Cafe Vendome | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

We have been tracking recent restaurant opening, closure, and restaurant and chef change information in Cape Town and in the Winelands on our Winter Restaurant Specials blog post, but have decided to do an update for those not looking for specials necessarily.

Restaurant openings

* La Mouette has opened at 78 Regent Road in Sea Point.

* Brio is a new jazz restaurant, in half of the ex-Riboville in town (on the Adderley Street side)

* Van Hunks has opened at 1 Union Street, off Kloof Street in Gardens

* Cafe Nood has opened in Wilderness Road, Claremont

* Ryan’s Kitchen has opened at Rusthof guest house in Franschhoek – the chef Ryan Smith is ex-Mont Rochelle.

* The House of Meat has opened in the Pepper Club Hotel, corner Long and Bloem Streets, offering a full braai for R 295

* Spiros has opened in Hout Bay

* La Cantina has opened in the Alliance Francaise.

* The De Leuwen Jagt restaurant on the Seidelberg wine estate outside Paarl has opened The Fabulous Bakery.

* Gesellig has opened on the corner of Church and Regent Roads in Sea Point, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

* Indochine has opened at the Delaire Graff wine estate in Stellenbosch.

* The Long Table Restaurant and Cafe has opened at Haskell Vineyards in Stellenbosch.

* The Wild Peacock Food Emporium has opened in Stellenbosch.

* De Oude Bank Bakkerij has opened in Stellenbosch.

* Knife Restaurant has opened in the Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa, a sister restaurant to Fork.

* Sommelier Restaurant has re-opened, after a two-year closure, at Sante Hotel & Wellness Centre

* Illyria coffee shop has opened in the Eikestad Mall in Stellenbosch

* Pierneef à la Motte has opened at La Motte in Franschhoek.

* The Artisan Cafe has opened inside Table Thirteen in Green Point, with a barista

* The Fish Shack has opened in The Paddocks, Milnerton

* Maison in Franschhoek is to open a restaurant

* Etienne Bonthuys (ex-Tokara) has opened his long-awaited restaurant on Dorp Street, Stellenbosch, called Casparus, in partnership with artist Strijdom van der Merwe.

* Luke Dale Roberts, award-winning chef whilst at La Colombe (reaching 12th place on Top 50 Restaurants in the World list), has opened The Test Kitchen at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock.

* Sofia’s at Morgenster has opened.

* Down South has opened on Long Street

* Victoria Eatery has opened in Hermanus.

* French Toast has opened at 199 Bree Street, a wine and tapas bar

* DISH has opened at Inn on the Square, Greenmarket Square

* Babel has opened at Babylonstoren near Klapmuts/Simondium (next to Backsberg)

* Hemelhuijs has opened at 71 Waterkant Street, for breakfast and lunch

* Barracudas has opened with ‘simply sumptious seafood’ served, in Fish Hoek.

* The Olive Shack at Allora in Franschhoek has opened as a deli, doing olive oil tastings, and serving Breakfast, Greek lunches and picnics

* Sotano by Caveau has opened in the La Splendida Hotel in Mouille Point

* Tables restaurant has opened at Nitida wine estate in Durbanville

* Mozarella Bar has opened on Kloof Street, Gardens

* Café Benedict has opened on the main road in Franschhoek.

* Trinity has opened as a ‘super club’ in Bennett Street in Green Point

* Il Cappero Italian Restaurant has opened in Barrack Street

* Sugar Hut Club has opened in the old Castle Hotel building on Canterbury Street, next door to Charly’s Bakery

* Caffé Milano has opened on Kloof Street, Gardens

* The Stone Kitchen has opened at Dunstone Winery in Wellington

* The Franschhoek Food Emporium has open in Place Vendome, and is owned by legendary Topsi’s daughter Danielle

* What’s On Eatery has opened in Watson Street, between Loop and Bree Street

* Haas Coffee Collective has opened on Rose Street in Bo-Kaap

* Crush coffee shop and bakery has opened in Paarl, owned by Gerard van Staden, previously chef at le Franschhoek Hotel, and later overseer of all restaurants owned by Robert Maingard in Franschhoek.

* Dear Me Brasserie and Tjing Tjing Bar has opened on Longmarket Street.

* Quilter & The Workmen is to open in Bree Street in May

* Act Restaurant and Play Bar have opened at the Baxter Theatre

* Le Coq has opened in Franschhoek

* Dash has opened in the Queen Victoria Hotel in the Waterfront

* Café Dijon has opened another branch at Zorgvliet wine estate

* Harbour House is to open a branch in the V & A Waterfront in September, in the Fisherman’s Choice site, near Sevruga

* KOS Coffee & Cuisine has opened in The Regency on Regent Road in Sea Point

* Café Extrablatt opens where shu used to be, next door to Doppio Zero in Green Point, in August

* Skinny Legs & All That has opened on Loop Street

* Leopard’s Leap opens its new picnic facility, tasting room and cookery school in October

Restaurant closures

* Josephine’s Patisserie on Loop Street

* Ginja on New Church Street

* maze at the One&Only Cape Town

* Panarotti’s and Shimmi’s Bar in Hermanus

* Bouillabaisse in Franschhoek.

* Yum in Vredehoek.

* Cape Town Fish Market in Camps Bay

* Vista Mare in Camps Bay

* La Table de France in Sea Point

* La Brasserie in Franschhoek

* shu on Main Road in Green Point

* Camil’s on Main Road in Green Point

* Madame Zingara has left Cape Town

* Fiesta in the Old Cape Quarter

* Jardine’s Restaurant has closed on Bree Str

* Liquorice and Lime has closed down on St George’s Mall

* Cheyne has closed on Bree Street

* The Kitchen Bar in the Quarters’ Hotel in Hermanus has closed

* The Bistro in Franschhoek has closed down

* The Sandbar in Camps Bay has closed down

* The Blonde building is up for sale, and does not appear to be re-opening in August, as was announced by The Caviar Group, owners of Blonde, two months ago.

* The Green Dolphin Jazz Club in the V & A Waterfront has closed down

* Mezzaluna in Loop Street has closed down

* Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant judge Pete Goffe-Wood’s Wild Woods Restaurant has closed down.

* Restaurant Christophe closes down in Stellenbosch on 25 June. Chef Christophe Dehosse will be back at Joostenberg from August.

* Nando’s in Camps Bay has closed down

* Haute Cabriere under the chef-manship of Matthew Gordon closes on 7 June at the wine tasting venue with the same name in Franschhoek.

Restaurant name-changes/take-overs/chef changes/address changes

* Leaf Restaurant and Bar has opened where The Showroom/Portofino used to be.

* Mason’s Cafe and Grill has opened where Cafe Gainsbourg used to be

* On Broadway has moved to the New Space Theatre building, and is using the ex-Anytime restaurant space as one of the restaurants its patrons can eat at before the show.

* Camil Haas, the co-owner of Camil’s in the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, has left the restaurant (which has since closed down). He is working for Reuben Riffel at Reuben’s in Franschhoek and at the One&Only Cape Town.

* Tank in the old Cape Quarter has changed its name to Aqua.

* Luke Dale-Roberts is no longer the Executive Chef at La Colombe, but will consult to the restaurant.

* Cafe Rouge in Franschhoek has been renamed Chez d’Or.

* Richard Carstens has left Chez d’Or in Franschhoek, and is the Executive Chef and Wilhelm Kuehn the owner of Tokara Restaurant in Stellenbosch

* Buena Vista Social Club has moved to the top end of Portswood Road in the Waterfront.

* Reuben’s at One&Only Cape Town has opened, where maze used to be.

* Cafe Le Chocolatier has taken over from Cafe Vendome in Place Vendome in Franschhoek.

* Dutch East has taken over from Burgundy in Franschhoek

* Cafe des Arts has taken over Topsi’s in Franschhoek.

* Amazink, ex-Roots, in Khayamandi in Stellenbosch, has opened, with Bertus Basson from Overture an advisor.

* Chef School owner Kevin Warwick has taken over Kate’s Village in Hermanus, now called The Class Room

* Da Luigi has opened where Vista Mare was in The Promenade in Camps Bay

* Satay Bar has opened where Zucca was in Kloof Street

* Le Quartier Francais has closed its bistro iCi, and opened The Common Room

* Franko’s Kitchen in Plettenberg Bay has reopened as a sushi restaurant called Kitchen Café

* Fu.shi in Plettenberg Bay has closed down, and has a new owner and a new name The Terrace

* The Old Post House in Plettenberg Bay has closed down, but is set to re-open for three months with a new owner

* Blakes has opened on Buitengracht/New Church Street, where Relish/Ninja used to be, belonging to Rochelle Bushelle, owner of the Opal Lounge, and offering a lounge, bar and dining services

* Franschhoek Kitchen is the new name of Genot restaurant on the renamed Holden Manz Wine Estate in Franschhoek (previously Klein Genot)

* Chef Eric Bulpitt has moved to The Roundhouse, due to the closure of Jardine’s

* Woodlands Eatery is the new name of ex-Yum in Vredehoek, with chef Larry, previously with Emily Moon in Plettenberg Bay

* ZAR nightclub has opened in the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel, where Camil’s used to be

* Marika’s Greek Restaurant from Bakoven has moved to a new venue, at 176 Buitenkant Street, above 7Eleven.

* The Rhubarb Room moves to 227 Bree Street

* David Higgs is leaving Rust en Vrede on 18 June and is moving to Johannesburg. John Shuttleworth will step into his chef’s shoes.

* Vanessa Quellec is to leave Caffe Milano in July

* Restaurant winter break closures

* The Mount Nelson’s Cape Colony has re-opened, with a new name, Planet Restaurant, and menu.

* Vaudeville has reopened.

* Massimo’s Pizza Club in Hout Bay will re-open on 20 April, in their original venue in Hout Bay.

* The Salmon Bar in Franschhoek has moved into a new main road outlet in The Yard (part ex-Bouillabaisse and Pam Golding) and has re-opened.

* Miguel’s in Plettenberg Bay has re-opened in the same location.

* Rust en Vrede will close from 18 June – 18 July

* Tokara will clsoe between 2 – 9 May

* The Test Kitchen will clsoe between 7 – 23 May

NOTE: This information will be updated regularly, as we receive new information.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

The new Place Vendome, at the entrance to Franschhoek, is a most chic and attractive centre, that has a collection of small outlets (although at least three shops are standing empty currently). The Cafe Vendome that opened in it initially has a new owner, and is challenging the well-established Huguenot Fine Chocolates by changing its name to Cafe Le Chocolatier, and by making the most delicious chocolates. However, the chocolate delights are not incorporated into the menu.

The Cafe originally was owned by the owners of the centre, but they were not at the Cafe enough, running a busy estate agency in the village. The rude and agressive attitude of the staff has been a problem since they opened. When I saw the new name of the restaurant on a recent visit to Franschhoek, I popped in to try it again. Sadly the same waitresses are still there, but a chocolatier, trained at the Lindt Chocolate Studio in Cape Town, is a new member of the kitchen team.

Cafe Le Chocolatier is now owned by Dr Daniel Waldis, a Swiss national who lives in Franschhoek, who says he bought the Cafe as a “hobby” at the beginning of July. He owns the Swiss Dermal Technology company in the V&A Waterfront, which offers skin rejuvenation without plastic surgery. He only goes through to Cape Town three times a week. His “Botox clients” see the brochure for his new restaurant, he says, and then come through to Franschhoek. Dr Waldis wants to establish a “European style” restaurant, with good quality coffee, cake and meals, and wants to help to lift the standard of Franschhoek’s claim of being the Gourmet Capital of South Africa. He introduced the chocolate-making inside the Cafe, and will be introducing a deli with cold meats and cheeses as well.

The menu has been compiled by Dr Waldis, who selected light meals that were requested by customers. Its opening line is “An experience for the connoisseur” – this is a claim that Dr Waldis will find hard to live up to, given his two waitresses’ attitude, and the selection of dishes that are offered, even though the quality of the food is good. The menu also states “Our menu is created with the freshest of locally sourced products and is therefore subject to change on an almost daily basis.” The prices of some dishes are on the high side. Breakfast options include bacon, mushroom and eggs (R59); poached eggs on croissant, with salmon (R69); scrambled eggs with Emmentaler cheese and bacon or salmon (R69); and filled Omelettes (R69). Sandwiches cost R69, and two choices are offered: grilled chicken, char grilled aubergine, mozarella, pesto and tomato; and smoked salmon, light wasabi creme fraiche and rolled cucumber sheets. Soup of the day costs R29; chicken pie and salad R49; beef lasagne (R69); Quiche Lorraine with salad (R69); Club Sandwich (R69); and Penne Salad, with organic feta, olives, tomato, basil, lots of herbs, and a wonderful dressing was delicious (R59). The Cappuccino was excellent, good and frothy, and cakes are expensive at R39 for a small slice. The chocolates cost R8 each.

A small selection of beverages is offered, including Heineken (R20) and Peroni (R24), and wines-by-the -glass are reasonably priced (R25 for Haut Espoir Sauvignon Blanc, Simonsig sparkling wine R45, Beyerskloof Pinotage R35). One wonders why such a small selection of wines is not proudly-Franschhoek!

It was when I asked the staff about Dr Waldis’ background, and about the new chocolate-making, that the waitress Sony became rude and aggressive in answering the questions, stating that I had “not asked her permission to interview her”! She referred me to her “manager” (apparently she is a waitress too), who in turn said I should make an appointment with Dr Waldis and ask him the questions directly, that is after she first spent 10 minutes doing other things and returning the ice to a freezer. I had requested to speak to the new owner when we arrived. Luckily Dr Waldis was at the restaurant, and sat with me for 10 minutes, charmingly giving me his background, and that of the thinking behind his new “hobby”, and offered us some of the chocolates to try. They are absolutely wonderful, with melt-in-the-mouth liquid Lindt chocolate fillings.

Cafe Le Chocolatier could become a threat to Huguenot Fine Chocolates (an institution in Franschhoek), because its chocolates are better, and due to its location at the entrance to Franschhoek. However, the chocolates are twice as expensive. The waitressing staff need serious training in customer interaction, and need a manager looking after them. Branding is a problem, with a Cafe Vendome sign still on one side of the shop, and the door mats having the old branding too. The chocolate-focus in the restaurant name contradicts the menu that offers everything but chocolate (except hot chocolate). The delicious cakes (carrot cake, chocolate mousse, etc) are not listed on the menu. If one did not anticipate chocolates to be sold from the name of the restaurant, one would not know about them, as there is no proper display counter in which to see them. A ball of chocolate brought with the bill, or served with the coffee, could be a good chocolate sampling opportunity.

POSTSCRIPT 2/1/11: I returned to Café Le Chocolatier after 6 months, and was pleasantly surprised about the vast improvement in the service, mainly due to the departure of the two staff members who were so unpleasant on my previous visits. The menu also is far more focused on treats containing chocolate, including cakes, cupcakes and chocolates made in the Café.

POSTSCRIPT 22/4: For Good Friday I had kingklip (R99) at Café le Chocolatier for dinner. Commendably they stay open until 8 pm. While the vegetable mix was too salty for my taste, I liked the Basmati rice and kingklip. A material serviette for dinner would be nice. The service has improved greatly, and it is one of my favourite Franschhoek coffeee shops now.