Royal Deli

Hallo there, The Royal Deli has been the curry house of choice in PE for many years. When it first opened its doors the Grinch and I were regulars and then laziness crept in and take-outs from this delicious spot became the norm however after an energizing hike we went to feed our faces at the imporium. The decor has much improved since I was last in the spot and it is looking very upmarket. The menu has also been added to which was a delight to me as the takeouts have alway been the Royal Deli special which is mutton curry with potato. So after quizzing the menu, the Grinch and I decided to share a fishcake starter. When the Grinch first mentioned fishcakes I honestly thought "Oh no what's Indian about fishcakes" Wait until you eat them. These fishcakes are H. O. T. Hot! Not for the faint hearted. You definately need to ply on the sweet chilli sauce to cool the damn things down.5 small fishcakes were served as the starter so a word of advice - share unless you want to leave off the main meal. The starter is enough to have as a bar snack and feel full enough not to need a main. For the main, Grinch went for the usual Royal Deli special - mutton curry. I venture out to try the Madras Lamb Curry. This is superb! Just meat and sauce,no potatoes or other bits. Its served with rice and pomperdoms and of course the sambals. Sambals consist of chopped banana, chopped, fresh tomato and onion mixed together, chutney and some other intersting bits apparently called chevron. Now I'm not one for pmpadoms, I find them far too oily and bland however, last night I added a hint of salt and found that they improved vastly. (maybe that was the trick of the 2nd glass of wine.) When the Grinch sampled my fare he declared it a winner and from now on the Lamb Madras would be our stample take-out. Having said that I am sure that you have deduced that the Mutton Curry did not live up to expectation and was reassigned to the medioca catagory. Do book. This place was humming yesterday. They do have a smoking section, which is where we sat. The smoking section is in the pub area so when, like last night, theres a huge crowd at a birthday bash one feels like a bit of an intruder and when they leave and you'r left sitting stock-siel-aleen it is a bit in the eyes. Next time I'll sit in the restaurant and Grinch will have to smoke the electic thingy. The evening passed plesantly. The food is good, priced perfectly. The service is efficient and friendly. The owner is hands on and that does make a differnece especially when he takes time out to chat to you. This is a place you recommend without hesitation. It does cater for those non-curry guests serving both steak and fish.

Apron Strings

Hallo there, Apron String's is an age old PE favourite, one happy place. Nothing more pleasant than sitting in the baking hot sun under a shady tree, kids playing at the "Bottom" of the garden were than can be seen and not quiet so easily heard sipping a cup of your favourite brew and ensuring that you partake of enough sugar to see you through the next bout of child minding. The tarts,cakes and scone are delicious espically when accompained by the strawberrry jam. Apron Strings was once known for its strawberry fields and home made strawberry bakes. Things have changed a bit but it still remains a good place for a family outing. The lunch menu is sparse and the meals a bit medioca. K and I had toasted samies, chicken mayo and a tomato and cheese,no extra bits like a few chips (get that at the Wimpy) or a light side salad (most coffee shops) and definately lacking in salt. We both felt our lunch would have been better if we had made it at home. The Grinch went for the Liver pate. He remarked that it was ok but nothing to write home about. My boets kids that we were entertaining enjoyed a vienna and chippies. I couldn't resist - for the sake of the blog - I sampled a chip and found it to be dissapointing, flowery and on the oily side so lunch can do with improvement. Tea time treats are a different matter altogether. K had the Apple Strudel - wonderful she said. The Grinch went for an all time favourite of his, Lemon Merangue. He commented that it was good. I went for a scone and lapped it up with strawberry jam and cream. We all remarked at the end of our day that we would be back for tea at a later date. The service is efficient, but don't expect things to be done in a hurry, it's not that kind of place.

Sage - Coffee Shop

Hallo, hallo, The new kid on the bock - Sage is a delightful spot. Well worth a visit. The menu is priced right, real value for next to no money and you can easily afford to take the family out for breakfast or a light lunch and come away with change. The Grinches mom and I met for our weekly cup of brew and were delighted by the friendly atmosphere and by the very effiecient service. Mommie Grinch had a Scone with jam, cream and cheese, I went for my one weakness - bannana and carmel panacake (irrisistable). The scone was a mountain of a scone and the bites lasted until the very end of our hour and a half long visit. The caramel and banana is served as two huge pancakes and I must say I was so full I had difficity gobbling the last mouthful, I am glad to report though, that I endured to the end and simply could not resist each tasty morsel. This is the kind of spot I enjoy, where no one regrets picking up the tab and neither do you feel guilty when someone else insists on paying. A truely delightful spot. Come on girls grab the old foggie and take em to Sage....

Valley Harvest

Hi di ho. Valley Harvest is under new management. Is it better, dunno? They closed for the first week in March to undertake renovations and the deli area is looking clean and fresh but it has lost that cosy, come browes around feeling. The restaurant/coffee shop with its painted wooden furnishings is a lot more inviting than previously. The menu seems to be a work in progress. The Lamb pot the Grinch partook of, an old Valley Harvest favourite had a lot more veg than lamb in it and what was there was so small you needed spectacles to see it. This is exactly how it was served previously, tasty though. The Aspari samie I had was different. Homemade toasted bread with cottage cheese(plenty of),chopped bacon and asparagus with melted cheddar on top,the ingrediants are plentiful. We took our own alcohol as the place isn't licensed. (a plus in my opinion as you tend to linger longer.) After lunch we could not resist the freshly made fridge cheese cake. A hint of almond. This is definately a must have. The Grinch gobbled his share and smacked his lips and I licked the platter clean so now you know it really was good.The cheesecake will draw me in through their doors again without any arm twisting, the service is polite, friendly and efficient. Go encourange the new owners and give this place a try. At the moment it is open during the day only.

Weavers restaurant - Colchester

One the way back from a long weekend break at Burlington game farm we stopped off for a light lunch. The little house that the restaurant is in is too cute for words and the front garden tells you how the place got its name,sitting under shady trees with birds everywhere seems like a mini twitchers paradise. The food however leaves a lot to be desired. The Grinch had a garlic burger with what tasted like a sauce with no garlic, that sums that up! I wanted the macaroni cheese being an old time favorite of mine only to find that it was not available. Decided on a toasted bacon and banana,nothing wrong with this but I can do same at home. The chips that came with the sarmie were not cooked through, tasted of oil and a definate no,no. Wine and beer cold and good.Service better than food but slow, polite but not overly friendly. Not a place to drive out to but if you need a pit stop why not.

Farraigers at Kelway hotel

Long time no speak, Farraigers at Kelway hotel is the hotel's pub. Very upmarket,the type of place a lass can walk in by herself for a drink and enjoy her evening without anyone thinking she's on the make. If hungry, the spot sports a pub menu and you can also eat from the Restaurants menu if you so choose. The pub menu is restaurant quality grub at decent prices.The Grinch and I met for drinks one Thursday night and yes, you'r right, I got there first sat down with my glass of wine and waited. Very relaxed. (There are a lot of places where I would wait in my car rather) We ended up eating there and boy was it good, Heybo! We shared a starter of camembert and fig preseve wrapped in phyllo pastry. Delicious despite the fact that the phyllo was warm and the camembert in the middle was a tad chilly. Something original though, original scores high on my list. I went on to a main of cajun chicken which was lip smacking recommendably good. A do again kinda meal. The Grinch was salivating after steak so he decided on the sirloin with jalapeno peppers, mozarello and cheddar. Grinch baby rated this as a 7/10 but he rated my chicken a solid 10 / 10. We then went on to share a pud -chocholate caramel tart. Hands up, this is tasty stuff. This place calls my name. The service is not rushed nevertheless it is good, friendly and very much a callling card. This is one of our favourite spots for a Sunday afternoon refreshment ( or 3 ). The view of the sea is spectacular. Wine is not cheap by the glass but the draught beer is, so come prepared . Definately not for students. The staff will always welcome you with open arms, like a family returning home. Don't hesitate. Go there, you won't be sorry, the kitchen is not always consistent, I suppose it is one of this spots quirks but a fine experience overall.


Back to Farraingers for yet another delightful meal. K treated herself to Hake and chips, the Grinch went for the Cajun Chicken remembering how good it was and I decided on Pork chops. Our lips smacked together in great enthusiatic mouthfulfuls of deliciouness. Each one of us was more than delighted that we had chosen our fodder as we had. The chips were excellent. The vegetables were a medley of baby corn, corgettes, carrots ala dante, really fresh and crispy, with pumpkin ( again ), but it was good. My own meal came with mash potato, what a lovely alternative to chips! We shared a Date pudding between the 3 of us and we were reduced to hmmmmmms as we fed greedily of this delicous pud. The service here is excellent, friendly and efficient. As I said before go and try it out,you won't be dissapointed!

Veranda/Beach Hotel

Greeting to all fellow diners. The Verandah at the Beach Hotel is a delightful place to enjoy a light lunch on a beautifully warm South African day. Even if the wind is blowing a gale the verandah will shelter you and provide a splendid view of the sea. The Grinch and I often pop over to enjoy a light alcholic beverage after a meal out or a morning spent walking along the beach. We have on numerous occssions partaken of their cheese platter which has recently been improved tremendoulsy. It was good before but now its excellent. Be warned that there are two different cheese platters on the menu. The first is listed under the light lunch and called 3 cheeses, the other is found in the dessert section.(This is cheaper by a good couple of bucks and is the one I am refering to.) The Grinch and I decided to order a chicken salad and a cheese platter and two extra plates so that we could share our meals serving from the main dishes. Truthfully I am glad we opted for this route as had I indulged in the salad on my own I would have been extreemly dissapointed. It does not lack for chicken, which is tender and has a peppery flavour, it does have all the usually salad ingrediants ie cucumber, tomato a huge mound of leaves and watercress, it just lacks enough of the cucmber which is so thinly sliced youre eating air. No crunch. Nothing to get your teeth into. The cheese platter came with blue cheese, camembert,brie, chedder, sliced fresh apple, grapes, fig preserve biscuits and strawberries. This is what I call brilliant, definately worth its money. The chicken salad was a good compliment to the cheese platter the combination making a lovely summer lunch. the salad on its own is not worth the price. It lacks oumf. You need to be able to bite, chew not swallow whole, a salad needs crunch. All in all this is a peaceful, pleasant place to dine outdoors and not cook in the sun. We have enjoyed many a good time on the Verandah and we will of course be back. Heres hoping to bump into you the next time we'r there...

Old Austria

Hallo there,Mr Grinch and His lovely wife have been eating at this delightful emporuim for over 20 years. That should sum it all up. They have since then moved premises but the menu still boasts a fine selection of good quality fare. Our long time favourites being a starter of fried cambert with cranberry sauce. the Grinch always has pot roast for mains and I chop and change between the stir fry, pot roast and veal crodon bleau. We always conclude with the Pavlouva having in our time eaten various of the desserts, this to us by far the best on offer. The best pavlouva in PE. No shirking on fruit or any other delicous ingrediants. If you are going to Old Austria for you initial visit I suggest you make a booking and inquire after the pianist as he is not on duty every night. Its sooo romantic to sit with a glass of wine, rose on table and a hunky specimen of man-hood opposite you with the music playing in the background, movie making stuff. When it rains they have a man holding out an unbrella to protect you from wetness who escorts you to your vehicle. (I told you, romance personified!)This place is always a good bet. They have recently introduced chips to their menue - why? I'm not sure. I waited for an opportune time to ask but it has never come. The chips are good. The service is always excellent with the owner being hands-on making you feel very welcome. If I can have just ONE complaint its the veg of the day, Yes, you guessed it butternut/pumpkin (both orange and taste the same in any restaurant)and spinach. That being said make your booking today. You won't be sorry.

John Dorys - Beachfront

Hallo again, John Dorys for lunch. After hinting to go there for more than 2 weeks we eventually got there. Dissapointing! Grinch had catch of the day which was Dorado. To us catch of the day means fresh fish bought in on the day from the harbour, well this appeared to have been frozen. The flesh of the fish itself was dry and a bit hard(like old fish is) It came to the table swimming in lemon butter probably a tactic to make us think it was succulent. The chips were good. I went for the Prawn and Avo salad as the picture looked good, making my mouth water. What a waste of money. The avo was green as in not ready to eat, so green it could not be cut with a kinife and the bowl was so full of lettuce, which is unfortunately the case when one has salad out. The 6 prawns that come with it were good and there certaily was tomato, cucumber and onion with the odd bit or red pepper. If the Avo was ripe and if there was a little less lettuce it would have been good to go. We shared a Mozart dessert which is hazelnut chocholate something or other on what we were told is meranguie ( served with cream or ice cream ). The meranguie appeared to be more of a soft biscuity type thing BUT this pud was delicious, not too sweet and something different, however the portion size for the price was a bit on the lean side, definately meant for one person. To be perfectly honest we've eaten better. The service was attentive but we did request an ashtray from two different waitrons and never ever recieved one, so Grinch flicked the cigerette butts about the place ( LOL ). We hope whoever cleans up puts in a suggestion for the restaurant to spend a bit of cash on ashtray's. The chicken carpetbagger called both our names so in a while we'll go back to suss it out...don't hold your breathe though...

Guido's Walmer

My oh My, I think this place is one of PE's best kept secrets. The roadworks certainly do not help attract patrons. After seeing an amusing write up on their sign board about the roadworks killing them and that you must pop in before their funeral, I decided that our good deed for the month would be supporting this spot. So Grinch and I went for a light bite on sat afternoon. In all honesty, this place is underrated. I had the most delicious, melt in the mouth, crumbed calamari. It gives Rome a run for its money especially as it is a lot cheaper than Rome. The chips were good, now that's a rare compliment from me. Perfect chips. Grinch went for the Spaghetti Bolonaise.He did comment that for once there was plenty of mince, more than the spaghetti but was lacking in juicy sauce, good value for money, he said he would have it again.The alcohol is reasonably priced as well. While chatting we noticed that there are a good deal of evening specials offered at less than daytime prices so we will be back soon to partake in these value for money meals. The service is in need of help, you seem to be forgotten after you've placed your initial order and we had to look for our waitron to place additional drink orders, no offer of desert or coffee and our ashtray was also not cleaned until we requested it, we also had to wait for the bill. A pity really. With a little attention to detail on the service front this place would be a hit as its easy on the pocket and a tasty treat to the tummy. I sincerly hope that they manage to hang in there and are able to make full recovery after the roadworks are completed.

Pescadiya

Hallo again, At long last, computer been down due to virus...Went for a delicious chow at Pescadiya in Stanley Street on Friday night. It's our second visit to this spot and it definately does not dissapoint. Take your own bottle as they are not licensed and believe it or not this adds to the magic of the night with a vibey humm from all the tables, you'r never without a beverage and there's no rush to leave. On both occassions I've partaken of their fish. The first visit I had Kingklip which was not on the the menu but offered as an inticement. I fell right into the SQ trap and enjoyed every delicious mouthful. This time round I went for yellowtail. Woweee...taste of the sea freshness, licking lips need some more of that soon kinda stuff. The mash that was served with the fish is magnificent. Veg were a meddley of stirfried ala dante corn, red and green peppers,onion,carrot etc. Full marks for serving up a novel veg dish. The Grinch went for hake on his first visit which was recommended and he is still raving about it . This time round he went for a fillet which they cut right there in front of you. He was not asked how he would like his steak done so it arrived a bit underdone for his taste and needed to go back for an extra grill. On both visits we were delighted by the freshness of the fish. You really can taste the goodness of the sea. The fish is moist and worth every bit of time you wait (and belive me you do wait). Waiting is good though - you get to enjoy that extra glass of vino... The service can be jacked up just a scratch, for instance no desert offered on the 2nd visit and on the first visit they had run out of desert when we enquired after it. No one came to check up that food was ok, or offer coffe etc. All that being said, this is a wonderful place to pack your booze, grab a friend and visit for the night. Highly recommended!!!


Back to Pescadiya on 27/2/2010 with Grinche's folks and a lovely niece. Personaly I think we went back to soon and have overdone the place, but parent-in laws and Grinch were determined that this was to be the place of a great feast. I was left dissapointed and ready to remove 3 stars from their excellent ratings. Grinch was debating on their behalf to keep the stars he is sooo taken by the spot, so what went wrong with this visit. Lets see...firstly we booked for 5 and all they did was stick an extra chair at the table, no extra cultery, the chairs were also not moved around to accomodate the 5th it was just stuck on as an extra leg - not very welcoming or comfortable until we rearranged things. We had hardly sat down when the waitron come to tell us what was available for starters and waited eagerly for the orders. Grinch asked if we could please have ice buckets and glasses for the vino first and to give us a few minuets....At first none of us were having a starter but minds were changed when our step-fater-in-law wanted to try the prawns. We called the waiter over and ordered 2 prawns each (you pay per prawn) and a side order of veg for my grinch's mom who dosen't do prawns. As the waiter was about to leave it was decided to give him the order for mains similtaneously as the kitchen was very busy. We were told that the starters would come out on one plate not as seperate dishes, we were happy with this idea. After a long wait..Long enough to be on the 2nd bottle of wine and to have sent Grinch to the bottlestore to purchase a 3rd we received our prawns and veg on one main plate for the table together with our main meals. One main meal did not arrrive for another 5min. Now thats not service. We would never have ordered the starter if we knew that it would arrive at the same as the main course. Luckily it gave the person without grub something to munch on so we could all start eating without feeling bad. The prawn were delicious and worth every cent. The mains were not so wonderful. I had Cape Salmon(Geelbek). This was dry, no smack of the sea, no reason to order same again. My niece and my father-in-law who had to wait extra long for his dish both had the cob. My nieces portion was dry, no smack of the sea however, Grinch's pa's portion was tender, succulent and full of the taste of the sea. He was extatic and enuthused about the dish being a great cook himself it says a lot when he goes on about a plate of nosh. Grinch went for Hake, he swears by it saying it was very,very nice.( I think he's being loyal) None of us recall what mom-in-law had, she never commented and she never enthused, and we've all but fogotten.(guess that says enough). Yet again there were no offers of coffee nor deserts - what a pity they lost our on a sale again....

This spot has become popular - best to book if you want a chair. It is a good night out made even better with great company. I do fear however, that it will become a place that once deserved its good name but now lives on the reputation which has no substance to it.

Munkee Bizniz

HI there, Munkee Bizniz is a new spot on the Marine Drive opposite the Willows Resort. This is a RUSTIC spot. Not for the faint hearted. The decor is refreshingly hippie-like, you are transported to a different world with absolutely no frills. The owners are hands on and very welcoming and friendly and by the time you leave you feel as if you've been friends forever. Definately a go back to place unless you'r into manicures and facials, then this spot is not for you. If you'r into backpacking, lazing in the sun and believe its ok to have cellutlite, then this is THE place. Grub is cheap, a boerewors roll is just a boerie in a roll - no frills. You can buy a braai pack from them and have a do it yourself braai as they have a permanent fire going, they feed you coals to the area that you are sitting at. The Grinch and I will go back to sample the fare but I unfortunately got turned off when I ordered a cuppa coffee and the milk was off. Sour milk served to me in a jug, all very different but left the tummy churning. Will post an update as soon as I've plucked up the courage to try the fodder. It's a wonderful place for bare feet and drinking in the sun....

28 March 2010 .... finally plucked up courage for a meal. Today the normal menu was not available, things have changed a bit since we were last there. Oxtail potjie was the fare of the day,priced a bit high for that kinda joint but well worth it. The Grinch and I shared a large plate with pot bread as an added extra . Both are must haves. The potjie was done to perfection and the meat was tender, succulent and you really do get meat on your plate. The veg and gravy of the pot was also devine. The pot bread was soft, better than I have had at my own table. Definately value for money. Service has improved from its lazy hippie style to having the odd person check up on you and deliver drinks to your table. Not quite waiters as they tend the bar, fire and cook grub,it is all hands on deck in this joint, so put on your shorts, kick off the shoes and join me at this possie at your soonest. May it live long in PE and may many more would be hippies open up a shack and give those franchises that are cropping up all over a run for their money.

Bonemia

If you live outside of Sherwood, don't waste your petrol. The place closes on a Friday night at 9. At 9! whose ready to go home at 9? No offer of coffee, no offer of desert. Luckily we were not frog marched out. We consider ourselves fortunate in that we were allowed the luxioury of enjoy the sips of our last beverage. The food is, in my own opinion #@#*%. The Grinch, who always looks for the good in something said it was't the best and that he personally would not be in a hurry to go back. We shared a camembert with rasperry, or was it younberry, syrup starter. This is in fact the worst cambert starter I have had anywhere. The camembert was done perfectly. The raperry sauce is in my humble opinion ..jam heated up to make it runny. Too sweet and not complimentry to the dish. I couldn't make out what it was served with, was it a salty crumpet or was it oily bread....??? Cannot remember what the menu said. Still, being hungry we both gobbled our halves up. For mains, I had the Pork in Litchie and Fig sauce. It sounded exotic. Different. And it was. The pork was tough. The litchie and fig source far, far too sweet. The meal came with rice, no veg, no salad. Belive me you need veg or salad to break the sweetness. I couln't finish it. That after dieting (living on soup for a week) should tell you how "good" it was. The Grinch went for Phyllo Lamb. That came with potato wedges and a green salad. The salad is served seperatly. It consisted of a pile of various leaves, two annerexic carrot twigs another two paper thin halves of cucmber and a wedge of tomato. Now that I wouldn't serve to a dog. According to the Grinch the lamb Phyllo was good but he had had better at the old Zorbas. The service was excellent. If anyone is head hunting waitrons go there. They are top class. You can have a meal here for between R45 to R100 so this place will fit anyones pocket, however my own meal was not worth the R82.00 it cost. So go with care. I doubt I'll be back, not for a good long time any way...

Thornhill Hotel

Hi di ho everybody out there, after a delightfully slow amble through the Van Stadens Nature Reserve Forest Walk a handfull of us tortoises went on to the Thornhill Hotel to quench our thirst and fill our bellies with fine pub fare. Admittedly, if you are a bit of a snob (and I have no right to be judging from my own humble abode) you need to close your eyes when you approach this quaint hotel. It is desperately in need of tender loving care even though you can spot the renovation a mile away. Tiled floors may be practical but they do not match the old building and stick out like a sore thumb making the place look less loved and deeply in need of a make over. That said, I must admit that the garden is green even in this drought and there is nothing nicer than sitting under a huge shady tree to enjoy a beverage. As I said earlier we went for pub fare and pub fare is what we got. 3 people had fish and chips,one of the 3 said it was a bit too oily but the other two enjoyed the meal and ate heartily. 2 others enjoyed toasted ham and cheese which comes with chips, too hungry to comment or complain they guzzled away until there wasn't a crumb left. The Grinch had boerewors, eggs, noodle salad and chips, he declared this a winner. Loved the noodle salad which was spicy and after encouraging me to a mouthful I had to agree with him. The wors was a bit thin but darn delicious. I myself, went for a hamburger and chips. Having gone to the loo when the bar lady explained the menu, I missed hearing the bit about the burger being served as a toasted sandwich. So, Yes, I was a little dissapointed when my plate arrived. The pattie tasted as though it was one of the frozen box kind you buy in a retail store. Not very good. After a week of living on soup to lose weight my complaint is more than valid and was not worth putting on the kg I've lost. However being in company and being extreemly hungry I tucked in and licked the platter clean. The chips were okay, a bit flowery but then thats me, no one else was complaining. There is no waitron here so the food comes to the table one plate at a time.I am the type of person who does not eat until the last person receives their meal and this was proving difficult. Eventually I gave up and tucked in as it seemed like one plate was cooked and served at a time. Meals and drinks are ordered from the bar lady who was polite and cordial. Our service was adequate especially as there was no waitron, no need for one really as the place is quiet and I think its only locals who frequent the place however, we could have been made a little more welcome. They do need to do something to encourage you to return but overall not bad, we will be back in time but not in a hurry

Cape Town Fish Market

This really is the place to go if you want to impress. As their advert reads it is for a Romantic meal for twoand it does have a vibrant and relaxed atmosphere. The place is chic. The staff are very friendly and the watron attentitive. Now to be honest I don't know how much of the "goodness" handed out to us was due to The Grinch knowing one of the partners and how much of it is real. What i witnessed was that nearly everybody knew the partners name and would stop by out table were he was enjoying a glass of wine with us to say farewell and they in turn were greeted cheerially by name by the owner. So it is a place where, if you are regular enough you will get personalized attention. This was our first experience of the place. They opened their doors +- 2.5 years ago, back then we popped in after eating at the Dros(next door) to say hi di to Grinches mate and wet our lips with a glass of vino. After looking at the menu (that is 2.5 years ago) we knew we could not possibly afford to darken their portals.2.5 years on, a good comm month and a reason to blog made our heads dizzy with expectation. The Grinch's mate lost no time in bamboozelling us with what was hot and what was not and we ignorantly agreed and went for a Prawn starter. They brought 4 humangus prawns on a plate with a side salad of green and red cabbage. Got to mention the side salad a Whew no lettuce, full marks for origionality. 2 Prawns each! Smack the lips they were good. Bring it on! A word of warning - they are NOT CHEAP. For the mains, I decided on sole, just so I could compare it to Aldego and Grinch decided on the Cape Salmon. I had veg with mine and Grinch went for chips. The Sole was done to perfection. It was moist, it was fresh, beats my 2nd visit to Aldego hands down but not the first, no smack of the sea which I admit was a rare find. The veg were a medly of Butternut,green and red peppers and courgetts. I think this is their everyday veg. Still full marks for not serving up the dreaded butternut and spinach combo.(Listen now, I love butternut, I enjoy spinach but the combo has been beaten to death. It is total non acceptable for every restaurant to serve it up. It's damn cheap, unimaginative and not worth paying good money for.) All in all, I ate heartily and was well sated. The Grinch had delicious, moist, every mouthful a miracal in itself kinda experience. The chips which I tasted just to measure the standard were flowery when eaten alone. When combined with a bit of fish they were acceptable. After mains...long after, we shared a pepermint tart. This is not large but, wowwieee it is good. The food here is excellent. The service is friendly, inviting, attentitive. Full marks so far. At over R100 for a bottle of Nederburg, which we did not order, had wine by the glass and a bill that came to over R400.00 including 10% tip, I have to take points off for being far too expensive for my pocket. Some meals are priced per 100gms, now that's trickey to budget your bill. This is a place for romatic meals as I said before and the reason for that is not the atmosphere, its so you can a) have an excuse to share and b) impress the chick with flashy cash. As good as this place is, it will be a couple of months before I go back. Next time it will be without The Grinch (he knows the owner and I can't be sure how much that played into the wonder of the evening) so that I can try the budget menu on the side.You can eat for R65/R85 and R100 if you choose from their menu mix and match.What a pleasant night. Really wonderful!

The Keg and Swan

What a lovely surprise, no spinach and butternut! We went to the Keg and Swan for Sunday lunch today. Absolute value for money at R65.00. Two meats,lamb and chicken drumstick,served with veg, roast potato and broccali,couliflower,carrots and courgettes done ala dante in a cheese sauce as well as the most devine pumpkin fritters with yellow rice and gravy. This was a full plate of food that neither of us could finish but gladly took up the offer of a doggey bag. Malva pud comes with the Sunday lunch and it is goood, my favorite pud so even though I was full to the brim and watching the weight I could not resist this delictable temptation. Worth every bite.Service was attentive and friendly. If you are looking for a relaxed, affordable Sunday lunch that's not buffet style then this is a recommendable place to dine. Enjoy!

Went back to Keg on 13 Feb after a long walk on Kini Bay beach. Hungry as hell! In need of fodder quick! We sat on the balcony so Grinch could smoke and as always, pleasant to be outside as opposed to indoors. I had a pepper and feta burger. The pepper and feta sauce was awesome, delicously peppery and the feta plentiful. The chips were a bit on the floury side though. Being hungry the food went down the hatch at high speed, my only complaint is that the burger was cold. I mean cold as in not warm, not even lukewarm. The Grinch gobbled his mini Footlong Pecker Pie quicker that you could say "fetch me another beer please" In his opinion it was just what he needed and he had no sympathy for me and my cold grub. This is a wonderful pub and it does have a relaxed atmosphere, however service is slipping ( perhaps something to do with change of ownership ? ) and may not stay on the list of places to go to. For this reason ( and cold grub ) I have taken 2 stars off their rating.

Rome

What O! Last night was delightfully spent in the company of Mr Grinch, K and R. We were being treated to a meal that R was paying for out of her very own newly acclaimed wealth. What a marvellous treat,one to be remembered for ever! As R is new to the restaurant scene Mr Grinch decided that she should book for us at Rome. (Do book especially if you want to sit in the garden as this place can get very full in the evenings) The weather was warm and perfectly calm, ideal for a meal on the veranda. We ordered a bottle of wine, scoured the menu, made our desions,sat back and relaxed into conversation. As none of us wanted a starter we went straight to main. K had baked pasta with chicken and bacon, R went for prawn and calamari and the Grinch decided on mamas meatballs. After I recovered from the shock of Mr Grench not eating the usual canaloni which he swears by and would bet on, I ordered the calamari having done so on a previously, memorable evening with friends from the UK. A word of warning here - the food does take long, so if you are hungry treat yourself or the table to a starter. The calamari and the prawn and calamri comes with a choice of veg or salad. And Yes, you guessed it. Once again the veg of the day was butternut and spinach. What happend to carrots, peas, beans,etc. (Can someone who's rich please sue the Keg for starting this boring and unimaginative trend)so obviously both of us decided on the salad, the salad is a real salad, with feta and a lot more than lettuce and tomato. Everyone of us smacked our lips and licked our chops. K and Mr Grinch who both have bird like appertites could not finish their food but took the rest home. Mr Grinch commented that the sauce over the meatballs was a little too sweet for his palate, the meatballs themselves though were moist and excellent. K declared her meal to be a winner, the cheese topping was real cheese,the kind you can pull, R and I cleaned our plates. The chips that came with my meal were in my opinion good, not flowery or old old. K who tasted the chips did not like them, in her opinion they were doughey? How can a chip be doughey? Anyway the calamari is "melt in the mouth" and is recommendable. My only complaint is that when we were there in December the portion was so huge I could not finish it. It was in deed a meal for two. This time round it was half the portion size and a meal for only one. Hmmmm, maybe they had run out of calamari or maybe the first experience was a loss on their part and a gain on mine. Consistancey in portion size as well as quality is very NB. As this was a treat everyone excluding me ( As my figure will at this stage not permit it) partook in Pud. Mr Grinch had the lemon merangue - gobble, gobble gone. In his words.."perfect". R had the pecan pie which she found a bit sweet, that however did not deter her from making sure the plate was licked clean. K went for pavlova expecting it to be a bit like the one at Old Austria but she was a tad dissapointed, it more like merangue with canned berries thrown over it in haste than a "worth putting on the kg kinda pud" Don't choose this. It's the only thing so far that we have found on the Rome menu that is not worth its weight in gold. The lass who served us was extremely attentative, so far the best waitron we have had. Rome is a PE favourite. You can always be assured that your meal will be good(excluding the pavlova, of course). The prices are reasonable, you can easly afford a bottle of wine. It is as advertised, 'great food with great variety'. Mr Grinch and I have eaten there on numerous occassions and we have never ever been dissapointed in the food. Yes it does take long to come but it is worth the wait. Obviously, we will be finding an excuse to go back asap.

El Greco

Hallo...Myself, K and R decided on a ladies dinner date. Our first choice was the Blue Waters however, we did not book and the place had no space. So..we took ourselves off the El Greco. K and R had never been before and were a little hesitent that the prices would be out of their budgets so we agreed that we would only linger longer if the specials advertised - Rump and a glass of wine or Hake and Calamari for R65.00 were still available. As luck would have it they were. R went for the Rump and K and I went for the hake and calamri. the Rump comes with chips and veggies. Unfortunately the veg were butternut and spinach. (what a boring combo. The Keg should be shot. All restuarants that serve this lack imagination!!!!!) R lapped up every morsel and declared it to be the finest meal ever. K and I found the hake to be moist but lacking in the taste of the sea. The clalmari was a bit on the chewie side and after a few mouthfulls we both pushed it aside. The calamri was served on a bed of rice mixed with veg. This was excellent,a tasty idea. Chips were also on our plate as a side dish. Unfortuately they were flowery. Not our kind of chip. the waitron appeared dissappointed with our decision to order the specials,as we never saw her again. We waited ages for our food. Had the service been better, we might have stayed longer, had another drink, partook in desert for instance...instead we paid our bill and headed off the Dulces were we partook in the deadent delights of Greek chocholate cake , brownies and various coffees. Knowing me, I will go back but not in a rush...Cheers till next time.

Adega

Hi di ho.. The Grinch and I first went to Adega just after it opened it's doors in P.E. That being our very first Adega experience. From the minuet we entered the restaurant to the moment we left, rose in hand,we felt special. We were shown to the smoking area which was comfortable and fresh (usually these places klank of smoke and you can hardly see in front of you.) The service we received from the Zambabwian watron was exemplarory. I went for the Sole, what a delightful...heavenly meal. For the first time ever, I could taste the sea in a sole, combined with the freshly squeezed lemon juice, it was to "die for". The chips were perfect. Not a flowery chip in sight. Even my meat eating hubbie declared it to be the best. The Grench went for the T- Bone special. He who normally eats like a bird, gobbled the whole thing up in a blink of an eye. After that we shared a pud which right now I cannot remember, we lingered longer over our drinks and being well satisfied declared this to be the BEST PE had to offer.
Sadly, on our receint visit, we retracted that statement. Once again, having Looved it soo much, I ordered the sole. The underside was charcoal, the flesh still moist however, there was not smack of the sea. The chips appeared old. The Grinch went for another special, Lamb chops and calamari. The lamb chops were finger licking good. Once again I was astonished and how much he could put away. The calamari was enjoyed as an accompiment to the meat. All in all still a good night out. I will be back.

On 14th Feb, after Grinch felt guilty enough about swearing off valintines day we venture off to good old Adega. The Grinch went for a Peri-peri Chicken and Prawn combo and I went for their veggie platter, wanting to make a differnce to my usual fish. Grinch feeling guilty about his non-romance offered me a prawn and a bite of his chicken. The chicken was falvourful, into the white of the meat you could taste the peri-peri. The Prawn made up for his bad start on the day. Fantastic, butterflied and done in lemon butter. Tasty and well recommended. The Veg Platter leaves a lot to be desired. On the plate you get one black mushroom stuffed with creamed spinach and covered with melted mozarella, yummy! In addition to this is pumpkin, cream spinach, yellow rice with about 3 raisins, 4 small baby potatos and fried haloumi cheese. Now spinach is good in itself but, mushroom stuffed with cream spinach and a dollop of cream spinach on your plate as your veg is a bit too much. The combo of Pumpkin/butternut and cream spinach is overdone by restuarants and not what anyone wants to spend good money on. The cheese over the mushroom plus the haloumi was also a bit of a cheese overkill. The rice is dead boring and a waste of space. As I said, this platter is in dire straights. The service was a bit intense with the watron trying to sell us and others who came to be seated in our area the most expensive dish on the menu ( seafood platter for 2 ), due to this there was a lot of jovaility between tables as we were all amused by his exuberant sales pitch. For the sake of being fair to Aldego I will be removing only one star from their rating, although I think it should be more. When this place opened its doors, it was fantastic now its medioca.