Tag Archives: Pub review

Pub Review: Watching the World Cup at Salt Vodka and Champagne Bar

An important match like England versus Algeria deserved a better pub visit than the one to Caprice earlier in the day.   Salt Vodka and Champagne Bar, which opened about 3 weeks ago, and has taken four months longer than planned to open, met the brief.

If I had not known about it having opened, having been told about it by Newmark Hotels’ PR consultant Ian Manley, I would not have gone, as there is no signage outside.   I first tried to enter via Salt Deli, but the entrance is separate, so I entered via an outside side passage.  It is not clear that one must go up the steps, as there is no further signage down the passage, and the initial steps are dangerous, first down a tile step, and then up wooden steps. 

It was a surprise to enter a large bar area, sparsely furnished.   The amazing and charming Manager Aleks Kopertowska came to me and greeted me by name and with a handshake, having taken my reservation earlier in the day.  She did tell me later on that she remembered me from the time that she worked in Franschhoek four years ago.

She seated me with an American brother and sister, who are travelling in South Africa, and Botswana and Kenya thereafter, and were staying at the Ambassador Hotel across the road.   They bravely watched the soccer with me.   Aleks explained that there had been a problem with the ordered furniture, and the lovely white leather chairs appear to be temporary.  We had a very artistic, but very low, table made from white-painted wooden logs bound together, so Aleks organised that a table from the Deli be brought to us, which made eating and writing far more comfortable.   The decor has grey tones in the ceiling, a rich wooden floor, a long bar counter with modern black leather and chrome bar stools, and a large flatscreen TV which is visible to all in the Bar.   There was only one soccer touch in the Bar, but impressed with its stylishness – two beaded soccer ball-shaped holders for the orchids. 

Aleks’ service did not stop.  She offered to show me the special Champagne Room, a beautiful display of chilled bubbly brands, especially the creative Veuve Cliquot display container in orange, which can serve as a ice-bucket at the same time.   She showed me the terrace, which has attractive grey outdoor furniture, modern but classic in design, and in summer one can predict that it will be one of the coolest places on the Atlantic Seaboard.  One can see the sea from it.

Aleks was honest in admitting that the food served at the Salt Vodka Bar currently is from Salt Deli downstairs, as Chef Jacques de Jager is still working on the menu.  Also, the full complement of 15 champagnes and 15 local sparkling wines to be offered by the glass are not yet all on the menu, that I had read about. The Salt Vodka Bar beverage list is beautifully bound in a black leather cover, and reflects the look of the Salt restaurant in the Ambassador Hotel.  The Salt Deli menu is a poor quality photocopy with the Breakfast options (clearly not applicable), and the Light Meals listed.   There are 13 options for the latter, ranging from the soup of the day (a delicious thick butternut soup, with a swirl of cream and sprinkled with bacon and decorated with fresh basil, served with toasted rye bread and butter, excellent value at R35), some salads (R30 for the garden salad), sandwiches, lasagne (R50) and Chicken Supreme (R85).  The butternut soup was so delicious that I asked for a take-away portion for my son working at the Stadium that evening.   Aleks came back to report that I had been served the last portion, but given that I would be at the Salt Vodka Bar until the match finished, she had asked Salt restaurant across the road to make another portion – a continuation of her excellent and attentive service (if only there was more like this in Cape Town!)

The Beverage List offers fifteen vodkas, many costing R 19, and the most expensive is Wyborowa Exquisite, at R38.   The heading “Champagnes” is used for both “South African” and “French” bubbly sub-headings, with five locals (Moreson R50, and Graham Beck Blanc de Blanc and its Brut Rose both costing R95 a glassful, prices on the high side) and eight imported ones (Guy Charbaut Millesime costs R160 per glass, and Veuve Cliquot costs R360 per glass).  The list of wines-by-the-glass is very limited, with just one per variety in general, and not all varieties represented – Bosman’s Rose costs R31, Sauvignon Blanc Waterford Pecan Stream and Springfield Life from Stone cost R33 and R50, respectively, and Waterford Chardonnay costs R63.  The Springfield “whole berry” Cabernet Sauvignon costs R63, a Vriesenhof Enthopio at R55, and Diemersfontein Carpe Diem pinotage (R65) disappointingly are the only three red wines by the glass.    Windhoek Lager and Castle cost R 17;  Millers, Peroni, and Amstel cost R 19; Heineken and Pilsner Urquell cost R22; Savanna costs R21; and Hunter’s Dry R19.  The Americans and I were offered a complimentary glass of chocolate martini, another Aleks touch.

Would I go back to watch another match?  Probably not, as there was little World Cup atmosphere and support.  The Danish team girlfriends, who were staying at the Ambassador Hotel, took over most of the Bar initially, and were not interested in watching at all, talking and blocking the screen. Then some dubious looking ladies (of the night?) came in, and had a loud chat with the two barmen, who talked back at the top of their voices, not caring about us watching the match – I was surprised that Aleks did not address this with her staff.  The barman was more considerate when using the cappuccino machine, compared to his Harvey’s Bar colleague two days earlier, in making less noise on it.   Salt Vodka Bar seems unfinished in terms of its temporary furniture, lack of signage, and lack of menu, probably hastily opened due to the World Cup.   The service is outstanding. 

Salt Vodka and Champagne Bar, above Salt Deli, 34 Victoria Road, Bantry Bay.  Tel 076 728 7487 (Aleks’ cell, no dedicated line upstairs yet). www.saltrestaurant.co.za (website is for the main restaurant in the Ambassador Hotel only – no information about Salt Deli and Salt Vodka Bar on the website).  Closes at midnight on all nights, except Thursday and Friday evenings, when it closes at 2h00.

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

Pub review: Watching the World Cup at Harvey’s Bar, Winchester Mansions

We decided that the South Africa versus Uruguay game had to be watched in style and comfort, to give our Bafana Bafana team the best possible support in this important game.

I had popped into the newly renovated Harvey’s Bar earlier that afternoon, for a cappuccino and their scones, which I had read about on Twitter.   What a portion it was – 2 large light scones, and a clever trio dish containing real cream, grated cheese and strawberry jam (which the Congolese waitress pronounced as “ham”, causing some confusion initially).  The price was an unbelievably low R 18 – one scone would have been good value at this price alone.

The space that was previously the bar as well as the meeting room has been consolidated into one large bar area, but divided into three sections, one being an open smoking one (I did not know that this was allowed) with a TV area, which leads into the large bar area with another TV, and a smaller, more private, lounge without TV.   Seating is a mix of chairs and couches, in shades of grey and silver.   In the central bar area, bar chairs look smart and comfortable.   Unfortunately the tables are too low, making it very uncomfortable to eat from, one having to bend so low.   The edges of the chairs are very sharp, quite dangerously so.   The glass-encased chandelier lights over the bar, and in the lounge areas, are the most beautiful lights I have seen in a long time.  Sitting in the small lounge initially, I noticed that the top half of the window, which is hidden from the outside by a canopy, had not been cleaned in months, and the bottom part had not been cleaned recently either.  With the sun setting in the west, one can see the dirty windows easily, and even more so when one is in the hospitality industry oneself.

For the match, we sat in the bar area, on the bar chairs, in front of a serving counter, so that we could see the TV screen.   The counters in the bar area were behind us, so it was a little uncomfortable to get one’s drink and food from behind – a couch on the other side prevents the bar chairs from being put there, something the hotel may consider changing during the World Cup.  The bar was not very full, and therefore it lacked atmosphere.   The staff seemed disinterested in this important match, and it was annoying that the barman mixed drinks extra loud and extra long on his machines, it seemed.   Service is quite shy as well, although our waitress Chrystelle had a beautiful smile.   I was surprised once again that soccer fans in bars do not order food, feeling quite comfortable to only have a glass or 3 of beer.   300 ml of Paulaner and Peroni cost R 22, 500 ml cost R 30; Jack Black costs R17 for 330 ml and R27 for 500 ml; Castle costs R15; Amstel R16; and Heineken R20.

The Harvey’s Bar menu has a small selection of food, and we chose four platters for five of us, too much food in retrospect.   We had a samoosa and spring roll plate (R 48), of which the waitress did not know the content, saying the spring rolls contained beef, but there was no meat inside them;  nachos con queso, with minced beef, almost too spicy nachos and lots of cheese, at R 58; potato wedges with two dipping sauces, at R 21, our most popular order; and spicy chicken wings with a tomato based sauce, making them messy to eat by hand, at R48.  Other options are Flammkuchen, an Austrian pizza-type covered with bacon, onion and sour cream (R28); prawn calamari (R77); Club Sandwich (R68); Tuna pie (48), Ginger chicken wrap (57); a sirloin steak sandwich (R75); and a Winchester Burger at R 75.

The wine prices are reasonable, and 250 ml carafes of white and red wine are available.  The house wine, both white and red, costs R 26.   Fantail Vineyards from Morgenhof, both White and Rose, Leopard’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc, and Tortoise Hill each cost R 30; Bosman’s Family Vineyards Chenin Blanc and Rose cost R 40; and Paradyskloof Chardonnay costs R 45.    Fantail Vineyards Pinotage and Leopard’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon cost R 29, Tortoise Hill and Fantail Merlot cost R 35, Edgebaston costs R45 and Cape Boar from Doolhoof costs R 54.   The sparkling wine is served per glass, Pierre Jourdan Cuvee Brut costing R 30, its Belle Rose costing R 45, and Colmant costs R 48.

The service is reactive rather than proactive.  The decor makes Harvey’s Bar an attractive venue, but it lacks spirit and energy, especially in watching a World Cup match.  There is no World Cup visibility at all except for a match schedule in the smoking section, and therefore it receives a low score as a World Cup soccer pub. Bafana Bafana’s sad loss did not help either!

Harvey’s Bar, Winchester Mansions Hotel, 221 Beach Road, Sea Point, Cape Town. Tel (021) 434-2351.  www.winchestermansions.co.za (no information about, menu for, or photographs of Harvey’s Bar).

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

Pub review: Watching the World Cup at Caprice in Camps Bay

Cafe Caprice (commonly referred to as Caprice by the locals) is one of the most popular pubs in Camps Bay, heaving on Sunday evenings.  I chose it to view the Germany versus Serbia match on a gorgeous sunny Cape Town afternoon.

I immediately noticed a sea of red shirts worn by the England supporters, who were in town for their match against Algeria, and immediately felt in the minority, with the England fans supporting Serbia, enjoying Germany’s poor performance, and I was one of very few females.

Caprice is a man’s place, signalled by its weird mixture of functional furniture, couches here and there with white tables that looked like paper cutouts, and tables and chairs inside that looked like all-weather garden furniture.   There are flatscreen TV’s on almost every wall, allowing everyone to see the matches, except those visitors wanting to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful view onto the Camps Bay beach.  Colour photographs of soccer players in action have been put up on the walls.   The staff all wear red Havaianas T-shirts, to promote the footwear company that sponsored their clothing.   The staff do not know much about the brand.

The waitress handed me the menu and I asked if it had been printed especially for the World Cup.  She said it is the standard menu, which is commendable, given that many pubs have increased their prices.  On Twitter I had read that the Caprice Burger is one of the best in town, and decided to order that – it costs R 50, comes with a large portion of chips, served on a seed roll with lettuce and a slice of tomato, and is a very thick patty, so thick that you cannot get a bite into your mouth with the patty and one half of the roll – great for the guys, but not for the ladies – but excellent tasting, especially compared to my forced daily diet of McDonalds as a World Cup volunteer!  There are nine other burger options, starting at R 45 for a vegetarian burger with lentils and chickpeas, to R 65 for a mozarella, creamy mushroom and pepper sauce burger, or a Gourmet burger with cranberry jelly and blue cheese.   One can also order sandwiches, starting at what feels like an expensive R 50  for chunky chicken, sundried tomato or cajun chicken wrap, paying up to R 80 for a Mediterranean steak roll.  Eight salad options are offered, the Beach salad, a mixed salad, costing what feels to be an expensive R 55, up to R 80 for a Sweet chilli prawn sald, and an Ostrich salad.   Pasta arrabiata costs R 50, and seafood pasta costs R 100.  A 300 gram sirloin steak, and a 300 gram sirloin skewer at R80, sound like good value.   A plate of fries costs R 18.

As if the menu does not contain enough options, Caprice also serves eleven tapas options, ranging from hummus and pita, and tzatziki and pita (R32 each) to R 75 for chicken nachos.   Cajun calamari, spicy chicken skewers, crumbed mushrooms, cheese nachos, buffalo wings, chicken and peppadew springrolls, chicken livers and marinated sirloin are further tapas options.

Caprice serves Breakfast until 12h30, which is commendably late compared to many other venues, and they offer 12 options, the most basic being eggs on toast at a reasonable R 30, and the most special being the Health Royale at R 65, consisting of gypsy ham, 2 poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Other options are anchovy toast, flapjacks, eggs benedict, omelettes, etc.

The volume of beer supplied is not indicated on the menu, costing R13 for a Castle to R16 for a Heineken, R25 for Corona and R40 for andUnion, the latter being for 500 ml, and the other brands sold as 330ml.

As a World Cup venue, I found it terribly loud, as few of the patrons were really watching the match, and they were talking.  Service was slow in getting a menu, as there does not seem to be a dedicated waitress per section of the restaurant, meaning that I had to ask the manager to get me one.   It has a fantatsic view, the best so far, a bonus in the daytime.   Children dancing and drumming in little Xhosa skirts were an irritation, and it felt wrong to see them exploited for financial gain.   Caprice offers wireless internet for free, and they take reservations, which are pluses.   It is an excellent venue for men who want a beer or three, and want to soak it up with a good, reasonably priced, plate of food.   It is the home of king blogger Seth Rotherham/Will Mellor of 2Oceansvibe, a fantastic endorsement for the restaurant, given the stature of his blog and the following it enjoys.

Cafe Caprice, 37 Beach Road, Camps Bay.  tel (021) 438-8315  www.caprice.co.za (functional site, not very user-friendly, music plays when opened, slow to download, not very informative).  Open Mondays – Sundays.

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

Pub review: Watching the World Cup at Paulaner Braeuhaus

I must admit that I know little about soccer, and watched the first few matches at home.  For the Germany versus Australia match, I thought it would be a good idea to watch the match at Paulaner Braeuhaus, with some of my fellow countrymen, and left Cape Town Stadium, after an afternoon of volunteering, thinking that going there 60 minutes prior to the start of the game would be good timing. 

Little did I know that I would stand in a queue for the hour, in the rain in part, the last half an hour almost at the entrance door, which was firmly shut and guarded by security personnel, as the restaurant was full.   VIP’s gained preferential access, the German TV team from ARD in particular – they had to squeeze past us to get inside.   I must admit that we did not make it easy for them, resenting their rank in getting in ahead of us.  Some crazy South African youngsters jumped over a “security fence”, and were seen by a security guard, and asked to jump back!   They ducked the system and disappeared inside.   Soccer fans were let in as others left the restaurant.  Finally we were lucky, and let inside just as the match started, and I joined a long table, with the most delightful German fans from Stuttgart, becoming firm friends over the two hour sharing.

For atmosphere, watching the German team, there cannot be many pubs to beat the Paulaner Braeuhaus.  The manager told me that they were producing 60 000 litres of beer per week.   The Paulaner Lager and Weissbier is expensive at R 30 for 500 ml, but in their defence, I barely saw any soccer fans eat, so it is probably a fair return for hosting such a crowd.   The World Cup menu is not very extensive, compared to their normal menu, and contains typical German specialities.   I ordered the Frankfurters with potato salad, and a typical German mustard, which I could taste for a few days thereafter – just the right balance of sweet and sour, costing R 68.  Other options include Goulash soup at R 55, Weisswurst and pretzel (R 65), pork knuckle (R 115), and chicken schnitzel (R85).  Having seen the standard menu on another website (Paulaner does not supply the menu on its own website), I could work out that prices have been increased by 15 % for the World Cup.  I wonder if they will drop to their previous level on 12 July! 

The service was excellent, with the waitress coming to check with us regularly if we needed anything more.  With such a crowd, it was commendable that things at Paulaner Brauhaus ran so smoothly, and the ecstatic crowd celebrating their team’s 4-0 win probably made it easy for them anyway. 

This is early days, but the Paulaner Braeuhaus beats the pubs I’ve been to during the World Cup hands down so far on atmosphere and service.  The only downside is the difficulty in getting into the restaurant, especially when Germany plays.

Paulaner Braeuhaus, near Clocktower, V&A Waterfront.  Tel (021) 418-9999  www.paulaner.co.za (goes straight through to international website).  No bookings accepted.

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