Bridget McNulty

A restaurant with a difference…

// April 20th, 2009 // Cape Town, Life (and the living of it)

… Not a restaurant with a view, but one with a whole lot of charm.

Yesterday my man and I went for lunch with two dear friends at Sibanye Restaurant in Imizamo Yethu, the township just outside Hout Bay. I was a little reluctant, not to go for lunch in the township, but because I thought it would be very touristy – Sibanye is specifically aimed at tourists.

I was (very) pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is in a shack quite close to the entrance of Imizamo Yethu, and although we attracted a few stares when we walked in, we were pretty much treated like locals for the rest of the time. Inside the brightly painted shack there are mismatched tables and chairs and some very popular arcade games. The lunch is a 3 course meal (for only R60 – a steal!) and it was absolutely delicious. Starters were small vetkoek-type pastries stuffed with delicious mince and served with a tomato salsa-type sauce. Mains were beef or chicken with samp and beans, cabbage, more tomato mix, pumpkin and delicious potatoes, and dessert was tea or coffee with freshly made koeksisters. Delicious!

Sibanye was started by a team of two – Randy Mcknight and Nathan Roberts – and they’ve got the place running as smoothly as you could wish. They even hooked up a pair of teenage gumboot dancerts to provide midmeal entertainment, a real treat! It’s aimed at tourists, local and international, and seems to be a more chilled alternative to Mzoli’s Place in Gugulethu. Bear in mind, though, that you do have to book 24 hours ahead, and it’s only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday lunch.

In the mood for an unconventional Sunday lunch? Check out Sibanye, you won’t be disappointed.