Restaurant Review: Lunch Spots in Cape Town Centre

So last week, my soon-to-be-parents-in-law were in town, and staying at our house. This means that every night when I got home, dinner had already been thought out, and sometimes even cooked, and the kitchen already cleaned. Now, while I'm not complaining at this efficiency, it does leave me rather strapped for blog fodder - and I like to cook!!

Because, you see, necessity is the mother of invention, or so I hear, I tend to think up some of these things I make on the spot, when dinner is needed NOW. And so, without the NEED to cook, not only don't I cook, at all, I can't even think up fun recipes to blog about. I've always needed pressure, you see.

So, at a fellow bloggers suggestion on twitter, I'm going to tell you about what happens on the day after I don't cook. Yup. This lady, while lovely, doesn't really appreciate me taking the leftovers for lunch at work, since those leftovers often have a predetermined end in some other meal. That's what happens when you're not in control of your own kitchen. And so, I buy lunch. In town. And that is what I shall tell you about now.

Lunch Places In Cape Town

Please bear in mind that these are all, by necessity, within walking distance of my office, and do not constitute a comprehensive list of everywhere in town. And they're only the places I actually go to.

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Zucchini's (they don't have a website, but are based on Loop Street, just opposite the back entrance to the Christiaan Barnard Hospital, and a few shops back from the Cadiz Taverna. With a little tiny shop, but a bright orange sign, you really have to look out for them!)

Zucchini's is literally just across the road from my office, and I overlooked it for about a year when I started working in the area. Recently, though, I've been visiting over and over for their wholesome, vegetarian, and delicious lunches. Yesterday I had a delicious sugar bean and mushroom soup, which was full of yummy earthiness from the mushrooms, and sweetness from the sugar beans and the red pepper I could see, today I had a tagliatelle with a roasted tomato sauce, with a wedge of feta and slices of avo. Last week, I had the most delicious macaroni & cheese, with what tasted like a homemade tomato relish on top, just divine! From these meals, you can see that the offerings at Zucchini's are wholesome, homemade and tasty! They're also extremely well-priced, as each of these meals, in quite large portion sizes only came to R35! Now, you can easily pay that for a lacklustre sandwich in these parts, so its priceless for a wholesome meal.

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Rosa's Bakery (if you drive down Long Street, and turn right at the Purple Turtle, into Shortmarket Street, you'll find Rosa's just 3-4 shops up, on the right. It's a small bakery, with (again) and orange sign)

Rosa's is a small German bakery in the heart of Cape Town. They sell loads of traditional German baked goods, such as brezel rolls, rye breads and, well, lots of stuff! (I can't think of any more German baked goods, ok?!) They also sell delicious soups, such as the spicy Mexican soup - mix of mince, beans, vegetables in a spicy, rich broth; a more gentle butternut soup and a vegetable soup. These you can get by the cup or bowl, and come with a roll, or bread, or something.

Crave

(The Crave that I go to is in Greenmarket Square, but they have branches in Thibault Square, further down in town, and in the @homelivingspace at the Canal Walk pods, and probably other places, but those are the ones I know of)

Crave are good. They serve a variety of prepackaged sandwiches that are freshly made every day, using quality ingredients, and you can taste the quality. When they say they're using mature cheddar, you can taste it. My particular favourites are the croque monsieur (the classic ham and cheese toasted sandwich, on a panini, with mature cheddar and wholegrain dijon mustard, this is best toasted until the cheese melts); the bacon, cheese and avo (because who doesn't like bacon on their sandwich?!) and the chicken Caesar salad, with crunchy croutons and stinky cheese.

I like that they put it out there that they donate leftover food to a variety of charities at the days end - it makes me feel better about not eating the sandwiches left at days end, and ensures that I'll have a fresh sandwich every day!

Ok, that's all I have time for right now, but as I think of them, I'll add them here. If you have any favourite lunch spots, leave a note in the comments, and I'll check them out!