Our Local is a lekker locale.

 10 October 2023

 

OUR LOCAL

117 Kloof Street, Cape Town

 

The wife had been complaining bitterly that I’d never brought her here despite my more frequent visits and when there was an opportunity today, we popped  in. I wasn’t hugely keen on returning because my recollection of the joint was that it was a chaotic clutter of second-hand items, large and small, stacked everywhere and dangling from the roof beams, as well as hanging plants, with very little seating that wasn’t communal.

 

It might’ve been funky but it felt claustrophobic.

 

Management has updated the look and style by clearing out most of the clutter and adding many smaller tables as alternative to the still present, very long, central communal table. Now there’s also banquette seating at the back, a salon privée off the rear corner and even some odd small tables at the entrance.  Where I’d previously experienced Our Local as a jumble sale with eats,  now it’s an eatery with an exuberant ambience.

 

If the place isn’t as crowded as it was today, you no longer have to share table space with strangers.

 

The breakfast menu is still simple but there are 19 possibilities and all of them are intriguing, except perhaps for the anchovy toast with two poached eggs, the cheapest option at R95,00.

 

The wife ordered smashed avo and hummus on toasted sourdough (R110,00) with bacon (R25,00 more).

I went for the creamy chicken livers on toasted ciabatta (R125,00) and added a poached egg (R15), mostly because our server suggested it. 

 

In each case one gets two good-sized slices of toast with generous toppings, which make the dishes ideal for sharing and this is what we did.

 

The breakfasts were superb. The livers were well tasty and indeed creamy (though, ultimately, I don’t get the point of the poached egg) and there was abundant avo and hummus with the other dish. I also had a cheeky pasteis de nata as my sweet treat after my breakfast, because that’s just how I roll and it was delicious.

 

Service is cheerful and efficient; the coffee is good and the ambience is warm and welcoming and less intrusive now that the chaotic jumble has been tidied up.

 

The bill, including an espresso, a cappuccino and a flat white, came to R389,00.

 

The wife was very impressed with Our Local and loved the interior, the industrial space with all the greenery and the general feeling of well-being; we will definitely return, as it’s a good alternative to our old faithfuls in the City Bowl. Not only is the nosh good and the portions generous but people watching is off the chart here.