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.

Outside @2dogs

If you’re tired of trying to pretend to be fancier than you really are, or even if you want to pretend just for one evening that you’re not so fancy really. If you would like to visit a proper bar, drink some beers play some pool and listen to some @#$!%ing good music then pull in to 2 Dogs just above the main road on Gray street.

Shaun and Michelle work the bar all day every day till late and never stop thinking about the place. It’s improving all the time. You can watch the sport on the big plasma above the bar, play some dart and oh yeah, don’t let me forget all the awesome artwork they’ve had painted on the walls.

Shaun has mastered the art of collecting music for the bar. His collection is legendary.

Yep, they’re rockers and if you give them half a chance they’ll get you raucously drunk jumping around on the bar, no one minds if you crowd surf.

Shaun makes space available for ‘jam sessions’ where people with instruments can come and get loud. The vibe is super friendly and when the bonfire gets down to coals patrons are most welcome to put their own meat on.

What a party!

Bow Tie is everybodies idea of a Chinese restaurant and as chinese in Knysna goes theirs is a good one. The menu is broad and the restaurant has been here in Pledge Square for eleven years. (It’s behind the steers and postnet and all the rest of it on the left hand side of the N2 if you’re travelling away from Cape Town. )

I have tried the sweet and sour pork, the vegetable stir fry and the wan tan but their menu really is big so check it all out for yourself. A fun thing to do at a chinese restaurant is to go with a group of friends and try each other’s dishes. That way you get to explore everything at once.

Beef pork and chicken, Duck too, all done in traditional Chinese style and taste by Angela, but let’s not forget the SUSHI! Bow tie serves sushi. who arrived here in South Africa eleven years ago and started the Bow tie restaurant. I enjoyed my chat with Angela a great deal, she’s smart beneath the usual quiet chinese manner. In addition to excellent chinese fare Bow Tie is also a licensed venue. Take away or sit in, Bow tie is excellent value.

Phone Bow tie on 044 382 0132

fax 044 382 2517

This is a coffee shop that grew up and became a restaurant. Situated in what has to be called ‘Old’ Knysna, Coffee Connection, despite the upbeat and busy feel is housed in an historic building that has stood in the centre of Knysna since the eighteen hundreds

It’s hard to say exactly what it is that makes this place so popular. Sure they have an inspiring selection of what the menu calls ‘fine Arabica Coffee beans’ and the coffee is good. Rich and worth it. There is quite a wide selection of cakes on offer, they have a full restaurant menu. Coffee connection is licensed and the old building lends an elegance to the coffee shop that isn’t present in any of the other meeting place type establishments in Knysna.

It’s probably a difficult thing to get right, feeling friendly and warm but sophisticated at the same time. The venue is quite large and there’s nothing stopping you from holding a banquet in the place but most people come in the morning and drink coffee and chat. This is the place where Knysna meets. At ten am you could be forgiven for feeling a bit new yorkish, although not in the giant foam cup of java way, fancier than that and in decent cups.

Like anywhere in Knysna if you look about you may notice six or seven different nationalities reading their papers, entertaining their families or enjoying a hearty breakfast. With of course a magical frothy rich yum coffee tingling its way inside.