Primitive Cape Town

Superette.

2009-11-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

If Cape Town becomes the hippest city on earth, we'll likely have the guys at WHATIFTHEWORLD to thank. This design team has already given us the gallery of the same name, and the incredibly popular Neighbourgoods Market. And now they've opened Superette.

The cafe plays against its location, a down-and-out corner of Woodstock, with a sharp, sleek urban interior of communal wood tables, gray walls, and casually hung artwork. Cold salads are displayed in a retro tuk-shop counter, and there's a range of luxury deli and decor goods for sale on the shelves. Meals, which are priced around R45, are prepared using quality ingredients, such as free-range meat and artisinal breads. On our visit the menu featured lunches such as bratwurst (pictured above), chicken with pesto, and an all-day-breakfast sandwich. Coffees are all organic, and while we don't know what virtues the desserts have, they certainly are good.

Located on 218 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town. 021 802 5525. Open Monday to Saturday from 8 till 4.

Vida e Caffe, Greenpoint.

2009-10-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's a chain-- but it is a rather well styled chain at least. And though there are now Vida e Caffes in every sad mall and bland shopping centre throughout South Africa, the Vida in Greenpoint is commendable for being one of the few in which the neighbourhood is a match for the style of the cafe. Located on Somerset Road across from a strand of Bluegum trees, this take-out or sip-in cafe is a popular spot for the Atlantic Seafront Yuppies (watch them all check themselves out in the mirrors as they walk to the counter), and regrettably, it can get a bit packed with parents and their kids on weekends. But it is one of the few places to get a decent coffee in Greenpoint, and on a quiet weekday afternoon the atmosphere can be quite nice.

Located on Somerset Road, on the corner with Portswood, Green Point. 021 434 7266.

Cafe Neo.

2009-10-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Positioned across from the Lighthouse at Mouille Point, Cafe Neo is the ideal spot to meet for coffee while taking in both sea and sun. The menu is greek deli, with delicious Medeterranean-inspired sandwiches and a fantastic range of mezze-- perfect for sharing a bite with friends. There is a patio if you want to tan while you eat; otherwise, grab a table in the large split-level interior. The long communal wooden table is more appealing than the too-small private tables, but unfortunately it's often packed with people who are dining with their laptops. That said, Cafe Neo does earn points for being one of the few spots in Cape Town to offer unlimited free wifi.

Located at 129 Beach Road, Mouille Point. 021 433 0849. Open 7 days a week, from 7 to 7.

Ice Cafe.

2009-10-27T06:08:00.000-07:00

After a day spent along the sun dappled False Bay, Ice Cafe in Kalk Bay is the ideal spot for a late afternoon refreshment. There is often a queue inside the tiny parlour, and after you select a scoop, you'll see why. The flavours, which rotate constantly, shift from old-time classics like vanilla or mint chip, to more innovative flavours like rooibos or turkish delight. The ice cream is never overly saccarine, and almost has a luxuriously mature quality, especially in acquired-taste flavours like rum and raisin, which is fantastically boozy. Grab a scoop (or two), then take a stroll along Main Road-- possibly one of the best ways to spend a warm afternoon in Cape Town.

Located on Main Road, Kalk Bay.

St. James.

2009-10-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

Located between Muizenburg and Kalk Bay, St. James is little more than a train stop and a tiny crescent shaped beach. But that intimacy works in its favor-- since it is without the throngs of surfers that crowd Muizenburg, or the tourist buses that line Simon Town's main road, St. James is a quiet little spot of sand, perfect for relaxing with a book or a blank mind. There's even some tidal pools-- both the big artificial kind for splashing in, and the little natural kind for observing some aquatic friends.

By the Sea.

2009-10-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

The shoreline of Cape Town’s False Bay is draped with a string of small towns. While each one has its own unique charms and attractions, Kalk Bay in particular is worth a visit.

Just on the other side of Table Mountain, sheltered between rocky crags and a skirt of sapphire water, lies one of my favourite places in the world: Kalk Bay. It’s only a thirty-minute trip from Cape Town city centre, yet it feels worlds away. For though its history and character are distinctly South African, this balmy settlement glimmers with enough resemblances to the Mediterranean or coastal California that a visit always makes me feel as if I were on holiday.

Kalk Bay is known for its fishermen, and you might spot the chefs of some of Cape Town’s best restaurants bargaining with them as they bring in their catch. The town is also something of an enclave for artists; within its short stretch of waterfront blocks you’ll find welcoming cafes, unusual galleries, and shops filled to the beams with antiques. Some of the most rewarding shops lie off of Main Road, hidden in discreet alleys. Weaving up and down these narrow streets, we browsed among the work of local throwers at the Potter’s Shop, and reminisced among vintage biscuit tins at the Cook’s Room.

I usually head straight for Olympia Café when I'm in Kalk Bay. Its interior is always suffused with an inviting golden light, thanks its face of high windows that look onto the sea, making it a warm and comfortable place to relax over a latte and an almond croissant. But I’d heard good things about Boulangerie, a tiny French bakery located up one of Kalk Bay’s steep side streets. We finally found it tucked among some bougainvillea behind the Artvark gallery (ok, the chalkboard at street level helped), and settled into a table on the patio. Their lunch menu features rustic sandwiches with fillings like bacon and brie, or oven roasted chicken, served in crunchy baguettes or between slices of wholesome farm breads. The meals are light and uncomplicated, perfect for the casual, breezy setting.

Boulangerie's desserts almost gave us reason to linger—the dark chocolate brownies with cherries were particularly convincing—but we’d already made up our minds to try out The Ice Cafe. I’d often seen queues in front of this ice cream parlour, and was curious to if it was deserving of the crowds. We squeezed in among the throngs, and placed our orders: we each got a single scoop of rum and raisin. It arrived in an unexpected shade of pink, a massive ball of rose coloured ice cream that made me feel just a little silly as I took it outside. Thankfully, the rich, slightly boozy flavour of the alcohol-soaked-raisins helped keep me from feeling too childish. Though if a trip half-an-hour out of town can evoke the feeling of a childhood holiday to the beach, it might not be worth fighting it.

Originally published on PRIMITIVEculture.

Welcome to Cape Town.

2009-10-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

Leave that tired cliché about Cape Town at home; if you come here looking for a little spot of Europe on the African continent, you’ll miss the best this city has to offer. Because Cape Town is too complex, too interesting to be contained by that. It’s a city of sophisticated sidewalk cafes, where the beautiful people meet over lattes; of neighbourhood spice shops, alluring with the fragrance of curry powder and nutmeg; of busy streets where immigrants from the Congo, Sudan and Nigeria are working toward starting a better life. It's a city of wild mountain and manicured beach, where you can even spot wildebeest and zebra while speeding along De Waal Drive. It’s a creole city, one that challenges the idea of what it means to an African metropolis, just as much as it defines the concept anew.

Welcome to Cape Town.

Jardine Bakery.

2009-10-09T06:24:00.000-07:00

Basically just a glass counter set right on the sidewalk, Jardine Bakery might be one of the most clever cafes in all of Cape Town. Park your bike or take a detour on your walk, because this is the perfect spot to grab a coffee and pastry on your way to work. There are two high tables with no chairs, encouraging a communal atmosphere for commuters to get their caffeine and butter fix. The coffees are well made, but the real star here are the pastries: richly buttery croissants, danishes, and muffins. They also offer sandwiches over lunch. If only there were more places like this in Cape Town, then the city might actually develop something of an urban culture.

Located on the corner of Bree and Bloem Streets. 021 424 5644.