Breakfast Review - Gaslight Café

Today is Worker's Day and having a day off in the middle of the week is something our forefathers should have fought for as a right and not only left for public holidays to decide. A perfect opportunity to test a new restaurant and this time with a bit of pre-investigation. The idea was to spend the day at Muizenberg and incorporate it with another breakfast review. Checking the internet before venturing out makes it actually simpler than driving around and not knowing where to stop. I had three restaurants lined up in the area of Surfer's Corner, but the menu of two of those made me feel like I will be ripped off again, so I went for the Gaslight Café right on the beachfront situated in between the Surf Shack and Lifestyle Surf shops. 

What convinced on this restaurant was the fact that they had a breakfast called "Surfer's Choice" and the fact that they did not have a web site or pictures of their food on the internet. The pictures of the food from the other two restaurants were those typical arty-farty concoctions styles where you pay for what you see and not what you eat. Secondly it looked to be a very normal no-frills hangout for people with sandy feet and wet hair. My kind of place. The prices on the menu was also very reasonable. There are very few places in Cape Town where you can still find a coffee for under ten bucks and a Latté for thirteen bucks. Usually a Latté ranges from R18 to R25 and sometimes even up to R30. The menu I found on the internet was a bit outdated, but the prices were still acceptable. Anchovy Toast for R16 and the breakfast of my choice for the day, The Gaslight Breakfast, a mere R33. For this exact breakfast you will pay R45 bucks at the Wimpy. My wife pointed out that everything was served with chips, even the omelettes. That actually made me feel even more convinced that I was at the right place. To me that is in line with what I would like to see at a restaurant that I believe caters for surfers. After a good surf session you want a breakfast that can fill your stomach and not empty your pockets at the same time. The Gaslight Café seemed to be such a place where that is indeed not going to happen.

I always wonder how a restaurant situated on a prime spot keep its prices so low, but when you look at their interior decorations you might get a clue.  Basic and simple, nothing exorbitant or over the top. The restaurant has a smoking side with a bar and some couches which obviously makes more money than the other side where the table is. Obviously more money and time has been spend on the bar area, but when people come in with wet feet to grab a snack you don't want fancy chairs and expensive carpets. 

This will definitely be a regular breakfast spot for me in the future, seeing that I will have regular surfing weekends at Muizenberg. I will just try and do the surfing BEFORE the breakfast and not the other way around like I did on Worker's Day. In all fairness it was a rather flat day and did not take much effort to get onto the board, even after the huge meal...

Breakfast Review - Cocoa Oola

My initial plan on Sunday was to go paragliding at Sir Lowry's Pass, but when a friend called me to tell me it was already blown out I decided to take my family for what we normally do on weekends...breakfast. It was  quite a mission to find a place, we want to try a new spot every time and we eventually ended up in Kloof Street. There are quite a few restaurants in Kloof Street, so we took the nearest one to the fist parking we could find. 

I am always looking for a place that seems to have a nice relaxed atmosphere and preferably a good view. In Cape Town you have to pay for view so Kloof Street with not much view convinced me that we might get a good breakfast at a reasonable price. So what is a reasonable price? I don't know. How long is a string? To me it is value for my money and lately a place where I can have my kids run around without disturbing the other clients.

Cocoa Oola seemed to be a good start. My wife jumped out to go see if they serve breakfast and when she was waving that we can park I knew this was going to be our next breakfast . BTW, my wife is willing to pay much more for breakfasts than what I am, so I initially still had my doubts. The sign on the door that said "Sunrise Special - Breakfasts + Coffee Specials every day before 9am" put me at ease. I was quite impressed with their extensive breakfast menu. There is really everything you can think off and I didn't take a picture from the menu because "Breakfasts" covers three pages of the menu. I didn't want to look like spy. Their prices are all reasonable I would say and the food was presented rather well. I took scrambled eggs and bacon on toast which was R33. It looked and tasted pretty much the same as the breakfast I had at The Roundhouse which cost me 70 bucks. Only the tomatoes was prepared differently, but I don't even like tomatoes and usually leave it on my plate.

I read on the Internet that Cocoa group actually have four restaurants scattered across town. I might just visit one of the other sometime soon. Although my kids were running round I think that people sitting in a quiet spot early in the morning don't really want kids around. As the place got busier I felt more comfortable, although I still tries to keep my kids away from other customers. The place was not bad and I will definitely go there again.

Breakfast Review - The Roundhouse Restaurant

If the price of the view is included in the food prices on the menu, then I guess it was rather reasonable. The reason I ended up at this restaurant for another breakfast was because a family member had breakfast here and suggested it. He did mention that the prices are a bit steep, but my wife was rather determined to try it out so I had no choice.

If you don't miss the slightly hidden turnoff down Kloof Road then the chances are good that you have found the restaurant nestled in the forest on the slopes of Lion's head. Better to reserve your table as the place is quite popular. When you get to the parking area where you find SUV's and fancy sport cars then you have to look for parking. Drive a little further where you find pick-ups and kombis then you have passed the Restaurant and headed for the Glen trail. The place is obviously catering for the upper class Capetonian, the ones probably also living on that said of the mountain.  The web site advertise that it is child friendly but there was nothing on the menu for kids and when I asked for a small juice I was told that the only juice is a Juice Box for R28. I am sure my son will not finish a quarter of it and even less appreciate what it costs, so he had to share an Appletizer with his sister. So apart from some really stiff upper lip "we-have-it-all" guest and the fact that nothing is cheap for a kid who never finishes his meal, the place is actually quite a pleasant experience.

On the day the weather was a bit overcast with a chilly wind in our backs, but that did not stop the regulars to come and have their weekly breakfast there, and it is not difficult to see why. The view to Camps Bay and The Twelve Apostles is magnificent and the food  is in the same class. I had Scrambled Eggs and Bacon with Roasted Tomatoes on Sourdough Toast for 70 bucks. Now to me that is too much for that meal, but let's look past the price and focus on the meals and the way they were presented. All meals were served on wooden boards and your table utensils are in a little picnic basket on the side of the table. My wife had Eggs Benedict with English Muffin, Bacon and Hollandaise which she shared with her mom who had French Toast and Roasted Bananas with Toasted Pecan Nuts. According to her the best Eggs Benedict she has ever had.

What I did notice on the menu was the section "From the bakery" which in future might be motivation to come back for a quick coffee and something sweet. The setting will be then be a bonus. If you want to feel "exclusive", you love to sit and mingle with the rich and talk about your race horses or your last vacation in Greece then you will find this is just the place for you.

Breakfast Review - Deerpark Cafe

After my doctor told me that I am aiming for high cholesterol and high blood pressure and that I should take it slow on the bacon an eggs, I thought that my breakfast days might be over. It is in fact true that bacon and eggs does not always make for the perfect breakfast and that I can have a healthier option in order to lower the cholesterol while still enjoying one of my favourite activities..having breakfast. I am also pretty sure that a nice breakfast at a beautiful setting like the Deerpark Cafe on the slopes of Table Mountain will lower the blood pressure as well.

I guess the main attraction to this little restaurant is the nice playground attached to the restaurant which makes it a perfect place to take your kids...and apparently dogs as well. At this stage of my life I prefer child-friendly places so that I can send them off to play and enjoy my breakfast in peace. Underneath some pine trees where I am sure Jan van Riebeeck also enjoyed a cup or two, there are plenty of activities and apparatus to keep the kids occupied for a while.

The food is great, nothing to complain about at all. The staff is friendly and the place in general has a very nice atmosphere. I skipped the bacon and went for plain scramble eggs on toast. My first latte was a bit cold on arrival but my second caffeine-free one was better. They even brought the empty sachet along to prove that they made it with caffeine-free coffee. Not that I would have noticed because I am totally resistant to any caffeine side-effects. I just thought it might be a healthier option seeing that it was going to be my third mug of coffee for the morning. What I did appreciate though was that my children were playing on their own, although my little one had to be watched due to the steep slopes leading down to the play area. 

I didn't ask but I assume the place is dog friendly as well. I have nothing against dogs and nothing against dog owners, but if there is not a leash between the dog and the owner then I sometimes tend to change my mind. Especially if I am having my breakfast with a strange dog in between my legs begging for food. Some dog owners don't understand this, but if I remove my children when they disturb other people I would like dog owners to do the same when their dog starts bugging me. If you have to remove your dog for the SIXTH time then something must have registered that your feeble attempts to discipline your dog is not working. After informing your best friend for the second time that "begging for food is not good behavior" then you either put him on a leash or you don't bring your friend to a restaurant again, especially not when he or she gets served water from a bowl on the lawn. If you are a dog lover then the above paragraph might encourage you to visit Dogpark Cafe...excuse me, Deerpark Cafe, but if you believe that dog owners should control their dogs then try somewhere else. 

Breakfast at Deerpark was good, healthy and affordable and despite untrained dog(owner)s I will for sure visit the restaurant again. 

Breakfast Review - Zandbar Restaurant-Lounge

There is a new restaurant in town situated on the second floor right above News Cafe at Marine Circle in Blouberg. Even though my wife received an sms about the breakfast special, it was not the reason why we ended up there this morning. While on our way to have breakfast at Eden on the Bay, we remembered that at 8 in the morning all restaurants at Eden on the Bay would still be closed, so we stopped at the first place where we saw people sitting. It was on our way to News Cafe that we saw the Zandbar Restaurant-Lounge with a breakfast special of only R19.95, so we opted for that.

 It was clear that the place was just opening, it was probably a minute before 8 when we walked in. The waiters were still arranging the furniture and we were probably the second or so customers hoping to order a nice breakfast for a cheap price. I immediately made my way to the balcony, because from there it has a spectacular view of Table Mountain. It is just a pity that there are 7 or so lamp post standing right in the way. I suggested to the waiter that they have them removed. I doubt whether that would happen. Looking down was right on top of News Cafe's customers, and I have to admit their breakfasts from were I was sitting didn't look bad either.

We initially had our doubts about Zanbar when we ordered our breakfast and the waiter ran away before we could tell him how we would like to have our eggs done and which bread we wanted. My wife, as usual, went through the menu first and decided that she is not as stingy as I am and went for the Classic French Toast for R33, complete with deep fried banana and blueberries. My son's "fresh" apple juice was fizzing like Appletizer and when she told the waiter that the juice is fermenting, he looked at her as if she was from a different planet. He did eventually give a new glass and it did taste better than the first. This was more or less where the "bad" experience ended, from there on everything went quit fine.

Both breakfasts look really good and well presented. I noticed that the breakfast which was on a special wasn't listed on the menu, so I couldn't see what it would normally cost. For nineteen bucks I think it was a bargain, seeing that the coffee was bottomless too. When the special ends I don't know, so better go now before the special is over and you missed out.

It seems like the restaurant is more set up for cocktails and afternoon summer parties, with a white coloured cocktail bar that speaks for itself. The view is excellent and the food wasn't bad at all. So, while the special is still on, do yourself as favour and go check out the place, it was really worth the visit. When we drove past it this aternoon the place was packed.

Update Review - 11/9/2012

I decided this morning to pop in again at the Zandbar restaurant for a quick breakfast. The interior looks the same as well as the view, but there was definitely a warmer atmosphere than the first time. One could see that after a few months the staff for one was already more experienced and that there are more regulars than the first time.  That I guess should be obvious, but I was really impressed with their "cheapie" breakfast at R24.95. I did not take pictures this time as I wasn't there to "review" them, but the presentation of the food was quite remarkable and I honestly believe that I got value for my money. I am pretty sure that this will be my Summer '12/'13 spot for a quick breakfast in the morning before work or after that early morning surf session.

Breakfast Review - "Die Volksmond"

If you have read some of my other posts, you might've picked up that English is not my first language. I have a friend that likes to point out my grammar mistakes in my posts, but I try. I am actually Afrikaans speaking, which in the current South Africa is not really that great to be. The ruling party always associate Afrikaans with the apartheid era and try their best to kill the language. Just last week they proclaimed that three official languages used in state departments have to at least contain two African languages. That means that English, which is understood by most South Africans will be used, along with two other African languages. Where does that leave Afrikaans? Well, the ANC hopes it will disappear like they want the whites to disappear. But my blog is not on politics and the last thing I want to have is a debate on language issues. The reason however why I mentioned this language issue is because of my breakfast which I had at the Afrikaans Language Monument situated on the Paarl Mountain. 

We were on our way from Bain's Kloof back to Cape Town when I remembered that I previously stopped at this restaurant close to those huge "stalagmites" which obviously  represents something of the Afrikaans language. You have to enter the gate to the monument if you want to get to the Volksmond Restaurant where we were planning on doing a quick meal, but it is not free. Some way we have to finance our own language I guess. The entrance fee is R15 per person, but if you only want to go to the restaurant, you have to pay R5. The reason for this is that people say they are going to the restaurant and then walk up to the monument. Although I feel very tempted to say that even Afrikaans people seems to take liberties in this country, I have to admit that every time I've been there I have actually heard more foreign languages than Afrikaans. I guess we all take liberties then. But because of that everyone has to pay to go to the restaurant, which for me is not really fair if you want to support the restaurant. At least I knew the money was going for a "good cause".

But if paying was OK because of the "good cause", then I cannot really complain at the prices of the meals either. The menu is rather limited, but nothing less than what you would find at any average coffee shop. It was also nice to see that the menu was in Afrikaans as well as English, but I guess that you would also find at any average coffee shop in South Africa. I went for the "Afrikaans Breakfast" at R42. Not very different than what you would find on other menus under the title "English Breakfast". I wondered why they would call it an Afrikaans breakfast, because what do Afrikaners really eat for breakfast? Mieliepap? I think more Africans eat mieliepap than Afrikaners to be honest. Anyway, the food tasted good and even though R42 was a bit steep for that breakfast I told myself it was for a good cause. 

One thing that I can say about the place was that the view over the Franschkoek valley is spectacular. After the noise at Tweede Tol I really appreciated the tranquillity up on the hill.  If you ever want to go up there, do it for the view at least. The food is not bad either, just in my opinion a bit expensive. But like I said...it's for a good cause.

Breakfast Review - Cocomo

It is sad when you have more breakfast reviews during your holiday than exciting adventurous stuff, but it seems like my luck has run out where the weather is concerned. I was actually on my way for another Wilderness paragliding session when I stopped at the Cocomo Restaurant for breakfast. Not that I really needed food, I have been stuffing my face since I arrived in Mossel Bay and promised myself the day before (Xmas Day), that I will NOT eat anymore until New Year. But, when you are hungry I guess your stomach doesn't want to hear that.

The Cocomo Restaurant is actually a cocktail bar and not a restaurant. Breakfasts are therefor not their speciality, but when my wife ran in and came back with the news that kiddies have their own menu and do not have to pay R55 for the "Breakfast Buffet" which was advertised outside, we decided to give it a try. At my age I am not particularly fond of buffet meals, because I don't eat that much anymore. When I compared that to what a breakfast cost me at Delfino's a couple of days earlier, I thought it was a bargain.

I was a bit disappointment when I saw the "buffet". It didn't look much different than the breakfast I usually get from some of the less-fancy hotels that I have stayed in on my trips to Africa. The only difference was that it was "eat-as-much-as-you-like", but unfortunately for me I was not going to overdo it again. I had cereal, yogurt and muesli and some fruit before I dished up the part which I usually call "breakfast"...bacon and eggs. My son had a breakfast called the "R10 Brekkie" which consisted of one egg, some bacon and a slice of toast. All for ten rand of course, and probably what I should've had instead of stuffing myself even further. Even though I was hungry I was not really starved, so I think I wasted my money on what looked like a bargain. If you are really, then o for it.

I have to admit that even though the buffet did not look that impressive, the food really tasted good. More like the bacon and eggs I make for myself at home. If I was really hungry I am sure this would be a very good place to have a breakfast, and seeing that it is on the way to the launch site at Wilderness, not a bad place to stop and hook up with fellow pilots before the day's flying start. After a day's flying one can always come in for a cocktail afterwards. The rest of my day unfortunately did not go as planned. The wind never changed direction and the launch site was covered in fog. We eventually turned around with a full stomach and nothing else to rave about. But, I am glad I visited the place. Definitely worth wile to check out of you want a breakfast and you are really hungry....or go for the "R10 Brekkie", definitely a bargain. Maybe you can have two....