This past weekend I found myself at Lazari. A relaxed and effortlessly homely cafe located in the heart of Gardens. It’s the kind of place that feels like it’s been a part of a neighbourhood forever, quietly holding space for people to read, write, think, flirt, cry, recover from pilates, or just exist.
“It’s the kind of place that’s not trying to be cool, which weirdly makes it very cool.”
As I arrived for my solo date, I was met with the warmest welcome from Michelle, the manager, who looked after me the whole time. She’s the exact kind of person who makes a neighbourhood cafe what it is. Warm, unpretentious, and genuinely enthusiastic and kind. Making my way to my table, I had a little look around. Lazari has that old school Cape Town charm. I loved the mismatched chairs, simple wooden tables, soft lighting, and a pastry counter that feels impossible to ignore. Don’t worry, we’ll get back to that. It’s the kind of place that’s not trying to be cool, which weirdly makes it very cool. I chose to sit in a cosy corner, the perfect spot, quiet enough to hear your thoughts, as well as people watch. My second favourite activity, after eating, of course.
I ordered my usual almond milk cortado, which was perfectly balanced, smooth and had a lovely strong caffeinated kick. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. They definitely know what they’re doing. As I sipped on my little hug in a mini mug, I settled into my seat, and began reading the menu.
Lazari is open for breakfast and lunch, and the menu has classic comfort dishes, no gimmicks, no chaos. Just clean, simple, homemade food. Honestly, everything looked so delicious, it was difficult to choose, but with a grumbling belly, I finally decided on the shakshuka. I chose wisely because what arrived was a big, generous, and heavy skillet filled with steaming hot, rich coloured red and orange sauce topped with perfectly cooked eggs. Alongside this pan of pure comfort was the fluffiest, warm pita bread. I couldn’t wait to smear it through the vibrant sauce. I am actually so proud of myself, somehow I was able to practice patience while waiting for it to cool a bit. I loved the rustic caramelised edges of the pan, it added charm and I knew it would be extra flavourful too. It looked like it was made with care. Finally, the steam dissipated and it was time to taste. I ran the pillowy soft pita through the sauce and made sure to get some of the golden, luscious yolk into the mix too. Oh my word, it was absolutely stunning. I’ve had a lot of shakshukas in my time, but this one was slightly different. I found it to be incredibly fresh and the juicy tomatoes burst with flavour. It wasn’t too salty or heavy like I have had in the past. The sauce was bright, vibrant, slightly acidic, and had natural sweetness coming through. The spices were subtle but far from feeling flat or one note. It was layered with seasoning, with gentle paprika smokiness, fragrant cumin warmth, and garlic that’s there but not overpowering. Since the sauce was on the lighter side, I found that the egg yolk added a delicate richness and silkiness that mixed into the sauce beautifully. Overall, this dish was totally cosy and satisfying. It’s one of those breakfasts that makes you slow down, and best believe that was exactly what I did. It was grounding, warming, and deeply comforting.
This is paragraph text. Click it or hit the Manage Text button to change the font, color, size, format, and more. To set up site-wide paragraph and title styles, go to Site Theme.
After an absolute flavour journey and slowly melting deeper and deeper into my seat, Michelle was back and with a big smile on her face, she asked what I would like for dessert. This is when I knew she was 100% my type of person. I am a firm believer in having a sweet treat after every meal, any time of the day. However, this time I was utterly stuffed from my wholesome, heart and soul warming breakfast. Fortunately, there is such a thing as a takeaway cake box, so we made our way to the counter where she talked me through the selection of baked goods. Decisions, decisions…
Of course I went for the most indulgent looking option, that being their famous white chocolate cheesecake. A very main character dessert. This is one of the best cheesecakes I’ve had in Cape Town, hands down. I don’t even know where to begin. It was silky on the tongue, but with a gentle, custardy firmness underneath. The white chocolate actually tasted like white chocolate, not artificial or too sugary, just real. Almost like a white chocolate mousse and a classic cheesecake decided to merge and become their best selves. The crust honestly stole the show for me. It was golden, crumbly, buttery… like it had been kissed with salt. It was perfectly baked, no burnt edges, no raw bits, just this gorgeous, even crumble. It’s the kind of slice you keep glancing at while you’re eating because you can’t believe how good it is. If Lazari ever stopped making this, I’d genuinely be upset.
From the first cortado to the last bite of that unreal white chocolate cheesecake, Lazari was just lovely. The food is thoughtful, the atmosphere is warm, and the people make you feel instantly looked after. It’s the kind of neighbourhood cafe you fall for slowly and then suddenly. I highly recommend trying it for yourself. I am already planning my next visit.
Thank you Lazari, till next time!
