Grazing in the garden of Ou Meul Bakery

 2 July 2023

 

OU MEUL BAKERY

R45, Simondium

 

The front aspect of Ou Meul Bakery is not particularly  enthralling, unless you have an aesthetic interest in the frontage of heritage buildings, and there’s just a vast parking area in front of the building. However, there is a large, leafy garden to the side and back of the premises that immediately makes the prospect of loitering with a cup of coffee or a light lunch very appealing indeed.

 

The wife (her name is Von-Mari and yes, she is “my wife”) and I often eat at Ou Meul when we’ve been out for a drive in the Franschhoek valley and have the Yorkies with us.  Ordinarily we sit at a table on the bare, unadorned and rather sterile front stoep, to be far from other customers, because Prinses (the youngest of our two girls) barks and charges at anyone who approaches us (she is very protective of my wife) and Lucy scrounges for food from strangers.

 

Today we arrived late enough that we could find a table in the garden far away from any canine temptation or aggravation and basked in the mild temperature of the most glorious winter’s day, amidst the splendour of a lovely garden setting.  It’s a bit like a farmyard and with a smidgen of imagination one could be in Tuscany without the hills and ancient hill towns though there is an olive grove at the back.

 

The seating arrangements are eclectic with varying types of tables and chairs that are either cleverly funky or a job lot from a jumble sale.

 

The wife ate chicken and pesto on toasted sourdough bread

and I had the Moroccan chicken and barley bowl, with chickpeas, greens and Feta cheese.

It’s simple, café  food but it’s always well-made and with good, fresh ingredients and the coffee is damn fine.

 

The wife had a magnificent tiny piece carrot cake she hailed as “the best carrot cake of my life” (no hyperbole there!)

and my choice was a small pecan pie, not the best of my life but quite satisfying.

 

The coffee is excellent.

 

We lingered for a long time after lunch, happy to indulge in the simple pleasure of soaking up a bit of sun and relaxing in an unpretentious garden. 

 

The wife paid R500 cash (tip included) for the meal, including four cappuccinos, of which one was smaller than the standard size. Good value for money.

 

Ou Meul Bakery is always a well-stocked deli, well, if you arrive early enough. The good stuff always sells out quickly.