Lunch is beautiful at La Belle

 18 April 2025

 

LA BELLE

Alphen Hotel, Alphen Drive, Constantia, Cape Town 

 

La Belle has become a go to lunch outing with the Yorkies (because we don’t rise early enough to make breakfast) if we want to venture further afield than the City Bowl because it’s most splendid to chow down on nice nosh in the shadow of majestic oak trees, assisted by the shade of large umbrellas, and because Von-Mari absolutely adores their crispy buttermilk chicken burger with cabbage, celery slaw and spicy aioli. 

 

Today was hot and wind free, a bonus in Cape Town, and probably due to the long weekend we easily got a table; oddly, the table we’ve had almost every time we’ve been to La Belle with the Yorkies. It might be because it’s one of only a few two person tables outside.

 

Von-Mari ordered coffee (she needs that boost), I ordered a mimosa (I need that warm fuzzy feeling), she ordered the usual and this time I opted for the crispy skin trout Nicoise, which I expected to be a salad but turned out to be a warm dish.

 

The massive, delicious chicken burger, with fries, was as life affirming as ever but the portion was so generous that Von-Mari gave me some of it.  The chicken was flavourful and the crust still so crisp I might just order it too, at our next visit.

The burger is served with ketchup on the side. Von-Mari asked for some mayonnaise, which was provided free of charge. 

 

The trout skin was delicately crisp and remained so for the duration even with the saucy elements. The eggs were perfectly hard boiled, the baby potatoes were smooth and creamy, the asparagus was almost crunchy in their al dente texture and the slight sweetness of the fresh tomatoes contrasted delightfully with the savoury elements, especially the capers.  

 

We debated the necessity and wisdom of ordering cake for dessert, with our final coffee, because these things tend to be hit or miss but settled on sharing a carrot and pineapple  cake (gambling on it being fresh enough not to be dry), which turned out to be an individual, mini cake, which Von-Mari didn’t care much for but I though was very good and just right for one person. Restaurants tend to serve humongous slices of cake that I generally have to battle through because, in this instance, too much of it is not a good thing; and if it’s, for example, an iceberg  sized serving of dry carrot cake, it’s a horror.

 

The bill came to R830,00 including tip.

 

It was a lovely day, the outside area wasn’t too busy and  was therefore peaceful, the service was cheerful and efficient and, after the initial nervous energy and restlessness, Lucy and Prinses relaxed and were no trouble at all.

 

A palpable win.