Cape Town restaurants

While in Cape Town, South Africa, Aug. 1-4, 2014, on a post-trip extension after our trip to Namibia with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/955-1925, www.oattravel.com), my husband, Alan, and I enjoyed dinner at two wonderful restaurants.

• This French bistro is a gem: Frères Bistro (42 Hans Strijdom Ave. Ln., Cape Town 8000, South Africa; phone +27 21 418 1609, jasonwhitehead.co.za/freres-bistro-1).

On the first night there, we were seated outside and could not see the blackboard menu. The owner, Jason Whitehead, came to our table, read the menu and all the descriptions and was totally charming. How’s that for service!

Alan and I ordered a bottle of wine, two starters and two main dishes (including Sirloin Café de Paris, a perfectly cooked, luscious steak) and shared a dessert. We were amazed that all that wonderful food cost only ZAR560 (near $49).

We went back for another savory dinner the next night and were totally charmed again by the service, food and ambiance. Frères Bistro is a not-to-be missed dining experience in Cape Town.

• On our third night in Cape Town, we would have returned to Frères Bistro but, alas, it was Monday and they were closed. Instead, just half a block from our hotel, Inn on the Square (10 Greenmarket Square), we found Haiku (58 Burg St., Cape Town; phone 021 424 7000, bukhara.com/
?page_id=821). 

Haiku (part of the Bukhara restaurant chain) is an “Asian tapas” restaurant, where each dish was appetizer (starter) size or a little bigger, and another extraordinary dinner awaited us there.

We followed the recommendations of our charming and knowledgeable server, Zahieda, and had spinach har gau (Chinese dumpling), barbecued-duck spring rolls, crispy beef and four other small dishes.

Although we might not have been adventurous enough to choose some of these dishes on our own, Zahieda really knew the dishes and was spot on with her suggestions.

Thoroughly satisfied with a delicious, tasty and filling dinner, we paid the bill — another lovely surprise of ZAR514 ($45) — and walked only half a block back to our hotel.

ARLENE LICHTENSTEIN

Commack, NY