{"id":15068,"date":"2010-12-18T12:17:58","date_gmt":"2010-12-18T10:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=15068"},"modified":"2011-01-02T20:28:40","modified_gmt":"2011-01-02T18:28:40","slug":"restaurant-review-cafe-paradiso-re-awakened-in-its-perfect-setting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/restaurant-review-cafe-paradiso-re-awakened-in-its-perfect-setting\/","title":{"rendered":"Restaurant Review: Caf\u00e9 Paradiso re-awakened in its perfect setting!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Caf\u00e9 Paradiso re-opened three weeks ago under the new hand of Richard Griffin, the fourth restaurant in his Cape Town collection, which now also incorporates the Bombay Bicycle Club, The Sidewalk Caf\u00e9, and Caf\u00e9 Mozart.\u00a0\u00a0 We wrote recently about Griffin’s talent<\/a><\/strong><\/span> in turning around existing restaurants, and giving them his restaurant magic.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9 Paradiso has no apparent Griffin decor quirks to make it appear different or improved – it has the most beautiful landscape of all in its dramatic view onto Table Mountain from the outside terrace area, fully occupied last night\u00a0with more patrons queuing for tables.\u00a0\u00a0 We were extremely grateful to Peta, the manager of Caf\u00e9 Mozart, who happened to arrive at the same time as we did, and who helped to wave her magic wand to organise\u00a0a table for us with Myra, the Spanish hostess.\u00a0\u00a0 And what a table it was outside.\u00a0\u00a0 The infamous Cape Town Southeaster was an angel, and stayed away, making it a magical evening.\u00a0 Griffin has turned the previous smoking-area of the restaurant\u00a0into the new kitchen, while the old kitchen at the back is a Madame Zingara test kitchen, bakery, an home-made pasta section, of which Angus is in charge, as well as a section in which butter is made.\u00a0 Whilst I was wandering through inside the restaurant, the Executive Chef Heinrich came up to me to say hello (this is how friendly the staff are), and told me that he was the chef at the original Caf\u00e9 Paradiso ten years ago.\u00a0 He looked very happy to be back “home”.\u00a0\u00a0 So what has changed?\u00a0 Not much, other than the kitchen changes – there seem to be more tables outside than I can recall.\u00a0\u00a0 The pin oaks in the courtyard\u00a0have grown, offering excellent shade.\u00a0\u00a0The lighting inside was far darker than I recall it.\u00a0\u00a0 Surprisingly, there was no music, a missing finishing touch, in my opinion.\u00a0\u00a0 I was bowled over when the hostess Myra welcomed me by name, remembering me from the\u00a0Madame Zingara restaurant in Loop Street more than five years ago!<\/p>\n

Our waiter John brought the jug of water, which looked extra refreshing with orange and lemon slices and ice, as well as the creamish A4 paper menu and winelist printed on reverse sides of the sheet.\u00a0 The table cloth is a material one, and therefore the paper serviettes were a disappointment.\u00a0 Olive oil and balsamic vinegar\u00a0are from Olyfberg.\u00a0 The restricted menu and winelist choice\u00a0makes it easier to choose what to order.\u00a0\u00a0 The menu starts with “Beautiful Day” and ends with “Beautiful Night”, and states that “This store lovingly created by The Royal Countess Madame Zingara”, clearly a\u00a0‘promotion’ for the Madame!\u00a0\u00a0 John brought two beautiful slices of home-baked wholewheat seed-topped bread, and I was lucky enough to get the end crust.\u00a0\u00a0 The menu starts with the breakfast collection (served until a respectable midday), and as at Caf\u00e9 Mozart, there are some quirky sounding items on the breakfast list, including scrambled egg with rosti, feta, avocado and tomato;\u00a0 and French toast with grilled haloumi, basil pesto and tomato, both R45.\u00a0\u00a0 I’ll be back for the poached eggs with spinach, hollandaise sauce and smokehouse salmon (R55).\u00a0 There is a choice of four sandwiches, and the young ones are not neglected, with chicken nuggets and lasagne, and “fish fingers royale”.\u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Antipasti can be ordered, at R60 for one, or shared at R90 for two, either a meat\/cheese one (proscuitto, coppa, salami felino, pecorino, bocconcini, with olives, caperberries and rocket) or a vegetarian one.\u00a0 Starters include mussels, squid, haloumi, and black risotto with chorizo, none costing more than R50.\u00a0 Salads (R45 – R60)\u00a0sound unusual and interesting, the Greek salad being the only standard.\u00a0 \u00a0Eight pasta dishes are offered, in a range of R 50 – R65, even with a ‘Ravioli del giorno’, which was filled with wild mushrooms last night, sprinkled with olives, pinenuts, rocket,\u00a0and parmesan shavings, and served with a tasty white wine sauce.\u00a0There are only five main course choices: rack of veal stuffed with four cheeses at R145; an ‘organic sirloin’ at R135; “feathered steak” (as I understood it, parma ham is beaten onto the surface of the steak to make it as flat as a feather and then flash fried) at R90; linefish at R89; and a most generous charred lemon and rosemary chicken-half, served with a colourful collection of root vegetables, including sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin\u00a0and turnips (R85).\u00a0\u00a0 A range of familiar sweet treats, cakes, scones, muffins, ice creams,\u00a0and desserts are offered, costing R25 – 45.\u00a0\u00a0I couldn’t get John to get a frothy\u00a0cappuccino from the kitchen, but it did come with a biscuit on the side, and the word ‘smile’ on the\u00a0foam.\u00a0The cappuccino\u00a0seemed somewhat more expensive than the going rate, but this is a small price to pay for\u00a0the excellent value for money of the rest of the meal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We were bad news for the sommelier Eron, in not ordering any wines, both being on medication.\u00a0 He was not switched off, and treated us as long-term customers, and gave us some of his background.\u00a0\u00a0 I asked him to consider stating vintages of the wines on offer and\u00a0the region from which they originate, as well as offering more wines-by-the-glass (there are only two white and two\u00a0red, and one bubbly by the glass).\u00a0 The housewine is called Paradise on the menu, costing R22\/R85 for the red and the white, but when Eron brought a bottle to the table, it was a label-less bottle, with a neck label\u00a0stating the name “Unbelievable”, the wines made especially for Caf\u00e9 Paradiso by Mount Vernon in Klapmuts.\u00a0\u00a0 Fifteen red and white wines each\u00a0are on offer, a mix of varieties, peaking in price at R175 for Jordan Chardonnay and R210 for Hartenberg “Cabernet”.\u00a0\u00a0 Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel costs R30\/R155, Graham Beck Brut R185, and Mo\u00e9t & Chandon R650.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9 Paradiso is a new affordable friendly ‘home from home’ at any time of the day and evening when one is in town, especially on a gorgeous wind-free Cape Town day.\u00a0\u00a0 I’ll be back.<\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9 Paradiso<\/strong>, 110 Kloof Street, Cape Town.\u00a0\u00a0 Tel (021) 423-8653.\u00a0 www.cafeparadiso.co.za<\/a>\u00a0 (website goes to www.madamezingara.com<\/a>site, listing all the\u00a0Griffin ventures, each with their own page – not containing much information, and with few photographs, but the menu and winelist are featured).\u00a0\u00a0 Monday – Saturday 8h00 – 22h00, Sunday 8h00 – 14h30.<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/a>\u00a0Twitter: @WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Caf\u00e9 Paradiso re-opened three weeks ago under the new hand of Richard Griffin, the fourth restaurant in his Cape Town collection, which now also incorporates the Bombay Bicycle Club, The Sidewalk Caf\u00e9, and Caf\u00e9 Mozart.\u00a0\u00a0 We wrote recently about Griffin’s talent in turning around existing restaurants, and giving them his restaurant magic. Caf\u00e9 Paradiso has […]<\/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":[9107,9103,7095,2307,8939,8951,9100,32378,9106,2125,2696,9110,9102,9104,9109,303,698,9112,456,6046,9101,3625,13,305,9111,1072,3124,4,9105,8751,4757,32373,3404],"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