UPDATE!
We had Mother’s Day lunch at The Shop yesterday, and I can truly say it was one of the best meals I have ever had. Service, food, mood, everything world class. Perfection from start to finish!
Some photos:
The Shop in Seapoint is that rare thing: a true neighbourhood restaurant where you can eat several times a week and always have a great meal. It’s more than that, though: owner-run and served, it delivers a personal experience like few other restaurants in Cape Town do. You somehow always feel more more human after a visit to The Shop: nourished, well-fed and cherished.
This is not an easy feat to achieve. It sounds like it’s easy, but it actually isn’t. It takes real humanity to affect people this way, with food, kindness and generosity.
Chef/owner Kyle Knight cooks in the open kitchen, with his co-owner/partner Gabi running front of house expertly. They work incredibly hard, yet make it seem effortless. They are a team, devoted to delivering goodness with their serving staff. It’s the kind of place you go to for long table celebrations, intimate romantic meals or even dining solo. It’s a charming place, suffused with love, care and passion. Oh, and the steak…I have a minor obsession with the steak served at The Shop.
With one of the most tightly edited menus and winelists around, The Shop follows the KISS principle so beloved of some of my favourite chefs: Keep It Simple, Stupid.
The Shop sources and buys ingredients carefully, sentiently. Local, ethically produced, seasonal. They don’t make a big fuss about what they do and how they do it, they just get on and do it. Good food, prepared with the minimum of fuss. At reasonable prices.
It’s a good, good restaurant, run by experts. You should try it. And don’t miss out on the apple crumble with a scoop of ice cream!
The Shop is serving a Mother’s Day lunch special: 3 courses for a paltry R235, but the entire menu is a winner.
Some photos:
