“I don’t think water will be enough. Would you like a glass of wine?” said Johan, smiling and nodding knowingly. Right then I knew I was going to really enjoy my afternoon at La Petite Tarte.
La Petite Tart in the heart of the De Waterkant has, like its name, a distinctly Parisian feel. Outside there’s tables on the chairs on the sidewalk under a striped awning whilst inside you can choose to sit on the couch with a cappuccino or enjoy a croissant whilst watching the world go by from a seat by the window. There’s cabinets filled with pastries and cakes and a sideboard hoarding a collection of dainty teacups and antique tea sets. Chalk boards display the menu of the day whilst bottles of preserves and jams on the shelves beg to be taken home. Add to this the lingering smell of coffee and cinnamon and people chatting happily and you have a sidewalk café that’s intriguing and irresistible.
The owners, Len Straw and Johan De Villiers, have been creating cake and creamy cappuccino happiness here for just over two years, having come from Franschhoek where they managed a five-star hotel. They are very hands-on and are passionate about their café. Len writes up the menu by hand every day and both of them are involved in the affairs of the kitchen. (Johan did confide in us that Len is incredibly possessive over the carrot cake with Johan only being allowed to grate the carrots!) You will also find no microwave in La Petite Tarte’s kitchen, they use an oven only.
After being brought our carafe of water (with fresh lemon and mint) we had a difficult time deciding what to eat whilst Johan busied himself with getting our wine. I eventually settled on the butternut, blue cheese and coriander quiche whilst my friend had the hot smoked Norwegian salmon with baby potatoes in a lemon yoghurt dressing served with a crispy apple and fennel bulb salad. Both sounded like interesting combinations and we were intrigued. I am no foodie expert so I am unable to regale you with foodie jargon, but let it be known that we stole numerous mouthfuls from each other’s plates as we liked both so much we had to share.
Despite being quite full after our meal, we are a little on the greedy side so we couldn’t resist the Lint chocolate brownie for dessert (“because we really have to try it”) so we shared that too. It is quite possible that I will never be able to have another chocolate brownie again unless it is a Lindt chocolate brownie! All of this was washed down with a glass of two of wine whilst watching the world go by and chatting to Johan. It was a rather splendid way to spend a Saturday brunch.
Perhaps my friend summed it up best by saying, “If I lived here, I would be back for cake and cappuccino every Saturday”. Judging by the constant flow of people and the clattering of cups on saucers, I would say that anyone who is in the know does just that.
La Petite Tarte
Opening times:
Monday – Friday 07h30 – 17h00
Saturdays 07h30 – 14h00
Closed on Sundays
What to expect:
The menu changes daily, but you can be assured that there will always be pastries, cakes, tea and cappuccino. Breakfast is served every day. When we were there, the following was included in the menu:
- Carrot and walnut cake (R30)
- Baked cheesecake with mixed berries (R38)
- Butternut, blue cheese and coriander quiche (R58)
- Smoked chicken, brie and caramalised pear quiche (R58)
- Prawn, chilli, lime and green mango salad (R68)
- Smoked salmon and avo salad (R68)
- Pot-roast chicken and veg pie with salad (R78)
- Hot smoked Norwegian salmon with baby potatoes in a lemon yoghurt dressing served with a crispy apple and fennel bulb salad (R82)
What else can you get?
You can also buy jams, konfyt, olive oil, salad dressings and seeds. Not to mention their selection of home-made cakes, croissants, lemon meringue, cheesecakes and Lindt chocolate brownies.
Contact:
You’ll find La Petite Tarte in the Cape Quarter Lifestyle Shopping Centre, Dixon Street in the De Waterkant. Phone 021-425-9077, email [email protected].
