A Noble coffee shop

I went to the opening of Cafe Noble in Norwood last night. How did I get an invite? It's owned and run by my niece's husband (I don't think I can call him my nephew) - so there is a family link that I'll now consider disclosed :-)


Cafe Noble is next to the Lamp Post in Norwood, just up from the intersection of Ivy Road and Grant Avenue. Parking on Grant is a nightmare,  but there is a parking lot just next to the Lamp Post on Ivy, and there's another one the other side of the drycleaner/shoemaker on the other side of Ivy Road.


So... once you've got past the parking thing, which really is not as big a deal as us spoiled-by-malls not-used-to-high-street folks make out, what is Cafe Noble like?


The menu is varied, but not too big. There's a selection of filled croissants, tramezzinis and pastas, and a range of pizzas.


I took the boys there for breakfast a week or two back and had a haloumi, rocket and cherry tomato croissant - very yum. For the opening, they served some of their pizzas, and mini-portions of pastas and tramezzinis.


So delicious. The pizzas are thin base, and fillings are generous and tasty. The tramezzinis are wicked, and the pastas boast homemade sauces that make them perfect comfort food.


A selection of cakes and desserts is also available.


The best part about Cafe Noble (apart from the family welcome I'm sure you'll also receive) is the prices: they're really reasonable - much more affordable than any of the major restaurant chains, for food that tastes homemade in the best possible way. If you enjoy their food as much as I think you will, you can also buy reasonably priced frozen takeaway portions of their lasagnas, pastas and sauces. There's also talk of opening a deli section...


The restaurant is open from 9am to 6pm during the week, and from 9am to 2pm on a Saturday.


If you pop into Cafe Noble... tell Bryan I sent you ... ;-)

Fabulous Feastt

I’ve been to Feastt in Parktown North a few times now – and I’ll be going back many more times in the future.

This last Sunday I met a friend for lunch, and took along the two little Haggards, who had given me grey hairs in a stressful shopping mall experience that morning. The only way I could get them to behave was to threaten that we wouldn’t go to Feastt – that’s how much they love going there.

The restaurant is in a converted house just downhill from the Parktown North shopping centre – whose parking lot you use. There are tables inside, and on a covered patio, and then there are loads of tables out in the garden near the playground. This means that there’s a spot for everyone –whether you want to go and have quiet meal away from the children, or whether you want to keep a close on what they’re up to.

The playground has been wonderfully designed and built around two massive palm trees, which means it’s in a lot of shade. It’s a massive wooden structure that offers slides, tunnels, peekaboo windows and a combat net, all spiced up with rope swings and fireman’s poles. The ground is covered in beach sand, which is a whole fun experience in itself.

To break up the exciting play space, the restaurant offers baking lessons for the kids – my boys made biscuits on Sunday. Every time we’ve been they’ve made friends with other children there.

The menu is big enough to be interesting, but small enough to not be intimidating. I’ve had the steak sandwich, which was so good I had to buy a bottle of Feastt’s Onion Marmalade, and the salmon salad, which was generous and delicious. I’ve had the vegetable board, and my husband had the meat board – those were a little disappointing – but everything else has looked great, and the prices are very reasonable.

The children’s menu is particularly reasonably priced, and has been created with kids in mind. The options are nutritious, with the right blend of good sense with a bit of naughtiness in mind. My boys had their white chocolate fudge sundaes for dessert this week – and oh my goodness, they looked heavenly… and all for R15.

The owners are present and involved, and have been smart about addressing the bee problem that seems to be everywhere in Joburg at the moment. They’ve found out that a small dish of smouldering coffee grinds chases insects away – an ecofriendly solution to a problem that’s plaguing many restaurants with outdoor eating areas.

Many of their baked goods and preserves are on sale too – so you can stock up your grocery cupboard while you’re there.

I would really recommend Feastt if you’re looking for a family meal out, or if you’re looking to meet friends and want your little people to have lots of fun while you’re catching up. They’re not licensed yet, so take your own alcohol if you want to – but they really do have everything you need for a great family meal out.