The weekend before last I lunched at Kloof Street House with my friend Poppy, her mum, brother and another (equally lovely) Jenna. I was thrilled that Poppy forced me into it, as the food and experience was so amazing that I took my exceptionally fussy father and just as fussy sister there the very next weekend.
That makes it two weekends in a row and no, I haven’t tired of the Sunday lunch or the live jazz. Previous restaurants in this spot have not succeeded (in fact, I don’t even remember their names) but I suspect Kloof Street House won’t have the same fate, not with Paul Hetreed behind it. Paul owns Asoka Bar just up the road and has a thing for creating a really comfortable but very cool kind of place with the food as a definite highlight.
Kloof Street House serves simple but really delicious bistro-style food. Do go hungry, the portions are hearty and trust me on this one, if cheese is your thing, you will die when you taste the whole baked camembert with caramelized onions and homemade cranberry jelly. For mains, I recommend the free-range roasted chicken with braised cabbage, mushrooms, mash and thyme sauce. My sister almost fainted when she tasted the lamb shank and my dad had a similar reaction to the whole baby calamari grilled with aioli and harissa. I hear that the restaurant is just as vibey during the week but have yet to try it – for now Sunday lunch jazz at Kloof Street House is my new best thing to do.
The Victorian house has a definite elegance to it and the oversized chesterfield sofas, rich fabrics and colonial grandness make for the perfect dose of romance. In summer, I imagine sitting in the garden under the palm trees would be beautiful. But for now, with the last chill of winter hanging around, take your pick from the cozy lounge or drinks at the bar. It’s beautifully grand but still homely.
Love the enclosed front verandah with beautiful green wallpaper, cages, paintings and cane furniture. An eclectic colonial feel with incense and the odd buddha thrown in.
30 Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town
tel: 021 423 4413
Book here.
3 Comments
You look ahmazing! x
Thank you Talya! I took my new Riri Woo lipstick on an outing. Love it!
Beautiful Spot! Lovely post.