{"id":14381,"date":"2010-11-23T10:06:52","date_gmt":"2010-11-23T08:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=14381"},"modified":"2010-11-23T10:06:52","modified_gmt":"2010-11-23T08:06:52","slug":"restaurant-review-lazari-foodgallery-is-a-passionate-pink-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/restaurant-review-lazari-foodgallery-is-a-passionate-pink-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Restaurant Review: Lazari Foodgallery is a passionate pink place!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>There are two Lazari Foodgallery\u00a0restaurants in Cape Town.\u00a0 The Cape Quarter branch is a passionate pink place, focused on the colour pink, perfect for its location in and therefore attraction\u00a0to the residents of De Waterkant, known as the pink capital of South Africa.\u00a0\u00a0 It makes the most fabulous thick and foamy cappuccinos, and is a “European caf\u00c3\u00a9-style restaurant offering hearty easy meals”.<\/p>\n

My first experience of Lazari (named after its owner Chris Lazari) soon after opening a year ago was not a positive one, with poor food quality and service.\u00a0 I did not bother to review it at that time.\u00a0\u00a0 A cappuccino enjoyed earlier last week\u00a0after the Marine Stewardship Council workshop at Jenny Morris’ Cook’s Playground across the road led me to return for brunch on Sunday.\u00a0\u00a0 The place was heaving, with families, couples, and De Waterkant residents enjoying themselves.\u00a0\u00a0I received perfect service from a character called Willie.\u00a0 Willie was focused on wearing as much pink as possible,\u00a0including a\u00a0 pink T-shirt, pink watch, pink slip-slops, pink bangles,\u00a0with a\u00a0pink and a white striped dishcloth over his shoulder,\u00a0a self-made name tag in pink, and offering a pink pen\u00a0with the bill!\u00a0\u00a0 He is a graphic designer, he told me proudly.\u00a0 Willie’s colleagues wore pink or white T-Shirts, without the other pink additions, all wearing white pink-branded Lazari aprons.\u00a0\u00a0 Sugar stick holders are pink. \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The furniture is a mix of white and …. yes, pink chairs, looking like kitchen chairs of the ‘Fifties, around white square tables.\u00a0 The outside black chairs with see-through plastic backs looked very modern and chic.\u00a0 Lazari has two terraces, a smallish non-smoking one, and a large smoking one, a good call.\u00a0 Some walls are painted pink, and others red.\u00a0 I wasn’t sure about the addition of red in the paint and curtain colours to the pink interior dominance, but it all works somehow.\u00a0\u00a0 The entrance wall from the centre has “flower power” wallpaper.\u00a0 Raw cement walls are a contrast, but one of them has been used as specials board.\u00a0\u00a0The cutlery is “cheap and cheerful”, rolled in paper serviettes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>What is great is that breakfast is served until 15h00 at Lazari.\u00a0 The menu is an unimpressive poorly photocopied page, so badly copied that all the prices on the right hand side of the menu were cut off.\u00a0\u00a0 Breakfast options are fruit and yoghurt (R37); French Toast (R49); Flapjacks (R46); Health muesli, fruit and yoghurt (R45); eggs and bacon (R39); a most reasonably priced and lovely generous 3-egg omelet at R28, served with wholewheat toast, to which one can add 15 fillings, priced between R 9 – R14 each; croissants with cheese and preserves (R28), or with scrambled eggs and additions (R35 – R52).\u00a0\u00a0 Eggs Benedict with spinach costs R38, and R52 with salmon.\u00a0 \u00a0 Lunches consist of interesting salads (a range of R48 – R65); a meze platter\u00a0of four with toasted pita costs R65;\u00a0 pitas can be ordered with numerous additions, even bacon and eggs (R38); and ciabatta can be ordered with haloumi (R48), sweet Thai chilli chicken (R50) and as the “Ultimate Club” (R58).\u00a0\u00a0 At night soup can be ordered at R35; camembert (R40); as well as mains such as schnitzel (R65); pasta (R60); lean beef, chicken and veggie burgers at R60; and pork and beef bangers (R50).\u00a0 Desserts are unusual too, and lemongrass, coconut and vanilla pannacotta costs R 34 and yummy sounding molten chocolate cake R50. \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I loved the Italian-made beautiful cappuccino cup design, with the words “Collezione Portioli” written inside the cup.\u00a0\u00a0 No one seemed to know the origin of the cups, and it was thought that they were supplied by the coffee suppliers Roastwell.\u00a0\u00a0 Pink cupcakes eaten by patrons reinforce the colour scheme of Lazari.<\/p>\n

A week ago I went to the Gardens branch of Lazari, and had exactly the opposite experience.\u00a0 I stopped there because it was only one of few restaurants open in the area.\u00a0 I sat outside as it was a beautiful summer’s day.\u00a0\u00a0A waiter grumpily told me to come inside if I wanted to order, and refused to tell me what was on the board, so that I could stay seated.\u00a0 I decided to leave, and so found The Sidewalk Cafe, subject of a future review.<\/p>\n

Lazari\u00a0will be\u00a0my new favourite cappuccino stop, when I am in town.<\/p>\n

Lazari Foodgallery,\u00a0 <\/strong>Cape Quarter, Napier Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town.\u00a0 Tel (021) 419-9555. \u00a0www.lazari.co.za<\/a>\u00a0 (Website is short and sweet, and contains the menus for both Lazari restaurants).\u00a0 \u00a0Twitter @Lazari_CQ.\u00a0 \u00a0Mondays and Tuesdays 7h30 – 17h00, Wednesdays\u00a0– Sundays 8h00 – 22h00.<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio:\u00a0\u00a0 www.whalecottage.com<\/a>\u00a0 Twitter: @WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are two Lazari Foodgallery\u00a0restaurants in Cape Town.\u00a0 The Cape Quarter branch is a passionate pink place, focused on the colour pink, perfect for its location in and therefore attraction\u00a0to the residents of De Waterkant, known as the pink capital of South Africa.\u00a0\u00a0 It makes the most fabulous thick and foamy cappuccinos, and is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[3,124,20,21],"tags":[1778,32366,8746,32378,8749,3953,474,2314,1461,2412,8743,8747,8752,8744,8745,3625,8750,32388,8751,32373,8748],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t