The Ivy Villa Hotel and Spa is a hidden gem in the heart of Sandton. And if you are looking for a private dining room for a small, intimate function, look no further than Reuben’s At The Ivy. A celebration My Mom turned 70 last year and decided she wanted a small dinner party to … Continue reading Reuben’s At The Ivy, Sandton South Africa

The Deck Restaurant offers bistro style dining at Irene Farm. Open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch, this is a great place to enjoy a lazy day. Irene Farm Wanting something different to do, my parents, Dave and I headed to Irene Farm in Centurion. This is a working dairy farm and an … Continue reading The Deck Restaurant, Irene Farm, Centurion

The Grumpy Mole With 5 different venues to choose from, Dave and I met Bev and Pete at The Grumpy Mole in Oxted. This cosy pub offered the perfect place for a late lunch. It has a traditional old feel to it, with lots of different sections. Dave and Pete met in high school and … Continue reading The Grumpy Mole, Oxted, England

If you are looking for an authentic Italian restaurant, look no further than Magica Roma. Situated in Pinelands, there is limited parking close by. But the walk from your car will be worth it. Magica Roma Last November we had to collect the kids from the airport. Their flight was due to land just before … Continue reading Magica Roma, Pinelands, Cape Town

Situated in Little Milton, Oxford, is a 16th century thatched pub and restaurant called The Lamb Inn. They are a traditional family pub serving home cooked meals. You will find them on the High Street using the postcode  OX44 7PU in your navigation system The Lamb Inn Anne, Stuart, Jane, Evie, Dave and I went … Continue reading The Lamb Inn, Little Milton, Oxford UK

Dave took a walk down memory lane when we stopped for lunch at The Crown in Cookham, England. The Crown Dave had last eaten there in 1982 and on our visit in 2019 the ownership had just changed hands! The pub has an old world feel to it, which is no surprise as it dates … Continue reading The Crown, Cookham England

Dave and I are always looking for somewhere new to have lunch. And the Grille Shack is our latest find. Situated along Clarence Drive in Gordons Bay, this is a drive worth taking for the food. Small Plates & SnacksOn our first visit we decided to share the salt & pepper calamari (R55) for starters. … Continue reading Grille Shack, Gordons Bay South Africa

Heritage Restaurant is situated in the old village of Hermanus, South Africa. It is a converted fisherman’s cottage and part of the Misty Waves Hotel. Offering sea views from the outside tables, this was our place of choice for dinner. Heritage Restaurant Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the restaurant offers a small menu which … Continue reading Heritage Restaurant, Hermanus, South Africa

Situated with a view of Grotto Beach is the very unassuming looking Dutchies. This is a lunch stop I can highly recommend with good, friendly service and great food. Lunch in the rain On a cold and wet winter's day, Kim and I went for lunch at Dutchies. This had been recommended to us as … Continue reading Dutchies, Hermanus South Africa

Wanting a casual dinner, close to where we were staying, Kim and I chose to go to The Brewery for a meal. They are situated in the Hemel en Aarde (Heaven and Earth) Valley of Hermanus, South Africa. The Brewery With a surprising selection of beers, ciders and gin on tap, I decided to go … Continue reading The Brewery, Hemel En Aarde South Africa

When Dave and I moved to Gordons Bay in 2001 our holiday destination was always Sedgefield. This was close enough for us to go away for a long weekend. And there were two resorts we could stay at which offered great activities for the boys. Mark first told us about Ou Meul (Old Mill) when … Continue reading Ou Meul Bakkery, Riviersonderend South Africa

Trying to find a restaurant for 12 people can be quite daunting. And usually I leave that sort of detail up to someone else. When we were in Port Elizabeth in May a booking was made at Bocadillos. This bakery and restaurant is open 7 days a week serving dinner Monday to Saturday. You are … Continue reading Bocadillos, Walmer, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Situated on the N2 in Grabouw is the Peregrine Farm Stall Café. The natural extension from the farm stall has led to an eatery worth driving to. The menu is seasonal and we prefer going there for breakfast. Peregrine Farm Stall Café I try and choose something different for breakfast each time we go there … Continue reading Peregrine Farm Stall Café, Grabouw South Africa

Situated in Rue Saint-André des Arts, you will find La Jacobine. This casual eatery is open late at night and is perfectly located in Saint Germain des Prés, Paris. For us when choosing where to dine when in Paris, we always look for something local. We prefer to be in walking distance of the restaurant … Continue reading La Jacobine, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris

The concept of the American smokehouse has arrived locally at The Hickory Shack. Dave and I first went for lunch mid-week and we were both surprised at how full they were. We have learnt from that meal that we need to make a booking. Our second visit was with friends, and then a few months … Continue reading The Hickory Shack, Grabouw South Africa

The one place we dine out more often than not in Cape Town is Zibaldone. Situated at the Tygervalley Waterfront, this restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine. Zibaldone Choose your dessert first. Life is unpredictable. This is how the menu starts, with the dessert page. However, no matter how many times we eat there we very … Continue reading Zibaldone, Bellville South Africa

Casa Bella Dave and I were invited by Andrew Grundling of High5s Connect to review Casa Bella. This Italian franchise is located at The Sanctuary shopping centre in Somerset West. Casa Bella has been open for two and a half years and all their pizzas and pastas are made on site. The competition in this arena in … Continue reading Casa Bella, Somerset West, South Africa

Restaurant Seven You know a restaurant is excellent when you find yourself eating there twice in less than a month. For Dave and I, Restaurant Seven, could easily become our new favourite. We seldom eat out, and when we do, there are few restaurants we go back to. But both times our meals were excellent … Continue reading Restaurant Seven, Somerset West South Africa

Field And Fork I love eating out at fine dining restaurants, and Field and Fork nearly meets this description. The concept of using locally sourced ingredients, fresh from the surrounding farms really resonates with me. I had read about this restaurant which is situated in the heritage area of Swellendam and I knew exactly where … Continue reading Field And Fork, Swellendam South Africa

Dave and I are not keen on going out for dinner in large groups but when we go motor racing this often becomes the norm. We were in Port Elizabeth twice in two months and both times we had dinner at Coachman On The Bay. The restaurant can be considered smart, and has an ocean … Continue reading Coachman On The Bay, Port Elizabeth South Africa