It’s been a long time since I have been to a restaurant that is as badly run and so overall disappointing as Café des Arts, previously Topsi’s. It is an embarrassment for Franschhoek, a village that prides itself on its gourmet standards.
I had read feedback about Café des Arts on Twitter, both Rob Armstrong and Dax Villanueva praising it, and felt obliged to try it out, one of the few Franschhoek restaurants I had not been to yet. I arrived at about 20h00 on Friday evening, to a restaurant which still has the Topsi’s signs outside on the main road and on Reservoir Street, dishonest I felt, given that the restaurant name change took place in August last year, and no attempt has been made to change the signs after taking over from esteemed chef Topsi Venter. I was one of four tables, all Franschhoekers that I knew. I was surprised in retrospect to see them eating there, one couple in particular, having come out from Cape Town and previously owning a wine farm in Franschhoek.
I take my time in ordering at a restaurant, assimilating the interior, making notes about what I have observed, and felt pressurised to order by the co-owner Louise Rambert, when I had not even looked at the menu board. She brought the winelist blackboard to the table first, but oddly placed it behind me, which meant that I had to turn around to read it. The menu blackboard was placed against a wall, which I could read more comfortably, yet not all the handwriting on it was legible. The teriyaki pork belly with Asian noodle stirfry had sold out, but it had not been deleted from the menu board, and Louise snapped at me when I wanted to order this dish.
I had not been to Topsi’s for many years, but remember that she had tables on two levels of the restaurant. Now it is contained to the higher level, the entrance section being an untidy mess, containing a bookshelf that had not appeared to have been touched in years and left in a haphazard state. An industrial fridge and a counter with the coffee machine, as well as more menu boards, were visible, the room looking more like a storeroom than part of a restaurant. Tables are wooden, with riempies-style chairs. There are no tablecloths, and a paper serviette is offered. The cutlery and glassware is cheap. On the table was an Oryx desert salt grinder and an unbranded pepper grinder, as well as a green sugar bowl. On a cold winter’s night the ceramic fireplace made the restaurant comfortably warm. The kitchen is open to the restaurant. There was artwork on the walls, mainly by Wakaba Mutheki, but also by other artists, such as Koos de Wet, the only other artist’s name which Louise could remember, yet they sell the artwork for RED! The Gallery in Tokai. A Mandela portrait is striking in its realism, and costs R30000. One wonders how a gallery could place this expensive art in such a poor quality restaurant environment. Louise told me that they have sold quite a few works already.
Chef Chris Hoffman previously owned Café des Arts in Kalk Bay, where he had a similar concept of displaying art in his restaurant, but these were local artists. He was trained as a chef by Topsi 16 years ago, in her Franschhoek restaurant, and he took over Topsi’s after a visit last year, feeling that Topsi was struggling to run her restaurant after a serious knee operation, and that her family was neglecting her, one of the other guests told me. Chris closed down his restaurant in Kalk Bay, and took over Topsi’s, renaming it Café des Arts, and Topsi can be seen there frequently, I was told, when she is not at her daughter’s good Franschhoek Food Emporium deli in Place Vendôme.
At first I thought Louise was a waitress, as she had attitude, but she pointedly told me that she was the ‘owner’ of the restaurant, until I asked her about the chef, and she admitted that he co-owns the restaurant with her. I have never met a restaurant owner who is so disinterested in her clients, who deals with them functionally, who takes no interest in finding out what makes them come to the restaurant, and whether one is a local or not. Louise told me proudly that they do not advertise, as they are only there to serve the locals, and want to get known by word-of-mouth. A waitress worked with Louise, but stood near the kitchen most of the time, only bringing one dish to the table, and not communicating at all. Louise asked for feedback about my main course dish, being lamb’s liver, and when I told her it was tough, she did not respond, walking away from the table. It became clear to me why she was pressuring me to order – the chef Chris left at 8.45 pm, once he had cooked my liver, walking through the restaurant in his odd-looking civvies, blatantly demonstrating that he had finished with us and his restaurant for the day!
The lamb’s liver (R75) was served with mash, bacon, and balsamic onions, and a rather tasty sauce, but was tough, but the pedestrian knife may have been partly to blame. I am so used to Reuben’s calf’s liver, that I did not like the lamb’s liver by comparison. I felt the dish to be expensive for what one got. Other options are two salads, a soup (R48) and mussels (R55/R85) for starters, two fettuccine dishes (R65 – R75), and main course choices were Red Snapper and Lamb loin chops (R110 – R115). I ordered the apple crumble for dessert, and was assured by Louise that it came with fresh whipped cream, but it was not whipped, and there was barely any on the plate, so that I had to ask the waitress for some more. 
I had also asked Louise to only warm up the dessert a little, but it arrived piping hot. I liked that it contained raisins, but the crumble topping was burnt. Other dessert options were chocolate tart, and a bread and butter pudding made from croissants, Louise said verbally, but the board stated that it was made from hot cross buns. All desserts cost R30. I was told by one of the patrons that the menu is changed regularly, and that she likes to eat at this restaurant, as they make dishes that vegetarians like she can order.
The winelist offered one or two wines per variety, a house Helderberg Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon (Louise told me that this belongs to Boekenhoutskloof) for R25 per glass. Haut Espoir Shiraz costs R130, and Stony Brook Shiraz 2006 cost R35/R170. I was disappointed with it, given its age.
I will never go back to Café des Arts, after my experience. I found it absolutely amateurish in all respects, and cannot see how it can survive. With a disinterest in the patrons, mediocre food, lack of food presentation, the chef leaving early, no interior design, no website, false marketing riding on the Topsi’s name, and a hand-written invoice with no contact details should one want to book in future, Café des Arts cannot be taken seriously in Franschhoek, nor is it a tribute to what went before at Topsi’s. I was happy to leave and have a lovely cappuccino at Reuben’s across the road.
POSTSCRIPT 4/5: The owners’ reaction to the review has been surprisingly unprofessional, and has led to them banning me from their establishment. See the Comments to the blogpost.
POSTSCRIPT 14/5: I photographed the Topsi’s sign on Huguenot Road today, still up 10 months after Topsi’s closed down, and became Café des Arts!
POSTSCRIPT 22/5: Seeing a number of extremely positive TripAdvisor reviews for Café des Arts via a Franschhoek Restaurant Google Alert today, I noticed that a review that I posted on TripAdvisor about my dinner at Café des Arts, condensed in content to my review above, has been removed! TripAdvisor has not sent a notification as to the reason for the content removal.
Café des Arts, Reservoir Street, Franschhoek. Tel (021) 876-2952. No website, and none intended. Facebook page. Tuesday – Saturday. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage
