Tag Archives: Bistro

Value for money magic at La Boheme

La Boheme opened in Sea Point three months ago, and is receiving support from foodies and Sea Point locals for its exceptional value for money.

Faisal, the owner, was previously with Caveau Wine Bar, and has owned the restaurant next door on Main Road, opposite Marais Road, called La Bruixa, the witch, Faisal’s pet name for his Spanish girlfriend Anna, for the last four years, with Anna running it.

A bistro-style menu board lists seven starters, six main courses and six desserts.   A two-course meal costs R 85 and a three-course R 105.    Starters include a French onion soup, crumbed mushrooms, beef carpaccio, roast veal and pork roulade, ranging in price from R 20 – R 34;  the mains cost R 70, and include pork belly, ravioli and mushroom and black ham, stuffed chicken, beef bourguinon, and beef fillet.   Desserts cost R 20, and include Creme Brulee, chocolate pudding, crepes, tiramisu, and orange and carrot malva.

The pork belly was a generous portion, served with a mustard mash (the mustard dominated the dish too much), apple sauce and mixed vegetables.    The tiramisu had a section which was not as tasty as one would have liked it.

An extensive wine list offers a good selection of wines, by the glass too.  The Tokara Zondernaam costs R 25 per glass.  Glassware, crockery and cutlery are of a good quality, and material serviettes are used.

At La Bruixa a board of 15 tapas options in Spanish style is offered, at the cost of R 20 – R 30 each.   Patrons sitting outside may order from the La Boheme or the La Bruixa menus. 

It was noticeable that the waiters all looked happy and unstressed.   La Boheme is an unpretentious friendly bistro, offering exceptional value.  Faisal and Anna are hands-on, and one could mistake them for waiters, both wearing an apron. The two course meal, the glass of red wine and cappuccino cost R 126.

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Restaurants opening up a storm!

Following on from the restaurant opening news posted on the WhaleTales blog less than a week ago, more restaurant opening (and temporary closing) news has reached WhaleTales.

Reuben Riffel, who opened a small 30-seater restaurant in Robertson last month, has two new babies up his sleeve – he and his wife Maryke are expecting the birth of their first child in the next week.  He is also planning his next restaurant opening, in the old Pippin farmstall building at the entrance to Franschhoek, alongside the Franschhoek Cellars, focusing on steaks.    Reuben’s has a new attractively designed menu, in A3 size, listing his starters (expensive in ranging from R 58 – R 75), mains ranging from R 89 – R 145, and desserts expensive in ranging between R 50 – R 70.   Interestingly,  his new menu has a listing of the who’s who cooking in the kitchen, with Reuben listed as the “Concept chef”, and his executive chef as William Carolissen, his commis chefs as Luzette Riffel and Lizel Blanckenberg, and his pastry chef as Corien Hattingh.   Unfortunately this can only mean that Reuben will be less likely to be in the kitchen himself.    The duck liver starter especially, but also the calf’s liver main course, were excellent last night, and the service good.   The only complaint was that a vintage of Lynx wine by the glass stated on the winelist was no longer available, and the waiter did not inform the customers about this.  He was ready to pour a younger vintage without communication.

Adrian Buchanan, who was the chef at Monneaux restaurant at the Franschhoek Country House for many years, has recently opened a restaurant with two partners at Freedom Hill Country Restaurant on the road between Paarl and Franschhoek, near the Wemmershoek Dam.

In Franschhoek Allee Bleue will be a space to watch, with ambitious plans for two further restaurants to open on the estate in the summer, in addition to its Bistro.  The estate has re-opened for weekend dinners and brunches.  It has also just introduced picnics 7 days a week, at R 145 per head, with delicacies such as avocado ritz, snoek pate, roast beef, and chocolate mousse.   

The Bombay Bicycle Club, which has a namesake in London, but is no relation, opened recently where Amigos used to be at the top of Kloof Street in the City Bowl, and Richard Griffin, previous owner of the liquidated Madame Zingara, is one of the partners.  The opening and his involvement have been very low key.   The restaurant is booked out up to 3 weeks ahead over weekends, yet has received less than favourable feedback on restaurant review websites.

Chenin has opened as a restaurant and a wine bar where The Nose Bar used to be in the Cape Quarter, with chef Daniel Heyns, previously with Zevenwacht and ZeroNineThreeTwo, reports EatOut.

In Sea Point, two restaurants have opened: La Boheme on Main Road, and Duchess of Wisbeach, on Wisbeach Road.  Reviews will be posted on the WhaleTales blog shortly.

Not much is known yet about the projects that chef Bruce Robertson is consulting on, but they are said to be a new restaurant each in Woodstock and in Franschhoek. 

Just six days ago, WhaleTales wrote how the financial shenanigans of Conrad Gallagher had affected the business of Bouillabaisse and Crepe Suzette in the Rockwell Center in De Waterkant.   Its unfortunate location, in being hidden from view from Somerset Road, and the demise of the promised epicurean food market in the Centre, severly impacted on the business of the two restaurants, with the Main Ingredient newsletter just 2 weeks ago writing a denial by Bouillabaisse that it was closing down in Cape Town.  Today the restaurant sent an e-mail to its database, to say that both restaurants have closed in Cape Town, and are relocating to an undisclosed address in Cape Town, re-opening in November.  The Bouillabaisse website also carries the news, and the restaurants’ telephone rings through to a Telkom answering service.

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Knysna Tourism Sweet and DISH Sour Service Awards

The Sweet Service Award goes to Keagon of Knysna Tourism, who twice within 24 hours showed how he walks the extra mile for the tourists coming to Knysna, a reason why this Tourism Bureau is rated so highly.  At first a visitor to Knysna wanted to find the Knysna Fine Art Gallery, not to be confused with the Knysna Art Gallery.  The former was not listed in the Garden Route Art brochure, so Keagon googled the gallery, found it, and called them to confirm their address.  The following day the tourist asked Keagon to help her trace Piccolo Italia, a coffee shop across the road from the Tourism Bureau.  As he had no contact details for them, Keagon offered to go to the outlet to get the name of the owner, and his contact details, which he did promptly.

 

The Sour Service Award goes to DISH at The Rex Hotel in Knsyna.  A customer walked past the restaurant, and was impressed with the look of the restaurant, and its interior design in particular.  The lone waiter/barman had the airconditioner on high heat, at a European level, as he was so cold.   It was unbearably hot.  He seated the customer, the only person in the large restaurant, right at the back of the restaurant, so that he could keep the airconditioner closest to him on.   The pasta dish was tasty, but the waiter took no trouble to interact with the customer, other than to answer questions when asked.   When the customer left, he did not bother to say goodbye or thank you.   The Rex Hotel brochure contradicts itself in describing the restaurant’s fare as “5-star cuisine” and then as “upmarket Bistro style cuisine”.   Adding to the positioning confusion is the restaurant’s newsletter, which talks about its “comfort food”.   Restaurants, or food served by them, are not judged on a star basis, as are accommodation establishments.

 

The WhaleTales Sweet & Sour Service Awards are presented every Friday on the WhaleTales blog.  Nominations for the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be sent to Chris von Ulmenstein at info@whalecottage.com.   Past winners of the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be read on the Friday posts of this blog, and in the WhaleTales newsletters on the www.whalecottage.com website.