Restaurant in notorious jail rocks

Café: “Indlanathi” Pollsmoor Restaurant Address: Steenberg Road, Tokai Contact: 021 700 1270 Hours: Around 8am to 2pm, daily Dish eaten: Cheese omelet Price: R25

And even more surprisingly, a restaurant with decent food and that is open to the public.

Pollsmoor Restaurant, or Indlanathi (eat with us), is nestled between bland brown buildings and stretches of fenced off areas. Inside one of the buildings, the restaurant, a spacious room converted into a dining area, is a relieving contrast from the monotonous facebrick brown seen from the outside.

As I enter, a sprightly waiter tells me I may sit anywhere and whips out a menu.

There are various breakfast options, ranging from sandwiches priced from R7 (yes, R7!) to a full farm-style breakfast at R35.

I opt for a cheese omelet, after realising a “healthy breakfast” doesn’t include any fruit or muesli as I expected, but rather a “chicken cheese Russian” and “pressed beef.”

During the eight minutes it takes for my meal to arrive, a few warders walk in and a policeman takes a seat near a door.

I suddenly hear voices coming from what I assume is the kitchen and look up to see someone’s arm sticking out a door… A heavily tattooed arm.

I gulp, suddenly remembering that I’m on the grounds of a prison.

My food arrives moments later - a generous omelet covered in gooey cheese, two slices of buttered toast and a pot of boiled water with sachets of Ricoffy.

As I’m chewing fluffy, cheesy goodness, the chuffed waiter calls me and points out the chef – it’s he of the tattooed arm.

Except now I see both the man’s arms are heavily tattooed and he’s clad in an orange prison uniform pants, white T-shirt and little plastic apron. Some of the inmates work here. The menu at Pollsmoor Restaurant is varied, including burgers, salads and sometimes bobotie and curry. The food isn’t like the horror stories you hear about, I didn’t see gruel on the menu.

Dishes are well priced compared to many regular restaurants, for example, beef cordon bleu, served with chips or salad, goes for R38.

If you crave a stint on jail grounds and can stomach the idea of eating at one of the province’s most infamous prisons, this is the place for you.

PICTURE: CARYN DOLLEY SERVING TIME AND FOOD: The Pollsmoor Restaurant offers an array of meals on the grounds of the prison.