Cafe Paradiso

This is a great place to dine al fresco in sunny Cape Town weather. We kind of stumbled upon this place. I was meaning to take the SO to Manna Epicure instead but it's closed on Mondays! Boo.


(Photo courtesy of SouthAfricaLogue.com)

Anyway Cafe Paradiso was a great find. Definitely a favorite among locals as well because we ran into the owner of the B&B where we stayed here! Purely coincidental, she hadn't recommended this place to us previously.

Cafe Paradiso is on Kloof street (on the slopes of Table Mountain). A short walk way from lots of restaurants and shops. This is where the office workers head for a relaxing lunch. I highly going to HeartWorks a few doors down for handmade African souveneirs. Not the kitschy stuff but nice high quality carvings, ceramics, etc. Very designer looking but at great prices. We chatted for a bit with the owner who travels around Africa sourcing the nicest items from local craftsman.

But back to Cafe Paradiso. Here's the butternut, fig and rice pilaf I got. It was fresh, yummy, and light. Just what I was looking for:


If you are looking for something heavier, they also have a variety of meats, including ostrich and rabbit. There's also a large selection of wines and beers. The style is South African with a French twist. I highly recommend this restaurant for lunch on a nice sunny day. There's seating in a garden setting and just in case you get too hot, large umbrellas.

Cafe Paradiso
110 Kloof Street
Gardens
8001
(Neighbourhood: Gardens / Kloof Street)

Chomp Meter:
Great place for lunch as you tour the Kloof Street area! This was one of my favorite meals of the trip, maybe because it was unexpected and unpretentious. Simple food yet creative and done well. I loved it.

Oh and don't forget to stop by Vida E Caffe for coffee after walking around!

Vegas Eats - Jean Philippe Patisserie Review

Where: Las Vegas Strip! (Bellagio)

I really wanted to go to Bouchon Bakery (Venetian) again for breakfast but found Jean Philippe Patisserie (Bellagio Hotel/Casino) on Yelp. Since it was closer and very highly rated (4.5) we headed there instead. As with all things Vegas, the setting was more ostentatious than elegant ...



I was certainly not disappointed with the offerings however! Check out the spread.



The patisserie offers a variety of breads, coffee, and crepes made to order. We ordered a Bananas Foster Crepe, Caramel Macchiato, and a Nutella Brioche.

All three were decadently delicious! The crepes were well cooked, the batter was light, and it did not come out too thick. The brioche was buttery and chock full of nutella. The caramel macchiato was really expensive ($6!) but at least it was good with some frothy milk at the top, or so I try to tell myself.



Sadly, I have some disappointing news. Gorgeous as the cakes look, I didn't end up trying any. BOOOOOO. Here's why, the cakes were displayed in the back of the shop and I didn't see them till after I'd ordered :( After consuming the above 3 item with enough sugar to make me diabetic I decided to pass on the cake till later in the day.

Anyway you guessed it, we didn't have time to make it back for the cakes. I guess another trip back to Vegas is in order!

Chomp Meter:
Jean Philippe's is worth a trip if you are in Vegas. Almost everyone stops by the Bellagio right? There's the cool fountains in front ... I hate to admit it but the fountains are quite spectacular (even if it performs to Celine Dion's "Heart Will Go On" :P Eeeeps ... )

Jean Philippe Patisserie
Bellagio
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 693-7111

Bouchon Review - Las Vegas

Where: Las Vegas!

Since I haven't yet been able to score French Laundry reservations, Bouchon will have to do. If you don't already know, Bouchon is also owned by Thomas Keller.

Bouchon is at the Venetian (Hotel / Casino) and is tucked away in a rather obscure corner. Hard to find if you aren't staying at the hotel. The restaurant was only serving items from the Brunch Menu when we got there in the afternoon.



Here's what we ordered. Some of the Bouchon photos are from our Vegas trip last year. We were feeling rather uninspired this time and as you know searching for a good restaurant requires quite a bit of effort and trawling the web. Bouchon was a known quantity and so we decided to head there again. Boring I know!

Garlic Soup (L) Crab Salad (R)


Steak Frites


Tartine du Tuna


Oysters and Mussels (L) Croque Madame (R)


Chomp Meter:
Clearly, I don't mind going there again seeing that I've been twice! The food is consistently good and well executed, though it's not particularly spectacular. OK value for money however bearing in mind that things in Vegas are a tad overpriced. Oh yes, and not forgetting the yummy fries (as seen on No Reservations)!

Bouchon
(Venetian)
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 414-6200