Cafe Paradiso, Cape Town

A big fan of the Madame Zingara restaurant group, I had to try the famed Cafe Paradiso on Kloof Street. This rustic, neighbourhood restaurant is set back from the street by a lovely outdoor area with braziers and water features, dotted with tables. Inside, there is not a great deal of space, but in usual Zingarian style, the higgledy-piggledy nature of the interior works to create cosiness from chaos, and this feeling is enhanced by the ever-kooky wait-staff.

The menu sports a decent number of vegetarian options, including a risotto, a few pasta dishes, some salads and an antipasti platter. As usual, there are also always a few specials on offer too. To start, my friend and I shared the pan fried halloumi salad with fattoush salad. The salty halloumi was the perfect balance between oozy and firm, and was well contrasted by the freshness of the tomato, cucumber and herb salad. It comes served on a long wooden board, and is a great starter to share. For mains I had a stuffed zucchini flower salad. The zucchini flowers had been stuffed with cream cheese, lightly battered and deep fried. They were great fun, but were served with marinated and roasted strips of zucchini and rocket leaves, which were drenched in a very vinegary dressing. As a dish, it was far too vinegary and green, and would have benefitted from less dressing, a wider selection of salad leaves, and perhaps a few cherry tomatoes. My friend had spinach and ricotta filled ravioli coated in sage butter and topped with cherry tomatoes. The pasta was great, but, having been advertised as having cherry tomatoes, these were incredibly sparse.

Although the food could have done with a few tweaks here and there, the Zingarian experience is always fabulous, and the atmosphere and service makes up for the odd shortfall in the food. Again, there are a number of vegetarian dishes on the menu, and I'd say this one is definitely worth a try. I'll certainly be going back.

Skinny Legs & All, Cape Town

Skinny Legs & All is a luxury cafe on Loop Street, opened by two young ladies with a passion for food. The menu is smorgasbord of deliciousness, sporting the likes of gourmet salads and sandwiches, breakfasts and hot meals. Proportionally, the vegetarian selection is great, and there are always daily specials to keep you interested. I had one of these; a quinoa salad, flavoured with cinnamon and sultanas, and sporting avocado, brinjal, rocket and almonds. It was spectacularly wholesome and delicious at the same time, and the proportions of the ingredients were considered and subtle. I paired it with a ginger tea, served with fresh slices of ginger and a little bowl of honey.



My housemates, with whom I was dining, chose the mushroom parcel and an open sandwich respectively. The mushroom parcel, chosen by housemate 1, was gorgeously presented in a paper parcel tied up lovingly with a piece of string, and accompanied by some brown rice. An assortment of wild mushrooms created much interest and texture, complementing the fluffy brown rice perfectly.


Housemate 2 has boldly declared that this is the best sandwich she has ever eaten (this was in fact her second time eating at Skinny Legs and All, having returned solely for this sandwich). Fresh rye bread is smothered in a homemade basil pesto, and then lavishly decorated with blushing slow roasted tomatoes, the cutest little buffalo mozzarella balls, rocket and micro greens (grown in the restaurant). The simplest ingredients come together on this single slice of bread to make the most delectable sandwich imaginable. It's what simple food is all about.



Despite neither of them having any formal training, these two girls make really good food. It is clear that their enthusiasm and perfectionism leads them to do almost everything themselves, resulting in a wonderful dishes. However, this also means the service is considerably slow; something that would be very easy to remedy. The decor is not yet quite established. Though the interior has great potential for a chic feel, incongruent, brash artworks adorn the walls and contrast with the delicate hanging dancers that are tucked away at the back of the restaurant. The food is quite pricey, but the girls score extra points for using only free-range milk and eggs and for making all of their own sauces, pestos and preserves. All in all, this is a great spot to sneak off to on payday to remind you that there are cafes out there that cater specifically to the vegetarian and pay attention to the source of their ingredients. Indeed, this is a cafe suitable for vegetarians.

The Sidewalk Cafe, Cape Town

I begin with an old favourite. The Sidewalk Cafe in Vredehoek, Cape Town is an intimate, quirky spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The restaurant really is on a street corner, giving the interior a remarkably cosmopolitan feel. Tables on the street side are great during the day, and blankets will keep the breeze off on a summer's eve. The decor is cute and somewhat tongue in cheek, with painted white kitchen utensils hanging from the ceiling and mismatched tablecloths complementing the kitch aprons worn by delightfully funky wait staff.

As for the food, there is something for everyone on the menu, which changes from time to time, while old favourites are always available. Veggie friendly breakfasts, salads, sandwiches and soups satisfy the day-bug. For dinner, the creamy red coconut curry is deliciously spicy and peanutty, and never fails to impress. The chef is happy to alter dishes slightly on request, and I've twice enjoyed the leek, pea and mint risotto with goats cheese balls sans the pancetta. This dish is slightly rich, so it's great if you're ordering it as one of a few things to share. Daily specials sometimes include the odd vegetarian dish, so do ask about those. The only dish I've had off this menu that I wouldn't recommend is the Portabella mushroom stuffed with sundried tomato pesto and mozzarella. I thought this was really just a big, poorly seasoned mushroom smothered in far too much pesto. Not only is this uncreative, it is not very filling.

If you're a fish fan, that's one thing Sidewalk really does well. Ask about the linefish of the day - I'm always impressed with the way the chef gets his fish perfectly succulent and complements it with something interesting, like wasabi mash. I've had great Cape Salmon here. The fish and chips are another must. Chunky, strips of hake fillet battered in the lightest and crispiest crunch come in a delightful little bucket, accompanied by potato wedges and homemade tatare sauce.

All in all, this is a great little restaurant that offers just enough for the vegetarian to keep you coming back until you've tried everything on the menu, and then again and again to repeat your old favourites. The service is impecable and fun, and the food is reliably delicious. Don't forget to book, because it's a busy little street corner, and you don't want to hit peak traffic unprepared.