île de Pain, all gain.

 1 May 2025 

 

ÎLE DE PAIN

Thesen Island, Knysna

 

Île de Pain has been our go to brunch and light lunch spot in Knysna for many years now, for its consistent, reliable quality of experience.  The only issue, generally, is whether the weather is good enough to sit outside or so inclement one is forced inside.

 

We left Wilderness in partly cloudy yet sunny weather conditions and arrived in an overcast, windy Knysna  where the hostess at Île de Pain didn’t bother seating anyone outside.  However, this meant a 20 minute wait for an inside table, which is no joke if an icy wind strafes the streets.  

 

When it was our turn, we were shown to a table in an annex to the main space of the restaurant. Although it seemed out of the way, the benefit was that it was quiet and peaceful compared to the closely packed main room.  Service wasn’t affected.

 

We ordered a round of coffees, Von-Mari chose the toasted  ham and cheese sandwich on sourdough bread, her parents opted to share the same dish and my selection was the pissaladière, a flat bread with fresh Mozzarella, caramelised onions, olives and rocket. 

 

My meal was extremely flavourful and just the light meal I  wanted.

The other meals each comprised two substantial toasted sandwiches, quite ideal for sharing. Von-Mari was game but couldn’t manage two toasties; I took care of the overflow.

 

Von-Mari ordered two apple turnovers and two Chelsea bun type things, of which I ate one apple turnover and we took the rest home. The turnover’s ratio of apple to pastry was heavily weighted towards the pastry, which was light and flaky but too dry because there wasn’t enough fruit to lubricate it. Half a win.

Never mind, Île de Pain is, as a young female would-be patron remarked to her mates, a “very trendy” place, hence the long wait for a table, though there isn’t much competition on Thesen Island but the USP is the excellence of its offerings, the good coffee and the efficient service.