Blue Waters Cafe, Port Elizabeth

This week I had a little one night rendezvous with my boyfriend in Port Elizabeth. Why PE, I'm sure you're asking? The closest airport to Grahamstown, where said boyfriend is studying, is the PE "International" airport. We stayed in a hotel across the road from Blue Waters Cafe, and decided to head over the road for dinner, the advantage being that we could try a few cocktails, have a glass of wine or two, and stumble home.

Situated right above the water's edge in Summerstrand, Blue Waters Cafe has a beautiful view of the sea and the pier. This is a good start. Friendly and efficient waitstaff attended to our cocktails and orders as we browsed the somewhat tackily presented menu, sporting random Jamie Oliver quotes about big mammas rolling pasta, and unrelated facts about herbs. The pickings are slim for the vegetarian. Other than a few light meals, the choice of two penne dishes, or a vegetarian platter did not really impress us. The idea of a plate of every non-meat item in the kitchen, all on one plate, usually in measly proportions, is never appealing. We decided, since we were at the seaside, to have fish.

Said boyfriend ordered the blackened Kingklip with chips and veg. A decent sized piece of fish it was, but I'm not sure I was such a fan of the cajun flavours with seafood. Slightly dry, but certainly fresh, this dish didn't impress us much. I ordered a fried hake and grilled calamari combo, which was a luckier pick. The hake was beautifully tender and moist, and the calamari was soft and delicately seasoned. I ordered these with surprisingly lovely savoury rice and veggies, and really enjoyed the whole meal.

Boyfriend and I are big on our baked cheesecake, so for dessert, we opted to give theirs a try. Though somewhat skimpy on the base, it was a pretty good version. It had good flavour, but it did seem as though they had used chunky cream cheese rather than smooth, which made it somewhat lumpy. Nonetheless, still a great way to end what turned out to be not a bad meal all 'round.

I wouldn't recommend this restaurant for the discerning vegetarian who likes variety, but it's pretty good as far as seafood goes. What this restaurant lacks in edge on the food front, it makes up for in location, service and ambiance, and for Port Elizabeth, we thought it was pretty good.

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.