New Hill offering a gem in the making
TAMZ restaurant and bar, the latest addition to the Richmond Hill family, has only been open for five weeks, so it is expected that it would have some teething problems.
Once these have been ironed out, however, the potential that already exists will shine through.
While the restaurant has a long way to go to meet the standards of the other eateries that line Stanley Street, Tamz has its own rustic charm that I am sure will become very popular with time.
The staff – although they could do with a few more hands on deck – are friendly, the food is relatively good, and the drinks from the fully-stocked bar are cold. There are no beers on tap.
There is not much of a wine selection, with only a house red by the glass and one or two bottles of Durbanville Lyric to choose from. The decor, while minimalist, is young, funky and laid back.
Hubby and I put the restaurant-come-bar to the test on Wednesday night. The prices on the select menu are good and the portions even better.
Starters range between R25 and R35, with a choice of seafood, chicken and vegetarian options. Greek, garden or Cajun chicken salads range between R35 and R50.
To start, I had the prawns in a garlic butter sauce. The six prawns were well worth the R35. They were perfectly cooked and adequately sized.
Hubby had the chicken livers served with lightly toasted bread and butter. The portion, for R25, was generous and left him satisfied. He said the chicken livers had great flavour and just enough bite.
Unfortunately, we waited more than half an hour for the starters to arrive, leaving us quite peckish.
For mains I had the 200g fillet steak with chips and salad (R75), with a cheese sauce on the side (R15). The steak, which I ordered medium-to-well, was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. However the chips were slightly undercooked. But the disappointment was definitely the cheese sauce, which had formed a scrambled-egg consistency. I ended up leaving it untouched.
Hubby opted for the 300g fillet (R110), but ordered his medium-rare. He, too, was satisfied with the cook and flavour.
Options recommended by the waiter were the various pastas, and an all-you-can-eat rib, chicken and prawn special for R130, available every evening. Burgers start at an affordable R45 each.
The dessert menu was disappointing, with only ice-cream and chocolate sauce on offer.
Acclaimed Bay artist, Glen Webster, provides live music on the deck on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
TAMZ, at 9 Somerset Street, Richmond Hill, opened to the public five weeks ago. Owner Mark Barwick previously successfully ran PE pubs Cafe Rouge, Mulligans, Monkey Business and Glendore Arms.
This review visit was anonymous, unannounced, and the meal paid for in full.