La Petite Tarte

La Petite Tarte is a charming little coffee shop in the heart of De Waterkant in Cape Town. This French inspired eartery serves up delicious breakfasts,lunch and sweet treats. La Petite Tarte has been around for a number of years, but its current owners have had it for almost 3 years and have taken the coffee shop back to its French roots. They serve up croissants, quiches and petite tarte’s of course!

On the day I visited is was a cold autumn day and I enjoyed the cozy friendly atmosphere in the coffee shop. I found 2 cozy chairs next to the cake display and was quickly welcomed by the friendly staff. I was given a hand-written menu, as their lunch menu changes daily depending what is in season and what the owners have made. I opted for a Parsnip soup (R38), while my friend had a spinach, feta and sun-dried tomato quiche and salad (R58) and the food did not disappoint.

As a special treat, we decided to indulge a little and opted for dessert. I had a Pear and Almond Tart (R28) and my friend had a ‘death-by chocolate’ brownie (R22) accompanied by a hot chocolate and coffee respectively.

La Petite Tarte is the perfect place to meet a friend for coffee, meet for book club, a birthday tea or just as an excuse to drink pink champagne and eat cake!

All in all, the service was efficient and friendly, the decor beautifully French and the menu deliciously fresh. Would I go there again?…..OUI!

Bon Appétit mes amis

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La Petite Tarte

Dixon Street, De Waterkant

Open Mon – Fri 9.00-18.00 and Sat 9.00-16.00

 

 

The Sweetest Thing!

Simon’s Town, distinctly British, beautifully quaint and a great weekend escape from the city.

One of my favourite places to go in Simon’s Town is The Sweetest Thing Patisserie.

As you walk past you can’t help but ogle at their delicious window display of pastries and all kinds of sweet delectables to tickle your taste buds.

This little patisserie opened in November 2005 and Sunday mornings are their busiest as many church goers pop in after the service for a sweet treat. If you are going to The Sweetest Thing for the first time you must try their now iconic Brownie Mouse Cake. Its to die for! Often if they are sold the owner is forced to make more! Everything is made on site.

Besides their wide range of pasties and sweet treats they also have a wide variety of savouries on offer to -delicious quiches, pies, savoury croissants, toasted sandwiches, salads as well as a small breakfast menu.

So next time you take a Sunday drive why not pop into Simon’s Town and enjoy the old world charm, a cup of coffee and a slice of cake from The Sweetest Thing.

82 St Georges Street, Simon’s Town

Open 7 days a week

 

Deer Park Cafe

Do you have little kids, but would love to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee and some adult company while the kids can play? Well then Deer Park Cafe is the place for you!

A friend of mine who has 3 little kids recently told me about Deer Park. This Cafe on the slopes of Table Mountain offers breakfasts and lunches while the kids can be kept occupied by jungle gyms and swings in the park. The cafe offers both adult and kiddies portions.  The interior is stylish but more importantly has enough space between tables to fit a pram and they have more than one baby seat on hand. She said that the staff were also very friendly and helpful and make your time there a pleasure.

So moms with kids, give it a go and let me know what you thought.

Deer Park Cafe: 2 Deer Park Avenue Vredehoek, Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00, 021-462-6311

 

De Oude Bank Bakkerij

If you love baked goods and the smell of freshly baked bread then De Oude Bank Bakkerij is the place for you.

De Oude Bank Bakkerij, founded in 2010, is located in Church Street in Stellenbosch.  It sells artisanal breads which are baked on the property, by owner Fritz Schoon, who worked at Il de Pain in Knysna.

When you enter you can see ham hanging over the counter, with the freshly baked breads on display for sale behind it.  One blogger described the interior as “It has a cosy ‘untidiness’, making it homely.”  It is also a deli, selling the breads, wines, coffee, jams and tapenades.

What makes this restaurant unusual is that the menu itemizes every item you may wish to order, on the principle that you only pay for what you get.  Everything is priced, and the customers at each table fill in the quantity per item they wish to order, minimising order errors.  The owner has written the following on the menu, to explain his restaurant philosophy: “Pain de vie is the bread of life. This is what I hope to create here.  The opportunity to break bread with friends and family.  I believe that this is what fuels our daily existence, our life purpose.  Sit. Talk. Laugh. Debate… and eat more BREAD!”

Some of the “Condiments” one can order with 2 slices of bread, costing R5 – 7 for two, are farm butter, schmaltz, mustard glaze, olive tapenade, roasted black olives, and shitake mushroom pesto.   Jams cost R5, and include olive marmalade, “nastergal jam”, rasberry jam, and bluegum honey.   Cheese brands are specified, Ganzvlei matured cheddar costs, Forest Hill brie, and Witzenberger Kimilili.  On the meat side, Coppa ham costs, as does Smoked Pork, Beef salami and Black Forrest Ham.  Namib beef biltong and Lucas Jamon is also on the menu.

Its sound like a lovely place to enjoy a Tapas style meal with friends and take a bread home to jazz up your sarnies for work

De Oude Bank Bakkerij, 7 Church Street, Stellenbosch. Open Tuesday – Friday 8h00 – 15h00, Saturdays from 9h00 – 15h00, and Sundays from 9h00 – 13h00.  On Wednesday and Saturday evenings pizza, beer and wine are served from 18h30 – 22h00.

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A stately visit and a coffee shop

The American First Lady Michelle Obama visited Cape Town today! It was a cold and wet day, so after canceling her trip to Robben Island, Michelle had to console herself with a tour of the District 6 museum. After finishing her tour at about midday the next question was, where will she go for lunch?

The answer, The Kitchen.

What an amazing honour! This little Deli, owned by Karen Dudley, can be found on Sir Lowry Road Woodstock, in the heart of the Woodstock Art Gallery precinct. They serve delicious home-style lunches and treats and Rosetta Coffee. Below is a picture of Michelle with the owner Karen.

This little eatery gets a round of applause from Mrs Obama…(and from me)

For more information visit there website www.karendudley.co.za and check out my previous post on The Kitchen in November 2010.

 

Places to go for High Tea…

Have you ever wanted to feel what its like to be royalty for a day? Why not treat yourself to a High Tea? Well here are 4 places in Cape Town that offer a decadent High Tea with all the royal trimmings.

The Mount Nelson Hotel

The Mount Nelson Hotel is situated off Orange Street in Cape Town. This elegant pink lady offers High Tea daily from 2.30-5.30pm in the Lounge, Terrance or in the garden. There is a mix of sweet and savory treats available at this buffet style tea. Savory treats include mini quiches, cucumber sandwiches and the like. Sweet treats include gourmet cakes including Black Forrest Gateau, Raspberry Vanilla Cream Cake and baked Cheesecake, as well as Madeleine’s, petifores, scones and chocolate éclair’s.  All this is accompanied by melodious notes sounding from the grand piano.

The price for adults in R165 and R 85 for children under 12.  High tea is available everyday but booking  is essential.

The Mount Nelson also offers a Morning Tea, a lighter version of the High Tea. It is served from 9.30 am – 12.30pm daily. It costs R120 for adults and R60 for children under 12.

For booking call: 021 483 1948

The Vineyard Hotel

The Vineyard Hotel offers ‘Lady Anne’s Afternoon Tea’ from 3-5.30 pm daily in the Garden Lounge. The hotel is located off Protea Road in Newlands.

For just R90 a selection of treats are displayed on 3 tiered stand and a selection of teas is also included.  The treats include finger sandwiches, quiches, lemon curd tart, brownies, dipped strawberries and marzipan to name a few. This is a platter that serves one as opposed to the Mount Nelson’s buffet style tea.

Booking is also essential. Call to reserve a table: 021 657 4500

The Table Bay Hotel

The Table Bay Hotel, situated at the V&A Waterfront serves High Tea daily from 2 -5.30pm in their lounge.
The Table Bay Hotel has been voted one of the best places in the world to have High tea. They serve their High Tea like a 3 course meal!

Once you have selected your tea the first course is brought to you - a selection of mini quiches and finger sandwiches. The second course is served to you on a 3 tiered stand - English scones accompanied with decadent cream and a selection of jams.

The third and final course is a buffet of chocolate treats, cakes and tartlets.

My advice is come hungry!

This is a High Tea truly set for a Queen in a luxurious and tranquil setting. The staff are very helpful and friendly but you must remember this is a 5 star hotel so dress appropriately. All this is available at R160 per person.

For bookings call: 021 4241037

The One& Only

The One & Only located at the Waterfront serves High Tea daily from 2.30 – 5.00pm.

You can expect to munch on chocolate tart, cute pale pink meringues, edible baubles and high-skill sugar and marshmallow garnishes galore. This high tea cost R145 per person and includes tea and coffee.

For bookings call: 021431 5800

Wondering what to do for your birthday? Why not treat yourself and a few friends to one of these decadent High Tea’s.