On Tuesday Open Door at Constantia Uitsig opened its doors for Breakfast, served from 9h00 until 11h00 daily. It is reasonably priced, and offers some unusual breakfast options. Open Door is the third restaurant co-owned by Neil Grant and Barry Engelbrecht, with Bocca on foodie Bree Street,and Burrata at the Biscuit Mill, and opened in May.

It was a superb day yesterday, with a temperature of up to 32°C, so it was a pleasure to drive to Constantia, except that everyone else in Cape Town seemed to be on the road in their cars, bicycles, and running. This affected the traffic, and made me almost miss the Breakfast closing time, but luckily I had pre-booked, so I was still able to order when I arrived. It was nice to see Chef Annemarie Steenkamp and her lovely smile in her open-plan kitchen as I went through to the Breakfast Room.

There is a special Breakfast Room, which has a terrace covered with umbrellas too, with marble-top tables, and white Bentwood-style chairs with a blue and white patterned seat upholstery. One wall has wallpaper with a single rose, in black and white. Tables have little glass containers with succulents, a salt and a pepper grinder, material napkins, and Fortis cutlery.

Neil immediately organized a dry cappuccino and a glass of ice water without having to ask for it, a nice touch built up over three years of interaction. The menu is attached to an Open Door branded wooden board, listing cooked breakfasts, non-cooked options, juices, and coffees. One can order a mouthwatering-sounding cinnamon brioche French Toast, bacon, glazed pears, pecan nuts, and Banana Brandy butter (R79); equally exotic is poached eggs with chorizo, bone marrow, Hollandaise sauce, and toasted sweetcorn Brioche (R82); Granola, fruit, and yoghurt costs R68; stewed fruit, mixed nut crumble, and double thick yoghurt costs R52; the Constantia Uitsig farm breakfast of eggs, bacon, pork sausage, marinated tomatoes, and mushrooms costs R85; boiled hen egg with sourdough soldiers costs R42, and R51 for a duck egg; waffles with fried eggs, crispy bacon, and maple syrup cost R 68; while baked sausage, poached eggs, spiced tomato sauce topped with Gruyere cheese and served on sourdough bread costs R 78. The breakfast offering in terms of ingredient combinations and value is commendable.

My Breakfast choice was scrambled egg, with smoked salmon, sour cream, on a croissant, and topped with capers (R72). It is also available with ham and aged Gouda. The croissants are baked by Pastry Chef Christine de Villiers, and are fresh and flaky. I also ordered an Apple Zing, which Manager Matteo Guidon vouched would help sort out my flu, and a day later I certainly feel the better for it, containing apple, ginger, and carrots.

Neil proudly showed me their baskets of almond croissants and sticky
buns, and then sent a sticky bun (R25) to the table for me to try. It was laden with chopped pecan nuts, not only as a topping, but deep inside too! One can also order individual portions of toasted home-baked bread, cheese, home-made jam, and their home-made chocolate hazelnut spread. Next year they plan to open a Deli near the Tasting Room being built on the farm, from which they will sell their pastries, and other special treats, Neil shared.

From the Breakfast Room and terrace one can see the activity at The Bike Park at Constantia Uitsig, a super safe space for children to have a ball on their bikes. There are mountain bike trails on the farm too, which one can ride, at R50. It seems well-supported, with many cars parked, and should become even fuller as word spreads and the weather improves. This will benefit Open Door for Breakfast and Lunch too, so it would be advisable to book.

As an Atlantic Seaboarder it is a battle to get to Open Door before 11h00, especially if the traffic is as heavy as it was yesterday. It may have been faster to drive via the M3, instead of via Hout Bay. It is well worth making a stop at Open Door to try their new Breakfasts.

Open Door, Constantia Uitsig, Spaanschemat River Road, Constantia, Cape Town. Tel (021) 794-3010. www.opendoorrestaurant.co.za  Twitter: @OpenDoorSA  Breakfast Monday – Sunday 9h00 – 11h00; Monday – Sunday Lunch;  Friday and Saturday Dinner.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Tel (021) 433-2100, Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here