Hussar Grill

When it comes to food, everybody has his or her own personal inclinations. You get those people that like the Italian food of the world, your pizzas, your pastas and the like. You get those who prefer to satisfy their pallets with seafood dishes. These people tend to indulge in meals resembling the traditional, classic fish and chips. Then you get people who like meat; I am one of those people.

Established in 1964, Hussar Grill finds itself home to one of the best steak dishes around. With branches all over Cape Town, the impressive steak house is becoming increasingly well known as they continue to satisfy and impress customer after customer. I must be honest, Hussar Grill is a restaurant I have come to know very well as my family, friends and I have been taking advantage of their services for many years. Lost in the busyness that is Rondebosch Main road exists the famous steak house, which, if you haven’t gathered by now, is the restaurant up for review this time around.

For me, there is nothing better than a good steak. In life there are a number of moments that simply cant be forgotten. The birth of your child; the day you marry your spouse; the day you scored the winning goal for your team; the day you finally get that big promotion. All of these moments are happy, joyful ones that people simply don’t forget overnight. What makes these moments so unforgettable? Ill tell you. It’s the feeling that takes over you when you are in your respective moment. Feelings of happiness, pride and pleasure attempt desperately to escape from within us, however their failed effort to do so lives on in the form of Goosebumps. Forgive me for my slight over-exaggeration and potential dramatic rant but biting into your favorite meal, when everything about it is perfect is a moment, which could effortlessly rival ones I have earlier mentioned. Such a moment is waiting for you at the Hussar Grill.

The setting at Hussar Grill oozes class, elegance and beauty. From the well-dressed doorman to the elegant furniture and table arrangements you cant help but be visually impressed. The décor and general vibe of the restaurant is fairly fancy and swanky, yet at the same time there is an element of homeliness that I find is lacking in a lot of top restaurants in Cape Town. Like everything else in life, nothing is perfect and although the setting is for the most part stunning, I cant help but feel that Hussar Grill has packed a couple too many tables in such a small space, and because of this there is an element of claustrophobia. While its nice to eat in a festive, bubbly atmosphere I don’t want to be sitting on top of my neighboring tables’ meals listening to their conversations thank you very much. Although this complaint may well be valid, it is, by nature minor in the grand scheme of things and really isn’t enough to sour your dining experience at the Hussar Grill.

The service was, for the most part satisfactory. The staff seems well versed as to the happenings of the restaurant and the various dishes that are on offer as they confidently conduct themselves around the restaurant. One aspect I didn’t quite enjoy was the constant checking up and almost ‘nagging’ habits of the servers. Personally, I find nothing more irritating than being asked “Is everything ok here?” 50 times in one night.  You might disagree with me and argue that he/she is simply doing their job. Maybe they are but there’s a marginally fine line between being enthusiastic and annoying. I’m a customer at a restaurant, not a 90 year old in an old age home, if something’s wrong ill tell you. If not, smile at me. Show me to my table. Tell me about your specials. Take my order; perhaps make some lighthearted small talk. Do this, and we’ll both walk away happy campers. There’s no need for the constant and overdone check ups. Having said that, I’d much rather deal with the nagging waiter, as opposed to the careless, lazy one. If my biggest complaint about the service of a restaurant is that they are too keen, then you know they are doing something right. This is less of a complaint and more of a compliment.

On the whole my dining experience at Hussar Grill was an incredibly pleasant one. The food was fantastic. The setting was unique and special. The service certainly wasn’t bad. Other than being a bit pricey (we must remember I am in fact a student here) there really is little to complain about when one speaks of the magnificent steak house. If a good quality steak is what you’re craving then you should dine nowhere else but the Hussar Grill. There’s a reason I’ve been going there for years, and there are even more reasons why I’ll keep going there for many years to come.

The Postcard Cafe

Stellenbosch, is one of my favourite places.  The sites, the sounds, the culture, the vibe, it’s all equally as special and contributes to the beautiful town that it is. Whether you are of an elderly generation and you seek a quiet place to enjoy a Sunday afternoon or perhaps your young aspiring student seeking a caramel vodka shot and a place to squeak some takkie on a Wednesday night. Whatever your demographic, age or agenda Stellenbosch is very much a happening town that caters for just about everyone. Over the last few months I have spent more time in the ‘bosch’ than the average non-Stellenbosch studying student, and thus indulged in some of the local restaurants. Some good, others, not so much. The restaurant up for review today falls into the: “not so much” category. Do allow me to elaborate.

About ten minutes outside of the beauty that is Stellenbosch exists a beautiful little restaurant called The Postcard Café. My girlfriend and I woke up on a Sunday morning feeling particularly hungry and we decided to treat ourselves to something other than the classic ‘Chicken Mayo tramezenni’ from Caltex. On a friend’s recommendation we decided to put our student budgets to the test and try some place different, you know, some place nice. Off we went as we ventured down Merriman road deeper into the beauty of Stellenbosch, away from the 4- way stop streets and busy town life and into the more scenic natural environment. We finally arrived at the Postcard Café and what a beautiful setting it was.

The restaurant is situated on a large piece of land that boasts stunning green pastures and a beautiful mountain backdrop. The setting is enough to grab your attention and make you want to grab a table. That we did, and before I knew it I was sitting at one of the most stunning restaurants I had ever been to. As soon as I managed to get my breathe back my tummy kindly reminded me that I had come to breakfast not because I was looking for a beautiful view but rather because I was in fact starving. My attention now turned to the menu. If I’m honest, the menu itself didn’t really scream excitement and although I was incredibly hungry there was nothing jumping off the page for me. The restaurant and its whole vibe is really modern, the setting is beautiful one would expect the food, or at least the menu to be as well. Sadly, it was not. It was all very plain; the menu was small (which is not necessarily a bad thing) and there was little variety or evidence of a theme. To put it simply; the menu was ‘random’.  But like they say “the proof is in the pudding” and it would be wrong of me to judge a restaurant without tasting what it has to offer first.

For some obscure reason I decided to go with the mixed meat and cheese platter option. The meal not only took forever to make its way to me, but when it did I found myself incredibly disappointed. The cheeses were plonked on the plate haphazardly, while the meats were hidden away underneath them.  The platter itself wasn’t visually appealing in the slightest, so it was already 5 points down in my book. In terms of taste, the platter continued to disappoint as the selections offered weren’t varied and after a while the flavours became tiresome and bland.  Nonetheless I was determined for my eating experience to change so I searched the dessert section of the menu, in the hope that I would find something that could redeem the below par cheese and meat platter I had been struggling my way through for the better part of Sunday morning. Once again, there was nothing jumping off the page but after a while my girlfriend and I decided to share a chocolatey/peanutty kind of a dessert, forgive me I forget what it was called. Basically it was a chocolate peanut square which ,much like my cheese platter was just plonked on the plate with very little effort or care.

My experience at the Postcard Café was a sombre one, although I was surrounded by beautiful views my dining experience was something I could easily forget. It’s a pity though because a restaurant of such beauty in such a place could offer so much more. I cant help but feel that the restaurant is poorly managed and badly run.

Harbour house:

Nestled within the rustic beauty that is Kalk Bay exists a restaurant almost as special as the area itself. This hidden gem is arguably the top restaurant in its area and quite possibly the best restaurant I have ever dined at.


Rested up against the crashing rocks and breath-taking sea views, Harbour house provides one with the perfect setting to enjoy a fantastic, modern cuisine inspired meal. Without even tasting any form of food Harbour house immediately impresses you with its incredibly intriguing surroundings. How many restaurants can boast that while you wait for your meal you can enjoy the views of waves breaking against the rocks, or spot a seal on one of its adventures? Such views are part and parcel of the unique dining experience that is offered by Harbour house.


As I sat down and soaked in the blissful atmosphere, I began to philander with various meal options. All the meals were incredibly appealing to the pallet, and although one would assume that “Harbour house” is a specialized sea-food restaurant there really is something for everyone. In saying that the menu wasn’t filled with hundreds of options, however with the meals that were available they managed to include a variety of different foods. The old cliché: “Quality, not quantity” rings very true at Harbour house, and couldn’t be more appropriate when describing its menu. With everything looking exceedingly tasty I eventually decided to go with the steak tartar starter and treat myself to the Karoo Lamb Chops as a main. How was it you ask? To answer simply; mouth-watering.


The steak tartar not only tasted amazing but it was visually appealing as-well. It was presented in a very modern, sexy kind of way. Sexy is not a word one would typically use when describing food but I personally believe it is one of the most important aspects. Just like in any relationship there needs to be a form of attraction between a person and their potential relationship prospect. Food is no different. While your relationship with your meal may not last as long or require as much effort it can still be just as, if not more rewarding. Customers are immediately attracted to meals that are visually appealing, if you can ‘whoo’ them with your presentation, your well on your way to pleasing them. The Karoo Lamb Chops were nothing short of superb, with every bite encouraged a celebration of flavours in my mouth. The meat was cooked to perfection and all credit belongs to the chef and the rest of his cooking staff for providing me and my respective entourage with a fantastically satisfying and enjoyable meal.


A lot of restaurants are often criticized for quality of service or lack thereof. You would have to be a particularly cynical and ignorant person to complain about the service at Harbour house. It truly is fantastic. I’m almost willing to put money on the fact that our waiter knew the menu off by heart. He was extremely knowledgeable and was always willing to help and make our experience as comfortable as possible. He went out of his way to inform us about the specials and served us gracefully, smiling at all times. Again, to use another over-used cliché; “A smile goes a long way” well in terms of service, these 6 words couldn’t be more appropriate.


As you may have gathered by reading above, I’m struggling to find a negative thing to say about the beauty that is Harbour House. The atmosphere and setting was superb, the food: fantastic, and the service: impeccable. It really does tick all the metaphorical boxes when it comes to what exactly it is one would want from a restaurant. If you are ever looking for a place to enjoy a nice glass of wine, a special meal and a great atmosphere in the company of good friends, then Harbour house is where you should be. It truly is a unique dining experience, one which you will never forget.