Tag Archives: Salt deli

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

Salt Deli Sweet and La Vierge Sour Service Awards

The Sweet Service Award goes to Salt Deli on Victoria Road in Bantry Bay in Cape Town, for hosting a cosy media breakfast to showcase their cooked breakfast range, which includes scrambled or poached egg and bacon (no fried eggs available), salmon and eggs benedict, and eggs en cocotte.  On leaving, each person was handed a little sweet treat to take home.   New Salt restaurant chef Jacques de Jager, originally from Grande Provence in Franschhoek, came to introduce himself.

The Sour Service Award goes to La Vierge restaurant in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley outside Hermanus, nominated by Ebony Sanders.  Ebony writes that she was disturbed when a team of handymen arrived at the restaurant last Sunday lunch-time, and used power tools to break down a center stage, when she had to wait for more than an hour to discover that her order for her poached salmon had not been placed with the kitchen, and had to wait to have her drinks served.  She was told that the waiter that served her has a medical condition, which must have influenced his service level.  The invoice system was not working properly, so it took time to organise the bill when Ebony and her husband had had enough, and decided to leave, even though the Manager, via the waiter, offered to not charge for the meals.   The waiter did not apologise about the delay in serving the main course, and the Manager never came to see and to apologise to Ebony and her husband. Ebony has subsequently written to say that she received a call of apology from Andrew, the manager, and he has invited her back for a complimentary meal.

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.

Restaurant Review: Relax at Cafe Max

WhaleTales does not usually write about established restaurants, but Cafe Max is too special to not write about it, and appears to be a hidden gem that few Capetonians (except those living in De Waterkant) know about.   It has been operating for close to 5 years, and is a relaxed homely friendly place, offering exceptional value for money meals, compared to the restaurants in the new nearby Cape Quarter.  A review by Dax Villanueva (RelaxwithDax) was the incentive to try out the restaurant.

Owned by Anna Ridgewell, originally from Zimbabwe, and a graduate of the Silwood School of Cookery, a chef at And Beyond’s Ngala and Kwandwe game reserves, and owner of a guest house in Grahamstown, she came to Cape Town, and bought the space, previously called Cafe Maxime and housing a jewellery and coffee shop, two years ago.   Anna says she is there all day, every day, and is hands-on in preparing and  bringing out the food, and chatting to the guests.  

The main section of the restaurant is a long rectangular room, which was set up with one long table for a function.    Two exquisite Marie-Antoinette flower arrangements in beautiful silver vases attracted attention, especially brought in for an evening function.   The floor has large black and white tiles, a personal favourite, and the walls are painted a silver grey with the finest hand painted blossoms on them.   Three replica art deco-style mirrors dominate the room.  One can step into a courtyard which is covered with a grey and white canopy, and have the benefit of fresh air, and a water feature adds a nice fresh sound-effect too.   A children’s bedding shop Bubble leads from the courtyard.

The menu is printed on a laminated sheet, and offers a variety of breakfast and lunch options.   Breakfasts include Eggs Benedict with ham (R59) or salmon (R69), fluffy scrambled eggs and bacon at R 52, or with salmon at R 65, tartine aux champignons at R 52, muesli and yoghurt at R 39, boiled egg and soldiers (sweet touch!) at R 25, a sunshine breakfast that offers 2 fried eggs, bacon, toast, baked beans, tomato and mushroom, at an astoundingly reasonable R 29 (if you arrive between 7h30 – 8h30, the same sunshine breakfast only costs R 20!), French toast (R 29), sweetcorn fritters with salmon, poached egg and hollandaise sauce at R 59, flapjacks at R 25, and a breakfast baguette costs R 25.  The cappuccino was served in a very large cup, and perfect, costing R 15.   A cute touch was honey served in a small espresso cup.   A chipped stem of a water glass was not.  Presentation of the egg dishes is no-nonsense, with no decoration, but it does not seem to matter.

For lunch a selection of salads (caprese and caeser, at R 45 each), smoked salmon (R 72), chicken or Burger (R 59), and chicken liver (R 45) is offered.   Tartines (“flash toasted” bread), with fillings such as caprese, smoked salmon, chicken, The Max Club, The Max Burger and Chicken Burger, range in price from R 49 to R 85.  Lovely breads and sweet treats (e.g. the most beautifully iced and presented cupcakes) are for sale.

For the second time in a week, a good selection of wines-by-the-glass was seen to be offered (Salt Deli too) to single wine drinkers.  Cafe Max offers 12 wines, and all but one are sold by both the bottle or the glass.   Pongracz, Villiera and PJ Brut are sold in a range of R 20 – R 30 per glass, and white wines range from R 15 for the De May Cenin Blanc and their Rose, and Joostenberg Viognier to R 32 for the Haute Cabriere Chardonnay and Domaine Grier Maccaben Viognier.  Red wines start at an unbelievable R 15 for the Joostenberg Shiraz Merlot and MAN Vintner Shiraz to R 22 for the Stark Conde Pinot Noir.

The Cafe Max catering service was used for a Social Media Marketing workshop, and the tray of finger snacks looked and tasted amazing, and was good value. 

Cafe Max, 126 Waterkant Street, De Waterkant (from Somerset Road take the road alongside PG Glass/Boardmans), and turn right into Waterkant Street to find it).   Tel 021 425 5102.  www.cafemax.co.za   Open Tuesdays to Fridays from 7h00 – 16h00, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9h00 – 15h00.   Dinner is served on Thursday evenings, from 18h30.

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

Restaurant Review: Salt Deli now worth its salt!

Salt Deli, which had a disastrous opening over the festive season, appears to have settled in, and the feedback provided has been implemented, meaning a huge improvement.

The menu has been changed completely, following the feedback supplied (read our initial review here) and the arrival of Jacques de Jager, the new chef at Salt Restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel on Victoria Road in Bantry Bay, Cape Town, who was previously a Top 10 chef at Grande Provence in Franschhoek. 

The biggest change is that cooked breakfasts can now be prepared on site, and these include eggs benedict with bacon (R 45) or salmon (R55), scrambled eggs with smoked salmon (R55), eggs en cocotte – egg cooked individually in cream or butter in a small ramekin (R 45), and savoury ostrich mince (R40).  Further breakfast treats on offer are yogurt, berries and nuts (R 30), bagel and cream cheese (R 20), salmon and cream cheese bagel (R 40), muffins and croissants.  Breakfast is served all day, good news for breakfast fans.  A good cappuccino (R 14) is served too.

The lunch options, which probably are available all the way until the Deli closes at 9pm, include chicken supreme with asparagus salad (R 65), stuffed aubergine (R 60), lamb pita and side salad (R 65), onion and goat’s cheese quiche (R 38), endive, pear and walnut salad (R 40), game terrine (R 65) and a roast beef sandwich (R 65).  I had a tasty lasagne with side salad for R 50, which was not on the menu, but was mentioned.   The lamb pita was dry, and could do with more tzatziki, if there was any in it at all.  A menu board of specials is changed daily, and is additional to the printed menu choice.

A delight for Salt Deli visitors is the large selection and quality of the wines on the winelist – every one of the 12 red wines and 10 white wines is offered by bottle or by glass.   The Bosman Rose costs R 23 per glass, while the most expensive white wine is the Waterford Chardonnay, at R 51.  The reds range from R 31 for a 2005 Waverley Hills Cabernet Sauvignon  to R 55 for a 2006 Ataraxia Serenity blend.  Two Shiraz’s are stocked – 2007 Kleine Zalze and 2006 Andreas.

The star of Salt Deli is the Assistant Manager Cisca, who recognised the guest from the last visit almost two months ago, and came to the table regularly to chat, requesting feedback about the menu and the meal. 

One aspect of Salt Deli that is hidden if one sits outside, is the quality of the bakery items, and the Deli could capitalise on this more in its list of desserts.  The finest tarts (fruit, chocolate, lemon meringue and others) at a mere R 10 each, and the crispiest and lightest pastries (croissants, apple, raisin, danish) at only R 8 each, are fantastic value for take-home treats compared to the expensive ones sold at Voila! in the Cape Quarter.  A good selection of breads is also sold.   The staff dealing with this part of the Deli were exceptionally friendly and accommodating.

Salt Deli has been transformed for the better, and now is well worth regular visits.  In about three weeks the Vodka and Champagne Bar is planned to open upstairs.  Open until 9 pm every day, Victoria Road, Bantry Bay, opposite the Ambassador Hotel. Tel 021 439 7258.

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