Greek Dinner Tonight chez Maria's ....

I've not been to Maria's in Dunkley Square in the Gardens (Cape Town) for dinner in a loooonnnng time. This restaurant is somewhat legendary, having been around for about 23 years (I do however stand to correction). David Kramer recommended it to me btw. Standing in my kitchen & cooking tonight was just so unappealing so this was the choice- supper el Greco. Luke & I had the lamb pita which was fab, with artichokes secreted away in the mix, an unexpected & delish surprise. Oscar's fried calamari on the other hand was less than impressive- I mentioned it to the waiter who said we should have had the grilled calamari. (Erm, next time do a bit of recommending dude). Deluxe supply the coffee there so I rounded off dinner with a flat white & a few baklava cigars with fresh, unsweetened cream. All-in-all a good meal, a fab atmosphere & I'll go again , though not for the calamari. By the way, the house wine is great & at R25 a glass, a good deal. 0214613333. Go Greek!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Duchess of Wisbeach

Fabulous new restaurant in Sea Point, Cape Town...we heard about it for the first time at the Biscuit Mill today & managed to get a table at short notice. Good food, not brilliant but certainly tasty....I had the gnocchi & Paul went for the chicken...great flavours. We finished off with an apricot pud with fudge sauce, which we shared...I can't ever resist fudge anything....the pudding itself was dry but the sauce was authentic. See online for details .. No Twitter account I know of....I did ask. Good night, I'm very full....

 

 

 

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Bad coffee

So I returned to Raith in the Gardens Centre, keen for another go at a good cup of coffee. Bleh, it was 'thin'.....Burnt...bad... Disappointing. Not going back, not for coffee anyway. For bratwurst yes, for flat white, nein!

 

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The Jewel Tavern, Gardens in Cape Town

We didn't really enjoy it...average meal of chicken chow mein, spring rolls, dim Sum...nothing special at all. Granted it was well priced at R230 ex a tip, for 3 people but still....I won't be going back.

 

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Raith, Gardens Centre in Cape Town

After Mal's memorial service, I took the guys for lunch at Raith, the German deli in the Gardens Centre. Delicious cheese & salami rolls & Luke had the special: a meatball wrapped in a cabbage leaf & bacon, with mash, gravy & broccoli & cauliflower smothered in white sauce. I had a great coffee too...was so surprised ...cool barista they've got there & seriously, my flat white was really good. Try them out- lower level, Gardens Centre in Cape Town *

 

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Burrata, Italian restaurant

There's a new Italian restaurant in town, Burrata, at the Old Biscuit Mill in Salt River. I'd heard good things so took my guys there last night for dinner. I had pasta: garganelli, asparagus, charred cauliflower & truffle...delicious but oh hat, the portion was tiny. Oscar, who had (not your typical looking) lasagne with mushrooms, aubergines & a delicious sauce, also felt he didn't have enough so we supplemented with a pizza bread. We'd both arrived ravenous, but isn't that how one feels at dinner time? Luke rated the pizza 6/10. I felt the pasta dishes were a tad expensive (between R80 & R90) considering the amount of food served. I'd also have liked to see more choice of wines by the glass, priced between R30 & R40 ideally.


As their website says: Offering Italian-inspired fare with a flair for the exciting and unexpected, this restaurant offers interesting mains and handcrafted pizzas of the highest quality as well as a superbly appointed wine list. Bookings via 021 447 6505; @BurrataSA

 

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