Reflection of a chandelier and paintings in a lovely old mirror above the fireplace. Taken at the Buena Vista Social Cafe.

A painting of a really ugly woman smoking a huge cigar, seen at the Buena Vista Social Club

Buena Vista Social Cafe, originally uploaded by Craig is shooting.

Go to the Buena Vista Social Cafe for a Cuban vibe, a Mexican influence,and some great Argentinian tango music.

An interesting spot to visit. The food is pretty good, a mixture of tapas and Mexican food (I don’t think it was authentic to the venue, but it was still good). Were were there for a friend’s birthday party, and it is a good place to goto for that.

A lot of people dressed up for the occasion, here is Alan, the French/Cuban freedom fighter :-)

You can’t go wrong with a frozen Margarita

Or a Dom Petro if you have a sweet tooth

The Annex restaurant, originally uploaded by Craig is shooting.

The Annex is a lovely little restaurant that I was taken to the other night. We went there for a friend’s birthday. It is tucked away behind the Kalk Bay bookshop. In fact, it is owned by the same folks that own the bookshop.

They have a very small menu, however everything is freshly prepared and there is something for everybody. Eric had pork belly, and the little sample that I had was tasty but very rich.

Lois had the daily special, which was a butternet and chilli soup, which she said was very good. The restaurant  selects a different recipe book each month, and everyday the special is selected from it.

I had the yellowtail, fresh from the harbour (about 200m away from the restaurant), it was served on a bed of baby potatoes and veges. Tender, firm and tasty.

Anja had a rare sirloin steak, served with mash and freshly stir-fried vegetable.

Staff are great, the winelist is good, and food terrific. From where I was sitting, you get a clear view of the kitchen, and the chef’s clearly know what they are doing.

Prices while not cheap, are pretty competitive, and considering that everything is fresh, I think that it is pretty good value.

I’ll be back!

ps: you can find them online here, and their phone number is 021 788 2453.

I have been working in Durbanville for a couple of months now, and I am still trying to figure out the good spots to go for lunch. Today I found one more great spot, courtesy of Leone and Denice, two friends who live in the area that treated me for sushi for lunch.

We went to a little spot called Maz Sushi. My hosts have been there several times, the restaurant seem to attract many regulars, which is always a good sign.

The restaurant is a very simple and functional spot (perspex table covers and paper napkins). However they have a good (and cheap) wine selection, including some really great wines. We shared a bottle of Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc, which cost about R90.

The sushi is great and really good value for money. Everything is made to order, and there is a huge selection. They also have a variety of platters, from a simple 4 item platter, through to huge platters (50+ pieces). I enjoy the platters because you always get a good selection. Oh, and they also cater for functions and take out :-)

Did I enjoy the food? Absolutely.

Will I be back? Without a doubt! Great food, well worth the visit.

Maz Sushi, 112 Edward rlad, Durbanville (cnr Durban and Edward road), 021 910 1102 Tuna and salmon sashimi and rolls

Tuna rolls Spring rolls, compliments of the restaurant.

This was the hilight, a custom dish created by Denise’s son. Spicy prawns on a seaweed and rice base.