The Captain and i met some friends for a bite to eat the other night and i’m so glad they suggested The Sidewalk Café. Those of you who live in the City Bowl have been calling it their regular for ages now but spare a thought for those of us who live on the other side of the mountain and don’t get to pop to lovely locals like this one as often as we like to!
Sidewalk is owned by Richard Griffin of Madame Zingara fame and this eatery has the same delightfully down-at-heel, Miss Havisham-esque feel to it. It’s the kind of look and feel that would work so well in a comfy holiday home – which i suppose is what they wanted to achieve – a place that makes you want to linger longer. Judging by the packed tables (it was a Tuesday night) the recipe works.
The menu has things like ‘The Monday to Friday Really Cheap Breakfast’ for R25 which Bargain Betty wholeheartedly approves of as well as the ‘Scrumptious cake of the day’. The Captain and i shared the prawns in pastry with sweet chilli sauce – they were delicious, crunchy and sweet and i can imagine that they are the perfect after-work-with-an-ice-cold-beer snack too. For mains i moved on to a perfectly roasted piece of yellowtail with a mound of seasonal veg, the Captain had the famed braised pork belly with its warm pea salad and mash (which he refused to share it was that good) while our friends had a seared slab of steak (delish!) and the moreish rack of lamb with parsley and lemon mash.
Sophisticated fine dining this ‘aint but hearty ribsticking fare it certainly is and if i still lived on this side of the mountain it would certainly be on my regular eats list – for those nights when homestyle food is what you want but cooking is the last thing you feel like.
The Sidewalk Café is at 33 Derry Street, 021 461 2839
Suz on August 30, 2010
So glad I live on the right side of the mountain… will defo be wandering down there soon…
Rosemary on August 30, 2010
Sounds like a wonderful local – as we’re from the other side of the boerewors curtain, we certainly don’t have lovely locals like this! Keeping this on my list of great Cape Town places to try.
iwantthat on August 30, 2010
Ha ha Suz…the ‘right’ side of the mountain is a debate for another day…V x
Thaya on August 30, 2010
Awesome review, I’ll be going as soon as my feet can get me there!
Lana on August 31, 2010
Their Caesar salad is my fave, delicious!