Hygge Hygge: Bring your Instagram.

 16 May 2023

 

HYGGE HYGGE

11 – 13 Church Street, Stellenbosch

 

How’s about brunch in an aggressively Instagrammable location where I once spent many a happy hour in a dentist’s chair?  If  there’s any more exemplary example of sic tempus fugit  or ex Africa aliquid novum, I’d like to see it visually.  Stellenbosch has come a long way, baby.

 

To be fair, the brightly lit, supremely chic space that is Hygge Hygge bears no resemblance to the dental practice  that operated from the same premises when I was a precocious school kid.  The space has been repurposed and reclaimed for the age of social media mavens.

 

Windows to the street, on the side and the glass entrance at the rear allow in such an abundance of light I was reminded of the luminous interior of the Sagrada Familia on a sunny day.  It’s pretty much drenched in light and the chandelier plant box thingy that dangles from the ceiling is a lovely green touch.

 

There is banquette seating against the side wall, below the window, counter seating at the huge street facing window, lots of tables in the centre of the room and even high tables on the pavement outside.

 

Google tells me “hygge” (Danish) is “a quality of cosiness that makes a person feel content and comfortable.”  I can’t quite identify with the cosiness in this context but it sure seems to be a comfortable place for the suave and sophisticated women of Stellenbosch. At one point I was the only guy in a crowded restaurant.

 

One challenge to the contentment one might seek is that it’s one of those places where one can order breakfast until 12h00 and lunch only from 12h30. I was seated for breakfast with 15 minutes to spare but two couples came in during that limbo period,  hung around for a bit and left.

 

The breakfast menu is varied but caters for the basic tastes, yet with some twists for the semi-adventurous. My choice was the avo Benedict (R92), with the two poached eggs resting on avocado on what they call an English muffin, but was closer to flapjack in texture, accompanied by roasted tomato.

 

The eggs were perfectly poached to order and the Hollandaise was excellent though with just a subtle hint of lemon as a bottom note, but perhaps I imagined it because the sauce seemed to be so proper. A toothsome light breakfast dish.

 

As it was close to lunch anyhow and I’m also an adult who can have cake with breakfast, I ordered a slice of the only cake on offer, a vanilla confection, and should’ve had the street smarts to enquire about the price before committing. It was  a gutsy R72,00 but for the second time in a week, I received a substantial slice with a dry crumb, as if the cake was not exactly born yesterday. Only the icing mitigated the aridness. Not a good choice.

 

The bill, including an espresso and an Americano, came to R213,00 before tip.

 

The service was good, the coffee was good (though the volume of espresso was miniscule) and the restaurant is delightfully beautiful. Bring your friends and your Instagram but be careful about ordering the cake of the day.