Restaurant Reviews

Van Hunks – Review

h4rri3t

Location: Corner of Kloof and Union Street.

This seems like quite a large place for this part of town. The outside of the restaurant is a lot larger than the inside. Covered in greenery and above the street, you can get a good view point of the street and be above prying eyes. It is a quiet spot.

During the week there is a deal on for lunch at this place, there are a few other mid week deals as well. This one is 2 lunch option for R100 – can’t go wrong really. There was enough on the menu to chose from for lunch as well: salads, pita breads, fish and chips and sandwiches. It seemed more of a evening place for drinks and light food as opposed to a proper restaurant, but it is pleasant enough place for an easy conversation over lunch.

I had a Chicken Tikka Marsala and Pineapple pita with salad alongside. The tikka marsala was spicier than I was used to, but was lovely and tasty none the less. The pita was soaked with it, so I ended up leaving it. The salad was light which was nice, no dressing but coriander gave it a nice taste to it.

This is a lovely little place for a light quiet lunch on the outskirts of the busy city.

Uncategorized

Hermanus

h4rri3t

There is a lovely beautiful drive down to Hermanus, please do it, and do it slowly. You can look over the city up on the mountains. The roads are easy to drive, and well kept.

This is a small town, a perfect day out of the city. There is a charm to it. A few boutique shops and stalls as well as other general shops. Plenty of food places, most of them overlooking the sea. Fish is done very well here. See my review of Fusion if you are looking for something to eat.

Mainly this place is a good stop during the Whale Watching season from June to December. There are plenty of places to stay in this little town as well, so don’t worry about accommodation.

Hermanus is well signposted coming out of Cape Town. Parking is easy, my advice would be to always park where there is an attendant, they can keep an eye on the car for you whilst you go around the shops. I parked for an hour or so and paid R6.

Restaurant Reviews

The Lawns at Roundhouse

h4rri3t

So Lawns at the Roundhouse, the restaurant at actually called Salsify. It is quite posh however the lawns is a more relaxed atmosphere as you can see from the images. There are two bars outside. The grass is astro-turf at the top, plenty of seating and usually the wind is still here.

Outside there is a small menu consisting of burgers and pizzas mainly. I would advice keep to the pizzas, they are divine. They are simple, thin and delicious. Some have slightly more challenging flavours but all delicious. One with walnuts and figs it the mutts nuts!

The wine choice is extensive too. The view I am sure you can agree it stunning, sitting here with a lovely glass of wine after a nice meal, light but filling. It is just perfect. I can only imagine the quality of the food inside the restaurant.

There was no fault in the service. Always happy to refill glasses and bottles. It was a wonderful experience, the sun going down with the tablecloth in full view. The wind was up a little this evening but, not too cold. A truly lovely experience, table cloth included.

Uncategorized

Mount Nelson Afternoon Tea

h4rri3t

As I have said previously, I love afternoon tea, so when my Brazilian friend asked me to join her at afternoon tea – how could I say no…

The Mount Nelson hotel is well known in Cape Town, a prestigious hotel with a larger archway at the bottom of the driveway. You walk up this palm tree lined drive to the front of the hotel. There is security at the gate and at the front of the hotel. The door opened and we were steered towards the afternoon tea.

This is what leads out to the gardens, where some of the afternoon is served. There are some tables inside but the outside is lovely.

We sat down at our table and given the tea menu which was incredible. There is a very extensive list of green, fruit and black teas to suit every taste. The waitresses are very helpful in figuring out which tea you want. The first part of the afternoon is the savouries, there is a range of quiches, sausage rolls, cauliflower bhajis, sandwiches, cheese bread etc. The choice is just amazing. It was filling, it was just so delicious. The china all matched and was immaculate. The serving was perfect. All very impressive.

What followed was warmed scones – with whipped or clotted cream and jam or even butter. They were plain scones so they were sweet enough but the cream and the jam was just the perfect compliment.

What followed were the clean plates ready for the final ‘course’ two tables full of every cake, sweet treat and desert you can think of. Allergens are on the descriptions/name plates of the items. You can stick to your favourites; millionaires shortbread, chocolate cake, lemon meringue, anything you could possible fancy. You can go back multiple times as well! Can you imagine? Unlimited tea and cake !

The gardens surrounding the hotel makes you think you cant be anywhere near a busy road. The vegetation, the trees and the bushes just seem to create this haven in the middle of the city. What an Eden. It is a stunning experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and although I will never afford to stay in the hotel, this small experience has been wonderful.

Uncategorized

Two Oceans Aquarium

h4rri3t

Location: Waterfront

Price: R175

Okay I know Aquarium’s are much of a muchness, all are very similar however I had heard some wonderful things about this place. So one a cloudy day I decided it was the perfect opportunity. It is one of the more expensive places to go. There is a massive range of fish and sea creatures to be enjoyed and learnt about. It is very accessible for families, wheelchairs and prams included.

Surrounded by Nemos and Dorys – hard feeling to beat according to this childs face. Bless him. This is right in the start of the Aquarium, and you walk through there are a few smaller tanks to see the stranger of the fish. As you work through there are sea horses and crabs and eels. The explanations are very easy to understand and read. The only challenge is then trying to see the different creatures, in the different tanks.

As you turn a corner there is darkened corridor – normally I would be the last person to go into this voluntarily but curiosity killed the cat. The photo below is what i was greeted with.

So I turned the corner and I am welcomed by Jellyfish , tubes of Jellyfish, and surrounded by mirrors so it made it look like there were hundred of them. It was a very cool affect – no pictures can really do it justice. Another ‘exhibition’ that could not be photographed well was a darkened one too, where you press lights and it lights up the tank in certain areas to see if the fish and crabs of that prefer the dark. This was just incredible. I loved it.

Just beyond here was a touching pool, the lady was in the know, showing me what could be eaten and not eaten. I got to feel all sorts of kelp and sea weed, starfish and other plants too…the woman tending it was very chatty and happy to explain everything. I love the hands-on learning in places like this. They really do help the whole process.

The big tanks for me are always the best part about Aquariums, either being able to walk through it and see everything going on around you, or just sitting and watching their world from a distance. Seeing the Kelp forest you start to appreciate the underwater world, the different sizes and colours. I must have sat here for a good 10-15 mins just watching penguins dart around and the fish avoid one another. All the big tanks have somewhere to sit nearby so you can just relax and take it all it.

There are to penguin ‘exhibits’ in the Two Oceans Aquarium. I happened upon them during feeding time, so I could see them in their element as above. It was very interesting to hear the explanations of how they distinguish between the different animals and how they all have name . They have to keep track of what each penguin eats and ensure everyone gets something. – What a job…

Just behind this part of the Aquarium, there was a section that helps you realise about the plastics used in daily life along side an interactive learning space to make sure people make the right choices with packaging and products. The ids seemed to love it.

If you get there at the right times you can change various feeding points. As I mentioned earlier I saw the penguins being fed but also the Stingrays. This Tank I watched for maybe 30 mins. It has so many fish and rays it was hard not to be fascinated by them. The divers explained everything so well, everyone was mesmerised by the experience. The lady on dry land helping to guide the conversation had to come up with a lot of the questions herself – i think we were all a bit dumb struck.

All in all, this place is a lovely stop on a rainy day or somewhere when it is too hot to be outside. As anywhere gets its busy and quiet periods. There i wifi throughout the Aquarium and it is easy to navigate, there is a cafe half way around and play pens for children too.

Until next time

Restaurant Reviews

Royale Eatery – Review

h4rri3t

So by this stage you must think I am obsessed with burgers – I am not going to lie, I do enjoy a burger. There is some much you can do with a burger. Regardless onwards and upwards.

Location: Long Street – the infamous.

This place is well known for its burgers and shakes and so no surprises this is what I had. A lactose-free shake – a choco peppermint one!! The shakes list makes it hard to chose what to pick, the smaller lactose free one helped – regardless I could have had so many of these instead of food. They are nice and thick and thirst quenching. The peppermint crisp on top definitely added to the flavour. This is the smaller of the two sizes!

The staff here were very welcoming, a range of tables and chairs and booths as well. It is quite a small place, in a sort of U shape. There is a little outside seating, but with the busy street, it is preferable to sit inside and watch the world go by. The decor is simple and bright, it was lovely to sit in my corner with my book just enjoying everything about the place, the peace on Long Street.

I was very impressed by the range of vegan and vegetarian options here, from drinks to food as well. They do pizzas and burgers, the menu is more of a booklet, bound in a leather casing. Alcohol is on the smaller side here, with a few craft beers.

I ordered a chicken burger with brie, caramelised onions and cranberry sauce. My server even checked with me regarding my lactose free shakes, as I had ordered that then and cheese on my burger so wanted to make sure knew there was cheese. How sweet!

There were options for sides, sweet potatoes, wedges, salad or plain fries. It was so yummy, sweet and salty – perfect combination. They are quite large portions with the shake as well I couldn’t finish it. Sauces were brought ahead of the burger, tomato, mayo and sweet chilli, three napkins were given – I needed all three. Sign of good food if it ends up all over your mouth.

Until next time!

Uncategorized

Cape Agulhas Backpackers

h4rri3t

This is one of the most welcoming places I have ever been. Welcomed with open arms.

The communal areas are very comfortable, games, pool, a fire every night, sofas and a bar. Cash bar only, beer is R20. The bar tender is always happy to chat and help in anyway.

You sign up for breakfast the night before out of 5 options and can opt in for extra proper coffee rather than the instant stuff. The prices of breakfast range depending on what you want. I had yoghurt, granola and fruit one morning and scrambled egg and bacon the next. All come with toast and jam, more toast – no problem just ask.

There is mini shop in reception with some unique things as well as some usual souvenirs. There are so many tours available to choice is unbelievable almost.
Braai is available if you provide the meat.

There is a pool area in the centre of the hostel, which has the sun almost all day around. Most of the rooms connect to the pool which is lovely. Patio doors in each of the rooms, these either connect to the front of the hostel or the pool area.

Beds are so comfortable, I slept very well. There is a ceiling fan in the room which with the window open was lovely and cool.

It is a very colourful hostel, the rooms are very comfortable. There are ensuite and shared bathroom rooms.

The location of the hostel is amazing. It is 5 mins to a 14km long white sand beach and 15 mins to the Harbour along a wooden boardwalk. It is a small harbour with a restaurant and a place to hire kayaks. You can, if you come at the right time feed the Stingrays in the Harbour!!

Resident dogs and parrot included.

At the beach – the warm is warm enough to get it. It is not Caribbean however it is warm.

There is a OK Grocer down the road should you want to cook a meal for yourself, there is no Ubereats down there, but there are a few restaurants near by.
Such a lovely place and people to be involved with. I would stay here again if i was stopping by.

Uncategorized

MyCiti Bus

h4rri3t

MyCiti Bus – an alternative to Uber.

Cost: R35 initial cost and then your top up.

Bus system in Cape Town is extensive, you can get most places. With two major hubs in the city centre it is not hard to navigate.

You buy at MyCiti card at any vendor, handy map on the website to find the nearest vendor to you. Be warned sometimes they do not have them in stock. Best to go to one of the hubs rather than a store like Spar.

There is an initial cost of R35 to buy the card and set up a PIN for the card. You load the card with money that transfers into credits on the card.

Once you get on the bus, there is screen to tap in and a screen to tap out. Very similar to contactless card payments, if you know these, or for those Londoners who can see this and Oyster Card.

There are so many buses be sure to know what bus you are looking for, all have different numbers or combo or letters and numbers. The generally stop around 7pm but always check the time tables, an you can call a number at the stops to find out where the next one is too.

The MyCiti Bus gets you all from Hout Bay up to Century City and Blouberg and to Khayelitsha as well. It is very safe and easy to use.

Uncategorized

Camps Bay

h4rri3t

Now you may think this is just an excuse to show off my beach pics…

Ok. It is a little.

Camps Bay is the first of the beach places in Cape Town. Clifton 1 -4 is another area, but that is for another time.

Camps Bay has views of Lions Head at the top of this blog and the 12 Apostles as below. White sand beach – plenty of bars and restaurants down the front.

It is always busy with people, whenever or wherever you join the beach there are people on hand to get you a sun bed and an umbrella, very polite. Likewise there are people walking down the beach with ice cream and water and cold drinks for you throughout the day. So you need not move from your sun worshipper state.

A warning – the water is cold. Wonderful if you have been walking all day, or led down in the sun. But regardless it is cold. It is a lovely long beach so it is perfect for walking down and back again.

I found a spot and was quite happy, a few people came up selling their wares but a quick thank you very much but no and they soon move on.

There is a place to get a massage as well, R140 for 20 mins on your neck, shoulders and back. R240 to include your arms and head. There is an option for your feet as well. It was perfect, it is under shade. They check the pressure with you throughout the process. It was lovely. Then I returned to my sun-worshipping position and continued with my book.

Catching some rays!
Uncategorized

Lions Head

h4rri3t

Walking the Lions Head is no small feat. It is a hike – a good hike but definitely a hike. Although saying this…I did it in Sketchers/ Trainers.

Let me start at the bottom – get it? It is free to get in, you just need to get an Uber to the base of the walk. It is dusty to wear hiking clothes or clothes you don’t mind getting dusty at least. Many people I saw were wearing Gym clothes and I wish I had done the same in hindsight.

It is about an hour walk or so (depending on breaks, fitness, how fast you want to go), but it is all uphill, some with stairs but initially just a steep slope.
Once past the stairs you come to the clambering bits up and over rocks, you end up watching your feet constantly.

There is a cave to find on the way up if you wish to, however it is a very narrow and quite cumbersome to get there. Although the view and the pictures are lovely when you get there.

Anyway, you clamber up and you come to a plateau where you can see both sides of Table Mountain, the 12 Apostles, Clifton and Camps Bay and the City too. It is a gorgeous view.

There is a walk up to the very top of the Lions Head (the bit I am looking at in the photo – yes you can climb to the top). However, it is more clambering on hands and feet and not many passing points. Therefore if you are doing this at Sunset as we did I wouldn’t recommend going up unless you are very sure on your feet and have good strong shoes on. It is easier to go during the day as the people traffic is more fluid and less of people wanting to stand or sit and take photos of the sunset.

It is a tough climb, I will be the first to admit I am not in the best shape but I still managed it in Sketchers. I did enjoy it. We stopped a couple of times and took it really easy. It is definitely a walk to do if you are in the vicinity and enjoy your hiking.

Table Mountain at Sunset featuring the Tablecloth