I have never been imprisoned in one, but I have slept in one in Grahamstown, and once in a while I have coffee at one.  The Old Gaol in Knysna is a fascination place.  There is an Art Gallery, Museums for the Titanic and Fishing Tackle, and a Coffee Shop, run by a great lass called Joan.  She has a great smile and loads of amazing attitude. The service is great and the prices are even better.  The biscuit with your coffee is another plus.  “Could I please have more hot milk?/”  “Only a pleasure.” and it arrives in a big jug, accompanied by a bigger smile and followed by a question about anything else one may require. Do you feel that she appreciates your patronage?  Absolutely. Will she go out of her way to ensure that your culinary needs are more than satisfied?  You bet she will.

Contributed by Peter Dijkstra who offers a Property Concierge service and information on Properties for sale in Knysna

The proverbial heaven in a burger. I found it at Chaplin’s Coffee Bar in Woodmill Lane, Knysna.

I’m often there for Americano styled coffee but since my pocket got pinched by the recession, i hadn’t had the opportunity to munch into the new and improved dishes which are a build-up to the new menu launch next week. But today was a wonderful exception!

The first impression was that the plate arrived full. It’s not a choice between salad and chips. You automatically get both, the former with a house vinigrette and the latter with a mayo based dip that included paprika, olive oil and lemon. The housemade patty was 220g. I asked what was in it but was told it’s a secret. I did gather that the mince was lean but wished that i’d discovered the delicious family of herbs and spices that accompanied it. The Parker House roll was as important as the burger. It’s enriched bread i.e. with milk, egg and sesame seeds. It has an almost conical top which added to the presentation. Chaplin’s has a bakery so it was handrolled and baked by Dan the Man a.k.a. the owner of Chaplin’s, Dan Murphy.

Note that my cellphone photo doesn’t do it full justice as i’d been playing and eating my food before Mark, who had bought me lunch, had asked me to immortalize the meal on his website. And you can’t eat photos:)

Gosh, i’m so full that there’s no way that i can have dinner tonight.

Venison sushi, what a cool idea.  Fantastic South African twist on sushi.

Fisherman’s cabin has an edge. The edge of a sushi knife. For two years now the seafood restaurant has been nurturing the talent of their resident sushi wizard, Naomi.

Naomi, cool calm and collected, came to Fisherman’s cabin with a number of years in sushi preparation at Robberg Seafood Safari already under her belt and I must say her work is impressive.

The restaurant is becoming creative with the idea. Serving very interesting variations on the traditional including the surprising and refreshing Maki with peach schnapps (or apple juice to give the youngsters a fair go) and venison, yes that’s what I said, venison. Take a look at the photo.

Also interesting is fruit Maki with vanilla infused yoghurt. Hmmn.

If you’re a die hard traditionalist, don’t worry. They’ll still make you a perfect Nigiri or California roll. And yes, nothing beats salmon.

The sushi bar is at the front of the restaurant. An idyllic setting amongst the yachts and their inhabitants down at the Knysna Waterfront.

Delightful restaurant in a forest garden

Mo’s on Rex is in one of the better venues available around the Knysna lagoon. The character of this place is quite different from any of the others. For one thing, Mo’s is a few kilometres from Knysna town central, and about halfway to the famous Knysna heads, the rocky break in the coastline that produces the Knysna lagoon. A place where the forest meets the sea and one is conscious of that at Mo’s. The special feeling of being between the trees and the sea.

Set in a delightful garden at the end of a driveway not far from leisure isle on the landward side of George Rex drive, the lights and candles on the front porch glitter with a welcome light. Smiling and courteous staff greet their guests and seat them either in the pleasant and well lit air outside or in the dining room just inside off the patio. There is a pub too, where live music is a regular feature. Plenty of energy here.

Roast chicken (In a wood fired oven)

I can feel it, sitting on the patio with the buzz of friends chatting all around me and the more excitable sounds coming from behind the closed doors of the pub, this is a really friendly place and it’s wonderful to see that a chef cum maitre’d like Callie and his staff are so enthusiastic about holding their restaurant up to the incredible standard that the new Knysna cuisine culture demands.

It’s not fine dining, just good food with a natural feel and it’s worth it. I tried the wood roasted chicken. I think I may have mentioned elsewhere how chicken done for just the right amount of time is so different from the bland association chicken sometimes has. Delicious plate of woodsy tasting roast with rich fresh vegetables and a sprig of rosemary for extra colour. Served to me by the delightfully smiling Ellen.

Getting the place buzzing at Mo's on Rex

After dinner I wandered into the pub and the local band got my jeans hopping and my endorphins popping, even though I promised myself they wouldn’t and I’d walk back to my accommodation early.

There is so much to say about Mo’s I didn’t even mention the pizza oven (also wood fired) and I feel guilty neglecting the wine list, which has obviously had some attention paid to it. Have a great time, I did.

Outside Bosun's

I have always been impressed with Bosun’s on George Rex drive in Knysna. Here amidst all the crass chaos of  a bustling internationally renowned tourism destination where every fad and misdirection has it’s say there stands a solid, very successful, well appointed in traditional style restaurant and pub. Mahogany finishes and plush seating. Brass fittings and well, you get the idea. The place is lovely.

Dinner at Bosun’s is a civil affair with excellent service and a full menu of steaks (including ostrich and the gammon with pineapple is a lovely thing to do with pork.), poultry,snack baskets, burgers, a wonderful selection of savoury pancakes.

I love dessert, who doesn’t, but the style of Bosun’s evokes days long past when dessert was something more than just a sweet treat. I struggle to explain it precisely but when that cheesecake, or crème caramel, or malva pudding arrives it signals in a way no other restaurant in Knysna achieves, that the meal is done. And that it was done well.

The deck outside Bosun’s is in the perfect spot for sundowners, I may have mentioned on other blogs exactly how spectacular this body of water can look at around sunset.

Bosun’s is a place where the mature people of Knysna meet. Where the more discerning tourist feels welcome.

I tried the savoury pancake. Chicken and mushroom I  a white wine, mushroom and paprika sauce. Delicious and enormous. It was not what I envisaged when reading ‘pancake’ on the menu, it was far more substantial than I imagined. Super stuff.

I must briefly mention ‘quizz night’ which takes place on the last Monday of every month. A unique and well attended event. Quizzes at the pub, what fun!

Chicken and mushroom pancake at Bosun's, excellent white wine, paprika and mushroom sauce.

Jacques, the owner of l’Opera, is a gentleman with a ready chuckle. He and his wife Julie obviously enjoy what they do.

At first glance one could be forgiven for believing that l’Opera is a coffee shop in the new Knysna mall. One would be mistaken however, it’s far more than just a coffee shop serving what amounts to quite a full menu of light meals, cakes and desserts.

The fresh chicken pie is quite a favourite apparently but I was tempted by the chicken salad. Worth the price this, and it only just qualifies as a light meal. (It’s really quite substantial) Too true how sesame seeds do well with chicken and it’s lovely to eat chicken that has been grilled at the right heat for the right amount of time. Chicken that is not overdone is practically a delicacy with the number of folks who over do it. Delicious.

L’Opera’s cakes are baked for them and only for them by their ‘top secret’ supplier and I have to mention that not only do they serve great coffee, but the little biscuit? Yes, it’s there and it’s a very good one.

Jacques runs quite a fun system for a ‘loyalty program’ No oddball cards to fill out or anything silly like that, he just keeps an eye on who his regulars are and then takes their cell numbers and invites them around for a cup of coffee on the house.

If chicken salad and chicken pie are not on your agenda for the day, try a savory pancake with any of a range of interesting fillings, they do a burger menu as well as a kiddies menu.

So if you’re into a little shopping or even just a quiet moment out of the bustle of the Knysna Mall, drop in at l’Opera.

L’Opera can be found in the Knysna Mall, just a short walk from the N2.

Their telephone number is 044 382 2933

[edit 21/06/11] Unfortunately this restaurant has closed [edit]

Limoncello is on the upper deck of the Knysna waterfront centre, overlooking the Yacht berths and the Knysna lagoon. The menu is South African Italian. Traditional pasta and carne dishes are fleshed out with an exciting South African zing.

The jovial staff here serve the lunch and burger menu until about four p.m. and the evening fare, while not fine dining per se ( guests are most welcome to dress casually and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere here on the deck above the Knysna waterfront) is certainly well prepared enough to rank alongside many far more pretentious restaurants. The ‘terra e mare’ (prawns and fillet steak) I ordered was right up there with the best of the steak I have ever consumed.

The décor is vibrant and fun, the passion these people have for their chosen profession is quite evident in the level of service as well as the sheer quality of the food and indeed over all dining experience.

The menu is comprehensive to say the least and whether you feel like escargot, calamari or their Kingklip ( although I’d go for the gurnard, always a favourite) or if you’re a bit more like the red blooded Italian South African family that owns the place perhaps you might choose from their excellent selection of game, the Kudu loin for example.

There is, as has been said, someone very smart buying the meat here because the steaks are perfect. I didn’t try the veal cutlets but I imagine they measured up to the quality of Limoncello.

The wine list is certainly worthwhile, Eikendal Janina chardonnay being a popular companion to dinner or the Paradyskloof pinotage for a more special evening.

Limoncello also does a cocktail list. The manager tells me he is something of a “mixologist”

My single glass was quite enough for me however.

Limoncello is where to go and enjoy excellent food in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere set in one of the most desirable and beautiful locations on planet earth. Knysna.

 

terra e mare

Catch the view over the harbour from limoncello.