Java Bistro, Stellenbosch

 2 September 2926

JAVA BISTRO

8 Jan Katz Building, 31 Church Street, Stellenbosch

It’s been awhile since I’ve had the opportunity to visit my old hometown and it was a splendid early Spring day for it, with decent weather and not too many tourists yet. Stellenbosch was a (metaphorically) dusty university town lacking amenities when I moved out but today it’s possibly the most European in feel of all the Western Cape dorps that have been elevated into tourist destinations since 1994. 

I do feel like a tourist retuning to a familiar place where I know all the streets and can navigate my way with ease and still find eateries that are new to me.

Case in point,  Java Bistro in the epicentre of a thriving café and restaurant district, around Church and Andringa Streets

There’s a bunch of small, round tables and rattan bucket chairs on the pavement outside, which gives a kind of colonial feel (I’m thinking Saigon circa 1968, according to the movies) whereas the interior is luxuriously sophisticated with dark wood elegance, a long bar in one of the two adjoining spaces with a seating area beyond it, and sumptuous banquette seating with et more small, round tables in the section  where I sat, close to the dividing line between interior and exterior. There was one other, working, patron here.

Most customers chose the outside tables and though they’d be marvellous for people watching it just wasn’t warm enough for me and too close to the traffic at the crossroads of Church and Andringa Streets. I preferred the cool, dark interior and the smooth elevator music on the PA, at least until I powered up the Bluetooth earphones.

The breakfast menu offers a wide variety of dishes that would cater for all preferences and, utterly surprising, there’s nothing over R99,00 for the base models; you can upsize the cost with one or more add ons.

Of course I went for the vegan option (R69). 

My server brought me a platter with some goodlooking vegetables but, incongruously, two poached eggs, haloumi and butter and I was  confused. Does vegan mean something different in Stellenbosch to how I understand the concept?

The guy returned tout suite though and confessed that he’d brought me the wrong dish, removed the platter and returned with the real deal albeit still with the little container of butter, which I didn’t use.

What I got this time consisted of roasted brown mushrooms, avocado, rockets, chickpeas, a medley of peppers, hummus and crisp flat bread. The plate reminded me of Turkish breakfast-lite. 

Not only was the food exquisitely presented but  the fresh, yum factor was high. I left the restaurant feeling invigorated, healthy and virtuous. Now, that’s a solid foundation for the day.

Coffee is by Illy and they pour a generous espresso. I drank three of ‘em.

The bill came to R123,00 before tip. I’ve paid more for single breakfast dishes in Cape Town.

Java Bistro is a splendidly appointed restaurant and if you’re into people watching on a warm day  in the centre of Stellenbosch, an outside table will do you splendidly.