Deer Park Cafe - if you can ignore the decor

Some time ago a friend and I were on a mission to find a good cup of coffee. It was a Sunday afternoon, and the restaurant where we had lunch had a power outage - so no coffee or anything other than the bill being served.

So we headed Vredehoek way, and as neither of us had been to Deer Park Cafe - we aimed for it. Upon entering, the rich coffee smell in the air was enough to make us sit. Not before we had a look at their cake displays though....

You really do need to disregard the decor of this well positioned establishment. It feels more like a 70's cafeteria, but the coffee was good and the cakes scrumptious. Their menu looked good enough for us both to promise to try it again for dinner. 

Maybe it looks better in candle light?

Cuban flair

A few Sundays ago, after a weekend of being a total sloth and barely venturing outside the front door, I decided that we needed some fresh air, and a cocktail. So we did.

We headed out to one of my favourite spots south of the mountain - Kalk Bay.  After a bit of walking about, munching on breads and pastries from Olympia Bakery, we headed to Cape To Cuba. 

Whenever I go there, I end up staring at the walls and ceilings and floors and not talking to whoever I'm with, at all!

 I'd love the back pendant, well 2 of them actually, to hang over my kitchen island - one day.

Mosaic detail - table tops. So much better than a standard 60 x 60 stock table top, don't you think?

Sure, we tend to take in the vibe and the whole picture, but next time focus a bit on the details, the finishes. Pretty damn amazing!

Happening in Cape Town: Zapiro Exhibition

Whenever my mom comes to visit, we both have a loooooooong list of things to tackle. Shops, markets, exhibitions, coffee shops... you know, things to buy and places to see.

But we never complete the lists. For the most part, we lose our lists or forget about 'THE' place we had to go to (or just can't find it, like the time we spend 30 minutes looking for the Stellenbosch Slow Market).

But the one thing we both had on our respective lists, and remembered, and found, was the exhibition at the South Africa Jewish Museum. Zapiro and Madiba. What a combo :)

With over 130 of Jonathan Shapiro’s cartoons on display, Zapiro: Jiving with Madiba traces the life of Nelson Mandela from Prisoner to President to Pensioner. “This exhibition is truly an inspiring romp through the first two decades of the New South Africa, as serialised in our media, by our greatest cartoonist, Jonathan Shapiro” says Andrew Goldman, the Jewish Museum’s Director. “It is not possible to leave untouched by the contributions of Mandela and Shapiro, endowed with very different talents and yet both hugely influential in the shaping of the New South Africa.”

The exhibition is open now until November, admission is R15 for adults, kids free.

Well worth the visit. Plus - Zapiro teaches you how to draw the iconic Madiba! I must admit, after 2 tries I didn't quite nail it, but practice makes perfect, right?

For more info click HERE.

Post Valentine's Lunch / Cafe Mozart

OK, calling it 'Post Valentine's Lunch" is a little pretencions, like Mr M and I drag the day out to a whole week affair! We really don't.

It's was just an excuse to have a lovely lunch, really.

The trick with Cafe Mozart is to go early in order to secure an outside table. Or wait. It's worth it. On a *lovely* summer's day there is nothing better than sitting under the big trees, with the buzzing city around you. Situated on the Church street cobble stoned walkway, there is always interesting folk passing through. On Tuesday we were surprised with street buskers playing a catchy tune ;)

By far the best thing about Cafe Mozart is their buffet. A table laden with fresh salads, homemade bread, gorgeous potato bake (which I suspect has dollops and dollops of cream in it), so much more. For me it was the perfect (almost) healthy lunch. And at R45 per plate, a great deal for a lazy lunch.

You might think that I get paid for these reviews they way I carry on, but truly, I just love it when I stumble upon a place that not only serves good food, but also makes me feel happy when I sit there. You know? Even if I had only a glass of water I suspect I would enjoy the experience ;)

PS. more more info go to Cafe Mozart and Cafe Paradiso