Not stand-out stuff, but it was Boxing Day
Roots Cafe at St James on Venice 100 Venice Road, Morningside Open: 7am to 5pm, Monday to Sunday Phone: 031 312 9488 ’TWAS the day after Christmas, and light meals were all that were required, so we popped in to Roots Cafe at the St James on Venice guest house.
As was to be expected on Boxing Day, the restaurant was quiet, allowing the three of us to enjoy the stillness of the lovely gardens and the calming sound of the water feature.
We got off to a bit of a bumpy start. The manager had headed off with the keys to the bar, so C had to settle for a cappuccino (R20). I had a rock shandy (R28) and S had a hot chocolate (R26).
The café does not have an extensive menu. S stuck to the chicken mayo on artisan bread and chips (R45), while C, the always-hungry male in the group, went for the 180g beef naked home-made burger (R85). I chose the grilled chicken with a light coriander dressing served on a bed of couscous with a salad (R85).
C declared the burger – served on just one side of a bun – was tasty, and he could happily have had another. The chips were good, crisp and golden.
The chicken, too, was just right, not dry, and the sauce and couscous made a light combination. The salad was a bit disappointing. Served in a tiny side dish, it had a couple of cherry tomatoes and lettuce with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
The sandwich was as advertised and unremarkable.
For dessert, S chose ice cream and chocolate sauce (R35), standard fare with a touch of berry compote.
I chose a chocolate brownie with ice cream and berry compote (R65), and C got the best deal – a delicious chocolate mousse and berry compote (R45).
The brownie was harder and thinner than I expected, and not the chocolatiest one I have had, but the berry compote livened the dish up.
It was C’s mousse we all wished we had ordered – it was not too sweet, and the compote added colour and life.
It has to be said that Boxing Day is perhaps not the best day on which to judge an eating experience: everyone is Christmassed out, including the kitchen and serving staff. But we thought the meals we had were over-priced – there was nothing about any of them that made them stand out from what could be cooked at home for far less.