If you’re craving bold flavours, cocktails that pack a punch, and an experience that feels as authentic as it does stylish, then look no further than Florentine. This Middle Eastern–Mediterranean spot is located in the heart of the CBD, in lively Loop Street. Let me just say that the vibe of the restaurant matches the buzzing energy of the city, minus the chaos. Upon arrival, we were met with a statement sign that almost glowed, you couldn’t miss it. I am grateful for that since I always find it a bit tricky to look at my GPS and figure out exactly where I am going at the same time. That makes sense, right? Anyway, in true town fashion, I parked a couple of streets down the road. I have my lack of ability to parallel park to thank for that. We then began our quest to an authentic escape. And the best part? No passports or visas needed. Once again, we had the burnt orange sign within our view. It gave off an urban edge that was met with Mediterranean sunshine. A very Instagramable street shot moment, which naturally I became a victim of. After a couple of awkward snaps of me pointing at the cool signage overhead, we made our way inside. Walking in, my first impression was that the space was sleek and polished. Very much Middle Eastern–Mediterranean charm woven into a contemporary shell. I loved how open and airy it was but at the same time, it was incredibly warm and grounding. The golden lighting was an instant mood lift, casting a flattering glow. It caught onto the warm terracotta walls beautifully, and enhanced the natural tones of the wooden tables and chairs. The subtle greenery added life without being overdone. Everything felt intentional, but not over styled. The kind of place where you can sip on cocktails, nibble on some delicious eats, and accidentally stay for three hours. Talking about three hours, let’s get into it!

If you haven’t already heard, there is a new kid on the block, and by block, I mean Bree Street. I know, I know, this street has been absolute chaos when it comes to construction and trying to find parking. But let me just tell you, Tannin makes it all worth it. This three storey wine bar specialises in small plates, and of course, wine. They have 430 labels (according to their website) and counting. Whoa! Each floor has its own personality. The ground floor is where you will find the moody, sophisticated bar. It has a vintage meets modern look, and has a floor to ceiling wine rack, like a library of indulgence. The first floor is where you’ll find a polished yet relaxed restaurant. It has the view of the hustling street on one side, and the bustling kitchen on the other. Lastly, the second floor is dedicated to events and tasting experiences. I didn’t get a chance to snoop around on that floor, but I believe there is a cellar up there. Sounds like a reason to go back, yay!

With the warmer months approaching, I am coming to realise it’s much too late to attempt starting the “summer bod” challenge. To be fair, it normally ends in failure, or so I have heard anyway. I love food way too much to try it for myself, and I have the fear of suffering from separation anxiety. So, instead of making my life and everyone else’s life around me miserable, I decided that this winter I am going to stay fed and happy rather than hangry. How better to give a diet the middle finger than with an indulgent Italian meal. Not half arsing it either, might I add, but the full experience. Starters, mains, dessert and of course, some red, red wine. I did some research into an authentic Italian restaurant, with the filter on finding a spot that does a traditional ragu. Personally, I am a ragu over a bolognese type of girl. This is when I stumbled across The Woodlands Eatery. Oh my word, their menu looked absolutely divine. If you enjoy reading menus as much as I do, I can highly recommend adding this one to your reading list. Not only did they have ragu, but slow cooked lamb ragu. I will get into the review in just a moment but I just have to tell you that you can get this beautiful meat sauce with fresh homemade pasta or risotto. Stunning, I know. It was at this moment I made the booking. It was like it was made for us. Why? Well, I just so happen to be a pasta slut, and Tumi is obsessed with risotto. We share the same amount of love for lamb, it is definitely the superior meat, in our opinion anyway. Thursday was approaching and I was getting a tad worried. It is the first year I can remember that it didn’t rain on the 1st of September. Could it be true? Was it possible that I could have made a mistake? Choosing a hearty meal on a Spring kind of day? Thankfully, I am never wrong and I never make mistakes. The clouds were low and there was a chill in the air Thursday morning. What a relief! I even had to cancel my walk before lunch because it was too cold. Oh well. We hopped in the car in Muizenberg, with a dream and my cardigan… If you know the song, you know. If you don’t, let’s just say our afternoon wasn’t quite like a party in the USA, but it came very close, if you’re a foodie like me.

Since we’re nearing the end of winter, and more importantly, the winter specials, we decided to treat ourselves to one last one. We were saving the best for last, so this past Thursday we found ourselves at Chefs Warehouse & Canteen in Bree Street. This special caught my attention a couple weeks back and has been in my thoughts ever since. Chefs Warehouse was doing a collaboration with their sister restaurant upstairs, Merchant on Bree. Chefs Warehouse focuses on globally inspired tapas, while Merchant is a nose to tail restaurant that highlights simplicity done right, both with their ingredients and what they do with them. The winter special was R595 per person sharing, and the menu was divided into sections showcasing the best of the best from each restaurant.

It’s that time of the week again, my favourite day, or rather, post my favourite day. If you are new here, or haven’t caught on by now. On Thursday’s, Tumi and I venture out on a food excursion. Near or far, we don’t discriminate. The only rule is that we need to eat good food, and lots of it. This past week we visited Yama Asian Eatery, in Franshhoek. As it says in the name, it is Asian inspired, where authenticity meets elegance. This is the third restaurant under the guidance of Ryan Shell, and we knew we were in good hands since we enjoyed our experience at both Oku and Eleven. The prior times, we did the tasting menus at the other two venues, this menu is a little more casual, still very luxurious, but a tad more relaxed. We were very much looking forward to some delicious Asian tapas, sushi, and of course a few delightful cocktails, because why not. Thursday is basically Friday in Cape Town, and might as well be a Saturday in the Winelands. We hopped in the car, blasted our singalong mix, shoutout to Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, and took the scenic route, well, the only route I (my GPS) knows. Soon enough, we were in Franschhoek. After a quick step, hop, and jump into then out of the rain, we were safe and sound in Yama. Since it’s still winter, and utterly freezing, we unfortunately couldn’t sit in their gorgeous courtyard. But that was quite okay because their stunning interior made up for that, and I mean… What better excuse than to have to come back and eat delicious food in their beautiful courtyard in Spring. Anyhoo, we were greeted by an incredibly friendly and enthusiastic gentleman that showed us to our table. I absolutely loved the interior. It was so fitting for the stormy weather outside. Not only was it warm in terms of temperature, but the earthy tones and dim lighting added to the sophisticated coziness. Somehow it is a big, open, and airy space but still has an intimate feel to it. It is minimalist yet intentional and has subtle luxury vibes. Basically, if zen married glam, and their child went to culinary school, you’d get Yama. I must just add that their chairs are hella comfortable. We got ourselves seated and within seconds we were surprised by a familiar face. Ryan came to say hello to us and he joked about needing to open a fourth restaurant for us to try and of course, we agreed. He might have been joking, but we certainly were not. He is such an amazing individual and I love how hands on he is. He couldn’t stay and chat for long because he was going to each of the restaurants, tasting everything and helping out. This is the type of leadership I look up to, it’s very inspiring.

Even though the weather says otherwise, winter is soon coming to an end. Why do I know this? Because I have noticed that the restaurant’s winter specials are only up until the 31st of August. A bit of a bittersweet moment. Incredibly grateful that it won’t be so icy cold anymore, but sad that everything is about to get a bit more expensive, and busier once the tourists start flocking in. Since we are halfway through the month, I thought it would be fitting to take advantage of the last few specials. The Waterside caught my attention. A lunch special for R595 per person. A couple months prior, I went to Pier which is the upstairs restaurant to The Waterside. After reading through the menu, they were both a tad similar. No complaints, it was incredibly delicious, but I wanted to try something different. I then noticed that they had a vegetarian menu which sounded equally as delightful. So I ran it past Tumi, he was happy, and I made the booking.

Believe it or not, this was my first time trying a smash burger. I know, I know, am I even Capetonian if I haven’t caught onto the trend? A better question is how did I manage to go so long without having one of these burgers? Especially since these joints are opening up faster than the cannabis stores after it became somewhat legalised, with some necessary T’s and C’s of course. It also reminded me a bit of those people that went the whole Covid pandemic without catching it, or supposedly not catching it anyway. Anyhoo, it was time for me to join in the cultish Capetonian smash burger fun and what better way to do so than going to the best of the best, Zuney. I picked up Tumi, and off we went. On the drive there, he tried to educate me on the smash burger theory, but I am someone that learns through experiences, so it all went over my head. We then discussed a game plan because we were dealing with some serious business. My first smash burger, whoa. We agreed the best way to approach this would be to order everything on the menu. If you are going to do it, do it right, right?