Tag Archives: Balducci’s

May Restaurant Update: More restaurants opening and closing in Cape Town and Winelands!

 

 

New restaurants are still opening, or planning to open in Cape Town and the Winelands, despite it being on the eve of Winter.

The biggest planned opening is that by Chef Liam Tomlin, who will open The Bailey, a three storey Brasserie, Bakery, and two Bars across the road from Heritage Square.  His opening is running late. He has closed down his Chefs Warehouse on Bree Street. Restaurant Artizian will open on Bree Street in July. Chef Peter Tempelhoff is said to open a Japanese Street Food restaurant on the ground floor of Speakers Corner, the building in which FYN operates. Misfits by Ideas Cartel has opened in the former Beluga in Green Point. TANG will create a big stir when it Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 100 of Level 1, 8 January 2022

Saturday 8 January 2022, Day 100 of Level 1 😷

Corona Lockdown Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a beautiful day, at 32 C, the hottest day so far this summer, attracting the largest mumber of beach goers I have ever seen here; for feeling better enough to travel to the relatively empty Waterfront, through a manic Camps Bay at 11h00 already, to the opening of the Protégé art pop up exhibition in the former Balducci’s space, the initiative of Barbara Lenhard and Florian Gast; Continue reading →

V&A Waterfront celebrates 30th anniversary, SA’s Top tourist attraction!

 

The V & A Waterfront has issued a commemorative issue of its Winter 2021 magazine to honour ‘30 years of hope, connection and the best of the V & A’.

It is a reflection on the history of the establishment of the Waterfront in 1990 as well as its growing expansion and development, the harbour area which has become South Africa’s most popular tourist attraction. Continue reading →

More Restaurants closing, some temporarily, due to new Adjusted Level 3 Lockdown: January 2021

 

Just when news about restaurants closing down during Lockdown had almost ground to a halt, eight restaurants in Cape Town in the past week have announced their closure, some temporary, due to the new Adjusted Level 3 Lockdown which commenced on 29 December 2020.  The Curfew starting at 21h00, Restaurants having to close at 20h00, and alcohol sales not being allowed, combined with diners’ fear of the greater spreadability of the mutated Corona Virus, is affecting restaurant turnovers harshly.

Despite the Lockdown regulations affecting restaurants so badly in the past nine months, a total of 66 new restaurants have opened in Cape Town and the Winelands during Lockdown. Top chefs are opening new restaurants, including Chefs Peter Tempelhoff and Liam Tomlin. Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 80 of Level 1, 9 December 2020.

 

Wednesday 9 December 2020, Day 80 of Level 1, Day 259 of Lockdown. 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a sunny day, at about 21C; for the sad confirmation from the very emotional Ian Halfon that he has closed down his Balducci’s and Belthazar restaurants in the Waterfront; for a very efficient cleanup of parts of Camps Bay this afternoon with one of the Camps Bay Community Cleaners; for two Discovery Vitality Gameboard plays, the Discovery Miles of today and last week bringing me to 750 Discovery Miles, paying for my second R100 Woolworths voucher in two weeks 🙏; for dancing to Kfm; and for being happy and healthy. Continue reading →

V&A Waterfront stalwart Balducci’s and Belthazar Restaurants close down, latest Covid Lockdown casualties!

 

Sad news today is two further casualties of the Corona Lockdown, being Waterfront-based sister restaurants Balducci’s and Belthazar Wine Bar and Restaurant, owned by the Slick Restaurant Group, its MD Ian Halfon confirmed telephonically today. Balducci’s was one of the first restaurants to open in the Waterfront, opening its doors 27 years ago.

The Slick Restaurant Group will continue to operate Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers, also based in the Waterfront.  Continue reading →

‘Dark Kitchen’ Restaurant trend grows, enhanced by Corona Lockdown, operating in Cape Town too!

 

I first heard about ‘Dark Kitchens’ when I met Ian Halfon, CEO of Slick Restaurant Group, last week, his company having opened Cape Town’s newest Dark Kitchen on New Church Street in the City centre. Also known as ‘virtual kitchens’, ‘ghost kitchens’, or ‘cloud kitchens’, Dark Kitchens are independent operations creating food for a multitude of brands, such as the Slick Restaurant Group is doing, having opened its operation with five restaurant brands initially, and more planned, all food prepared from one Central kitchen, with obvious cost benefits. Food is ordered online, for delivery to the customer.  Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 9 of Level 3, 9 June 2020.

 

Tuesday 9 June 2020, Day 9 of Level 3, after 66 days at Levels 5 and 4. 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a busy day, turned upside down in its usual routine, a nice change; for a good and deep sleep; for a coffee visit to discuss our Tourist Guiding forms to be handed in to the provincial Tourist body by Martin Koch, a laugh-a-minute class and First Aid course colleague, who grew up in Paarl, which was my second home town alongside Wellington, his politician mother and grandmother very well-known; for Martin boldly helping Minsky to aquaint herself to the outdoor, loving it, having her first tree climb today, and now lights-out after all the outdoor excitement 🐱; for a smooth trip to Sea Point to hand in my FitBit to be sent for repair 😢, to have my bracelets repaired at FreeRange, and doing a Winter Weather Lockdown shop at the Garden’s Centre, including some wine, given the forecast of very strong storms and snow heading our way from tonight; for feeling no hip pain today, allowing me to walk all the way to Clifton First Beach this afternoon, feeling super refreshed when I got home, meeting Lisa Hayden on the way, only having ‘met’ on Messenger to date; for being so happy that I danced to Kfm Dansdag, to old favorites such as Mambo no 5 and Makarena 💃; and for feeling happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Lockdown : The Slick Group opens up to Food Delivery and Collection, with five restaurant brands, including Balducci’s and Gibson’s Gourmet Burgers!

 

From this coming Friday, The Slick Group fires up five of its restaurant brands, to offer a Food Delivery Service from its Lockdown kitchen premises at 70 New Church Street In Cape Town. No alohol sales will be offered. Food Collection and urther restaurant brands are expected to be added to the Lockdown Food offering of the Group. Continue reading →

Cape Town and Winelands Restaurant Winter Specials (and winter closures) 2015

Bungalow fireplaceIf it depends on the Cape weather, it is hardly winter yet. However, the first restaurants are sending out their Winter Specials information, summarised below.  The list is updated continuously. We welcome information about new specials:

Cape Town

*   Umi in Camps Bay: 2 course set menu R155, 3 courses R195.  Beef shortrib R105, beef sirloin R95, fish & fries R85, Tataki Beef R55, Beef sliders R55, Baby squid R45. Half price sushi. Cocktails R40  Tel (021) 437-1802 (added 1/5/15)

*   Pepenero in Mouille Point : 2 courses R150, 3 courses R190. Sirloin R90, Rump R90, Lamb cutlets R120, Seafood platter R160, Sushi platter R130, Veal schnitzel R110, Oxtail R110, prawn platter R130, chicken liver pasta R80, and chicken curry R90 .  Half price sushi (selected items) all day. Cocktails R35. Daily. Tel (021) 439-9027 (added 1/5/15)

*    5 Rooms, Alphen Boutique Hotel: 2 courses R160; 3 courses R 200; Sirloin R95, slow braised lamb shank Continue reading →