunk pumkin ale, largers such as the Jack Black Larger and pilsners.
 

Cheers!

 

Now I am not a beer fan but what made me very happy was their bubbly selection that ranged between R35-R38/glass . Now this can be very dangerous in my case because I LOVE bubbles. I enjoyed a glass of the Miss  Molly and the L'Ormarins and don't think I will ever order anything other than this when I visit them!

They've got a great red and white wine selection and all wines are available by the glass or bottle. I love this because I often want to start my evening with a glass of white and switch to a glass of red wine when I enjoy my food! Some of my favourite wine farms from Stellenbosch namely Brennaisance and Warwick feature which helped with some of the "missing home sadness"!

Now lets get to the great part- the food! When you visit Republik you have to eat a burger. Yes there is a salad option and chicken strips but you will miss out on the best.
 
There are a few steps you follow when your order:
Step 1 Choose your base: Bun, non-bun or a large garlic grilled Portobello mushroom(my favourite)
Step 2 Choose your patty: Chicken, beef, lamb, vegetarian or ostrich?
Step 3 Choose your burger toppings from the black board. They have a big variety of toppings ranging from caramelised onions to different types of cheeses. It's difficult not to go overboard!
Step 4 Choose your sides : Zucchini, truffle or shoestring fries.



Below: Beef burger served on a Portobello mushroom  with zucini fries




Top right: Chicken burger with shoestring fries


I always choose the Portobello mushroom beef burger with zucchini fries and just change the toppings to keep things interesting. It's delicious! You really don't need a bun to enjoy a burger. My tasting companion begs to differ though :)
 
Flip over the menu and be tempted by milkshakes and sweet desserts such as churros served with barone and a milky bar sauce. Now I recently enjoyed churros in Barcelona and they were more light and airy than those from Republik but is still delicious dough dusted with cinnamon sugar that can be smothered with chocolate sauce? We does not enjoy that!
 


Chocolaty churros!

 
As you can see from the above you are in for a good time at republic. Visit them for a date or as a big group. They cater for both!
 

Inside Republik

 

 

Contact them at 031 573 1429 or info@republik.co.za
Visit them at Unit 8 Broadyway, Durban North
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Tweet them @republikdbn

Unity bar in Musgrave

We popped into Unity bar after work in the middle of the week. It was relatively quiet when we were there  so I can't comment on atmosphere but friends who have been there on a Friday evening said it was awesome.
 

Welcome to Unity

 

Unity has a more extensive menu compared to Republik. It is ideal for post-work drinks because of their variety of appetisers.  If you are interested in a few you can make up a plank. 3 appetisers for R160, 4 for R295 and 5 for R235. Choose between dishes such as salt&pepper squid, jalepeno poppers,  spinach& feta samosas and much more.
 
They also serve curries and bunnies ranging between R42-R105.
 
We however opted for the good old burger and boy were they good. I enjoyed the Mexican which is a beef burger topped with cheddar, guacamole, sour cream, jalapenos and tomato salsa(R95). It's a mouth full but delicious. The jalapenos is a great break between the creaminess of the cheese, guacamole and sour cream.  My husband enjoyed the classic bacon, avo and feta burger(R85).
 

They are not stingy with their toppings!

Dessert looked appealing. Think homemade beer and honey ice cream served with peanut butter brittle and a chocolate dipped sugar cone(R45) or a pecan & white chocolate brownie served with ice-cream(R55). Unfortunately the burger was too good and we had to skip dessert but we will be back. Unity praises itself that they shop and support local with a low carbon footprint as the result .

Drink wise I had a mojito which I did not enjoy. It was not sweet enough. My husband had a pale ale named "That Blonde" which was perfect for him after  a long day of work.
 

The beer was a hit!

 


Visit them at   117 Silvertone road, Durban
Contact them at 031 201 3470
For more information visit their website
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So both places have beer and burgers. Both are awesome. I would leave it up to you to decide which is better! For me, I just make turns between the two :)

 

Other beer & burger bars on the list:

 

Rocomamas

Surf Riders Food Shack

Dropkick Murphy's

Union Square

S43

 

The Oyster Box Hotel

A few weeks ago I was really spoilt by the parentals. After a hectic week of exams my mom and I flew to KZN for a 5 day stay at The Oyster Box Hotel. Our stay can be summarised in one word - LUXURIOUS.




Welcome to The Oyster Box Hotel

The hotel is situated on the Umhlanga beach front that overlooks the iconic light house and Indian ocean. It has a colonial feel and the décor is amazing. Every morning before breakfast we went for an awesome run on the Umhlanga promenade. We were joined by numerous families, furry friends and fitness fanatics. The weather was amazing. A little mini summer holiday from the cold Cape Town.

Tranquil corner

 

Walkway to the spa and pool

So let me tell you what The Oyster Box Hotel offers you...

The Oyster Box has 86 luxurious rooms that range from the presidential suite to  garden facing rooms. If the budget allows it splurge on a sea view room. The view is mesmerising. Every room however has its own character and is decorated beautifully. The following special touches will be available to you everyday:

Complimentary mineral water, tea and coffee making facilities

Fresh fruit and flowers in all rooms, plus a selection of current magazines

Flat Screen Satellite TV with over 25 channels to choose from

In-room CD/DVD players

Deluxe Bath amenities, luxurious bathrobes and slippers

Housekeeping service twice daily

Soap and Pillow menus

Two direct dial telephone lines with voice mail

Complimentary high speed Wi-Fi

Heated towel rails

Well stocked mini-bar

 Let me show you our room...



Loved the pastel colours



Reading corner

Enjoying the sea view



Welcome macaroons

The Oyster Box has a lot to offer. I can honestly say that during the five days we were there we rarely needed to venture outside.

There are two pools where you can work on your tan, sip cocktails and enjoy a swim.  If you want to head to the beach they will arrange towels, beach chairs and sunblock for you. Head over to the beautiful spa for a massage and manicure. A 24 hour gym is available with a power plate, yoga area and state of the art exercising machines  but I preferred a run on the promenade.



The main pool area



One of the tanning spots



There is a direct path from the hotel that gives you access to the promenade 



The lovely Umhlanga Promenade



The beach was full every day



The iconic lighthouse



Enjoying our daily walk on the promenade



Sipping mojitos while admiring the beautiful view



Heaven!

 Visit the in house cinema that has 5 screenings per day. The movie schedule is delivered to your room every morning. Here you can indulge in popcorn, sweets and hot chocolate. You will be treated to every genre from old time classics to cartoons.



24 seater cinema



Waiting for the movie to start

There's also a beautiful library where you can come and find some solace and as everywhere the lighthouse will look over you.



Quite reading corner



Loved this record player

Hello Mr Lighthouse!

 Oh and did I mention they are a pet friendly establishment. This definitely is a 10/10 for me. You will also on a regular basis run into a few monkeys that have made The Oyster Box their home. Also be on the look out for the in house cat. You will usually find him in the foyer.



Monkey busy with monkey business :)



I won't mind being a cat at The Oyster Box :)

One thing you WILL do at They Oyster Box is eat. There are three dining areas...

The Grill Room

This is your fine dining option. We had dinner there the first evening. It's a beautiful restaurant decorated in hews of blue and white. Service is impeccable. You are treated like royalty from the moment you enter the restaurant. Well actually you are treated like royalty your entire stay at The Oyster Box.

Beautiful dining area



Look at that chandelier

Something that really stood out was the portion sizes. Often with fine dining you expect excellent food but in small portions. At The Grill Room you will be served delicious food in generous portions. One of the staff noted that it's a "Cape Town thing" this small portions. In KZN the people want to go big and dine well :) Well we certainly did. I enjoyed  the truffle ravioli served with olives, blue cheese, roasted chickpeas, grilled pears, sage butter and Chardonnay cream. It was rich yet refreshing. No ingredient was masked by the other yet they paired perfectly with each other.



The ravioli

My mother who is known by her friends as the "Porkas Queen" enjoyed the apple poached pork served with pork and sage croquettes, pearl barley, porcini cognac sauce, citrus and sesame oil.. The pork was succulent and the apple flavour really was the star of the dish. Mom gave it a 10/10.

They have an extensive wine list and I enjoyed a glass of Waterford Pecan stream Sauvignon Blanc and mom had the Bouchard Finyalson Rosé.

A very original aspect at The Grill Room that I have never seen before is their Hors D'oeuvres Trolley which is a beautiful vintage carousel with numerous different 'tapas' which you can select of the trolley. You can enjoy this as a starter or a main.

Prices for starters range between R120-R195, mains R160-R320 and for those with the big bucks can enjoy the R1400 seafood platter!

The Palm Court

 The Palm Court lives up to the colonial feel of The Oyster Box. It's here where you will indulge every morning in a breakfast spread like no other. You can indulge with oysters, salmon, pastries, fresh fruit, cooked breakfast, pancakes, waffles and much more. Their breakfast spread is like no other.


Cheese, cheese and more cheese



Unlimited oysters!



So much to choose from...



My favourite sweet and savoury combination!



Fresh fruit!



What I started with every morning...

The legendary afternoon tea is also served here. A classical piano players sets the mood. I am usually mostly into the sweet stuff but the savoury selection at their afternoon tea really impressed me. I indulged in about six chicken mayo sandwiches which was crusted with toasted almonds. Their macaroons are also to die for. Every table receives a hand written note that welcomes you to the afternoon tea. It's these personal touches that really separates The Oyster Box from all the others.



No afternoon tea is completed without freshly baked scones



The macaroons are a must!



The savoury treats really impressed me!



Cheers!



Loved the sugar cubes!



Hand written note welcoming us to a very special afternoon

Something that I LOVED at The Oyster Box is that they serve MCC with almost everything. Lovit!


At The Palm Court you can also order a la carte meals but something that you should not miss is the curry buffet. People flock from all over to come and indulge in this Indian feast. The variety was amazing. We indulged in over 9 different curries with the butter chicken being my favourite.  You can also enjoy all the delicious accompaniments such as naan bread, sambals and a variety of rice dishes. This is a must do even if you don't stay at The Oyster Box. This feast warrants my return!



Not a pretty picture but the food was delish!

The Ocean Terrace

This is just the outside venue where you can also sit and enjoy the breakfast spread, ala carte menu and curry buffet. Here you will be able to enjoy the beautiful view but watch out for the monkeys :) They love visiting during breakfast time!



Mom enjoying breakfast outside

For drinks there are three bars to visit. The Oyster bar is situated near the Ocean Terrace. Here you can sip on a cocktail and enjoy life music every Monday to Friday from 18:30-21:30.  A cool feature here is the glass floor that looks onto the chef's table and wine cellar.

The Chukka bar is the one I did not visit. It's more of a gentleman's space with a range of cigars and whiskeys to enjoy.

My favourite bar  was The Lighthouse Bar. The view is magnificent and the famous lighthouse is visible from every angle. Here you can unwind while enjoying a cocktail and bar snacks. I had a delicious gin cocktail here one evening and the classic mojito is also a winner.

Cheers!

So as you can see The Oyster Box has a lot to offer. Service and attention to detail is impeccable. If you can't come for an overnight visit do pop in for a drink, the afternoon tea or the legendary curry buffet. You won't be disappointed.

For more information visit their website and check out this current special where you stay for four nights and only pay for three.
Tweet them @oysterbox
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