Happy birthday to me….. yippee!!Birthday traditions for me involve 2 aspects… 1. Presents and 2. Food.
In keeping with such customs I opted for quiet birthday celebrations this year. Me, the boyf and some good chow. Where to go, where to go!?! Decisions, decisions.
We decided to revisit an old favourite – The Attic [Parkhurst]. I can’t really call it an old favourite as we’ve only been there once, however, once was enough to make it onto the favourite list.
Here are the highlights for your reading pleasure:
Team: The boyf and I
Decor: Some would say that The Attic is homely. If you live in a gorgeous vintage home with gilded mirrors and eclectic art covering the walls, then yes, I guess it is homely! The bare wooden tables and rustic fire places lend themselves well to the unassuming atmosphere that makes you forget you are in a popular spot in the middle of Parkhurst.
Vibe: Parkhurst is the safe-man’s Melville. No street stabbings, no drunken girls passed out in the road, no police raids. I joke, but seriously, Parkhurst really does have a Melvilley restaurant kind of vibe. I say restaurant because people come here to eat. Want to party – go to Greenside. Parkhurst caters to the street saunter-ers – those in search of something delicious to consume whilst looking ‘oh-so-chic’. The Attic provides such a space. The crowd is young and although 9 out of 10 people look as if they’ve stepped straight out the pages of a fashion mag, it’s not pretentious or ‘jocky’. YOU really will feel at home here.
Service: Annoying but thorough. Our order was taken competently without error. Our food was brought quickly and there were none of those awkward moments where you have to look up and down in search of your waiter. However, our waiter (and the waiter who served us before) seem to think being cool is well, cool. I like a waiter to be friendly and capable, if you have something important (and interesting) to say, then by all means say it, but please let’s not be B.F.F’s. But I am weird, so on the whole – no complaints.
Food:The Attic changes its menu seasonally and although I was under the impression we were practically in winter (it being cold and all) we were offered the summer menu. Odd, I know. The summer menu was delicious though so I can’t really moan too much.There are a choice of about 6-8 choices for starters, mains and desserts so even the fussiest of eaters will find something to their liking. Starters are in the R50 range and mains are about R100.
There were 2 of us dining so the duel was on.. En garde:
Starters: I had read The Attic’s summer menu online so I already knew what I was having – Chilli Salt Squid served in a won ton basket thingy with chilli mayo. The squid was deep fried to perfection, the won ton basket shattered into perfect shards at the slightest touch of the fork and the mayo had the right amount of spice. Yes please!The boyf ordered veal carpaccio which was served au natural with rocket, parmesan shavings and a smattering of ground pepper. Now, I usually don’t eat veal (poor little baby cows) but for purposes of restauranteering I had to have a little bite. Who knew baby cow was so tasty! That being said, we both agreed that the winner of this round was…*drum roll* the squid.
Me 1 : Boyf 0
Mains: Whenever there is fillet on a menu, I’ll probably try it. I heart meat. So yes, I had the fillet – served with a béarnaise sauce and hand cut chips. Although the meat was cooked to perfection and the sauce was divine, it was, at the end of the day, just fillet with chips. I kicked myself a little for not being more daring like the boyf who ordered loin of kudu. This delectable morsel of meat was served on top a creamy potato dauphinoise which sat on a mound of crunchy green bean salad all smothered in the most sublime red wine (I think it was red wine) sauce. OMG was it good. No guesses who won this round.
Me 1: Boyf 1
Dessert: In order to force a draw we decided to share dessert (not really, we were just stuffed) and of the delicious treats on offer we picked the hot chocolate pudding served with vanilla bean ice cream. The pudding was more like a cup of hot chocolate sauce with a little spongy top but whatever you want to call it, it was lip smackingly good. We contemplated dunking the whole ball of vanilla bean ice cream (which was fab on its own) into the little pot of chocolaty goodness but decided against being savages. Such decision was soon abandoned when I decided to clean the chocolate pot with my finger. Mmmm mmmmm
Final tally – Me 1 : Boyf 1 : The Attic : 10000000000000
Note: for all the wineys out there, The Attic suggests a wine to accompany each dish, so you really can go all out.
Wine or no wine, The Attic is definitely a place worth returning to time and time again. Hopefully when I go there next the winter menu will be in place… I’m in need of something hearty!
Success!
Restauranteering 