Tag Archives: Hotel School

Latitude Café sets new heights for casual dining on the Atlantic Seaboard!

 

I was invited by Latitude Events Manager Naledi  Molotlegi to experience the Latitude Café, which opened on the 9th floor of the Latitude ApartHotel on Regent Road in Sea Point in November 2019. It must be the highest restaurant on the Atlantic Seaboard, with beautiful views, and prides itself in being Proudly Cape Town.

Originally developed by the Berman Brothers Group, the building was very recently bought by 12Cape.  New owner Hugo Venter was at the Café, and reminded me that we had danced together at HQ some time ago.

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Restaurant Review: 9th Avenue Bistro very good fresh food, disappointing interior and service!

imageIn my search for the top restaurant in KwaZulu-Natal, Katie Friedman, Lisa Woodhouse, and I had dinner at 9th Avenue Bistro, one of Durban’s best-known fine-dining restaurants, and a regular on the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant list six years and longer ago. Despite the warnings one had read about the restaurant’s unfortunate location in a shopping centre car park, it was the interior decor and poor Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: Tashas in V&A Waterfront friendly staff, shocking unhealthy food!

Tasha's Fruit and lights Whale Cottage PortfolioMy friend Whitney and I decided to give the new Tashas in the V&A Waterfront a try, after we had both heard good things about the restaurant, which opened in the previous Mugg & Bean space a month ago. It was a poor experience, leaving a bad taste in our mouths, both Whitney and I getting ill from the food.

The owner and chef Raynne Roll told us that each of the eleven Tashas created around the country over the past eight years is themed decor wise, and has signature dishes and specialist wines to tie in with the theme. The theme of the WaterfrontTasha's Rayne Roll Whale Cottage Portfolio branch is Spanish, and hence the additional Tapas menu and Spanish style cakes, which are unique to the branch. Bowls and paella pans have been bought in from Spain for the new restaurant.  Tashas Constantia is French Country inspired, Pretoria is South African, Melrose Arch is ‘Sushi, Oysters and Champagne’, Rosebank in Johannesburg is New York, and the Nicolway branch is Portuguese.

I arrived before Whitney did, and walked in from the mall entrance, where the branding is so small that it is easy to miss.  The iron gates do not look relevant to a

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Restaurant Review: 65 on Main fresh find in Green Point!

65 on Main Interior 2 Whale Cottage PortfolioThe restaurant at 65 Main Road used to be one of Green Point’s most popular when it was called Miss K, but nose-dived when it was taken over by an Italian owner and he renamed it after his daughter Giulia a year ago.  He lasted a few months before returning to his homeland, as his wife did not like Cape Town. This left the space for Whitney Wentzel to take it over and to open 65 on Main within two weeks, at the beginning of August.  It was a surprise discovery, following a most mediocre Camps Bay experience earlier that day!

I underestimated Whitney on first appearance, and thought her to be the manager, as a waiter came out to greet me even though she was outside as well.  I was left in the care of a second waiter Sheldon, who informed me that Whitney is in fact the owner.  Whitney studied at the Hotel School in Granger Bay, having graduated just before the World Cup, and worked as F&B Manager at The Taj, The Cullinan, Zimbali, and the Arabella Kleinmond hotels since then.  She had a dream to run her own restaurant, 65 on Main Whitney Wentzel Whale Cottage Portfolioand told me that she dutifully saved as much as she could, having been taught by her portfolio asset manager mother.  Although only 25 years old, I sensed that Whitney pays attention to detail, and knows exactly what she is doing, and that her establishment Continue reading →