Restaurant Review: Lunch Spots in Cape Town III

Hi there!

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Today I'm going to talk a little bit about Bree Street. In recent years, Bree Street has gone from being the much lesser known sibling of the cooler Long Street, to being the infinitely more classy sibling, if you can take the metaphor that far. Bree Street has, in fact, gotten so cool, that there's even a blog dedicated to it. Bree Street is now lined with restaurants and cool places to hang out, from &Union and Caveau to Jardine (and Jardine Bakery) and Rotisserie 360. But today I focus a little more locally, and bring you two places that are not only close, but actually neighbours.

In the bottom of the old church that lies in Heritage Square parking lot, there are a lot of little, tiny shops and restaurants. &Union is probably the most well known, as their beers have spread far and wide in Cape Town, attracting a larger and larger market. Brilliant for them, and good for their neighbours. As more people head for Bree Street, little places like Cheyne's and Piroschka can flourish, providing us poor office drones with someplace nice to go for lunch.

So for a friends recent birthday, we popped into Piroschka's and for a farewell lunch, we went to Cheyne's. Both delicious. Both on Bree Street. Both tiny. Here you go. Thank me later.

Cheyne's

So Cheyne, the chef and owner, used to be a private chef. He's good, really good. He opened up this tiny spot a little while ago (I think just over a year ago, but I stand to be corrected on that). The restaurant is tiny, with space for probably less than 30 people inside, and a long table outside on the mini terrace. They're open for breakfast and lunch, and private dinners by appointment. I know prominent Cape Town blogger JamieWho threw his wife's birthday party there, and was blown away. So give that a try.

But first, have lunch here. Everyday is different. There is no menu, so don't expect the same old same old. The day we went, there was swordfish and salad, and two burgers, beef and Asian chicken. My friend and I had the beef, and my other friend had chicken. For R48 and R45 respectively, we were served beautifully plated, absolutely delicious burgers. The patties were juicy and full of flavour (and as someone who has made burgers, I know that can be hard to achieve!). They were served with a delectable salad of noodled cucumber, and roasted butternut served on an Asian rice spoon. The bun was soft, and there was a wonderful burger to bun ratio (not too much bread, or too much beef) and there was crispy bacon, to finish it all off.

We all left full, and happy, at just shy of R50 a plate. How often do you find such incredible quality at such a low price? I'm assured that every day is different, with the single theme of tasty food made with quality ingredients. To be honest, I have not heard one bad thing about Cheyne's. And I have nothing bad to say either.

Oh. And they have a bacon and egg roll for R10 between 9-11am. That's good enough reason to go for a start.

Address: 108 Bree Street (below St. Stephen’s Church), Cape Town
Book: 021 422 3358

Opening times: Breakfast 08h00 to 12h00   Mon – Sat
Lunch 12h00 to 15h00   Mon – Sat
Dinner by appointment only.

Email: info@cheynes.co.za

Piroschka's Kitchen

In a slightly different vein, and just one step to the right, Piroschka's Kitchen is a Hungarian-German gem. They also serve a limited menu, but one that tends to stay the same. They offer goulash, flammkuchen (savoury and sweet), soup and one other thing that slips my mind. I can't comment on the other items, but the flammkuchen is delicious! A crispy thin pizza-style base is spread with a combination of bacon, creme fraiche and finely sliced red onion. The whole thing is cut up into tiny diamonds, so it's really easy to eat with your hands and share it with friends. My friends and I had one each, and we were SO stuffed afterwards, and could easily have shared 1 or perhaps 2 between the 3 of us.

They also sell gluhwein by the glass, which I am going back for. But as I had to go back to work, that wasn't going to work out. Sadness. The service is friendly, and while the food is not fast, it is incredibly tasty, and well worth the wait.


Address:

106 Bree Street, Cape Town, 8001

Book: 021 425 76 35

Email: info@piroschka.co.za

So keep these Bree Street gems in mind, next time you're looking for a good lunchtime meeting or social spot. The food is good, and well worth every penny you spend.

**Restaurant images from their respective websites. Visit them for more**