Business breakfast meetings are part and parcel of city living. We asked food guru Anne Stevens for her favourite morning venues.
Wodka, Docklands Hotel, 40 Mahatma Gandhi (Point) Road, 031 332 8190
In the heart of the Point, in the new Signature Life Docklands Hotel, Wodka is geared for the business breakfast, catering, in great part, for in-house guests and corporate functions. But its appeal extends beyond that, with clean lines and an industrial chic vibe in a big room fronting on to the road.
At the back is a large courtyard that copes with conference spillover. There is a cold breakfast presentation, including Italian cold meats, smoked salmon with crème fraiche and rye bread, a cheese board, home-made breads, pastries and croissants and fruit compote in aniseed syrup.
But it’s the hot a la carte fare that attracts most. Kippers with parsley potatoes and dill cream, eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs with chives and a tomato, basil and mozzarella frittata are among the fare. Pity breakfast is not the time to try the array of vodkas.
Freedom Café, St Mary’s Avenue, Greyville, 031 309 4434
Funky, quirky, innovative, stylish … it’s difficult to find enough words to describe this unusual venture, the brainchild of award-winning cookbook writer, fashion and design entrepreneur and ad-man Neil Roake.
The main “building” is a red shipping container. There are glassed-in bits, a leafy patio and a kitchen housed in what looks like a trailer. And the food is as different as the surroundings.
Chef Werner Adendorff is a passionate baker, and that’s evident in his breads, muffins and pastries. Produce is locally sourced where possible and the accent is on freshness.
Smoked haddock fishcakes come three to a portion, served with two fried eggs and parsley sauce. Smoked Franschhoek salmon is served on zucchini fritters. Chorizo teams with haloumi cheese in a huge muffin. And there are eggs aplenty, with all the trimmings.
Breakfast is served from about 6.30 and it’s a peaceful place to start the day. A bonus in the narrow streets is off-road, secure parking.
St James on Venice, Venice Road, opposite St James church, Morningside 031 312 9488
This typical old double-storey Durban home has been transformed into a small boutique hotel with some style, keeping period details like brick and wood work and stained glass windows. The result is a restrained, peaceful atmosphere, and a little courtyard offers a quiet place to relax with breakfast and a good cup of coffee.
Review: The Saint James on Venice
There’s the usual continental selection, with cheese, meat, fruit and so on for R60 – a lot less than most hotels charge. Among hot breakfasts is a croissant topped with hickory ham or salmon and scrambled eggs, omelettes with a choice of fillings, and – the most unusual – poached eggs with biltong shavings on corn bread, topped with hollandaise.
Royal Grill, Royal Hotel, 267 Anton Lembede (Smith) Street, Durban 031 333 6000
Starting the day in this beautifully restored colonial room is difficult to beat. The high ceilings, stained glass skylights, chandeliers and woodwork are the relics of yesteryear. But the room was recently given a fresh feel with stylish new upholstery and big floor tiles. Oh, and they took out the dreadful fake palm trees.
There’s a continental buffet selection, covering all the usual bases, including smoked salmon, and all the makings for the traditional English breakfast (which seems to fit this room so perfectly). There are five different types of sausages, savoury mince, lamb cutlets, kassler steak, minute steak, haddock, sauté potatoes, baked beans, mushrooms and tomato.
On the more innovative side is an open omelette with spinach, mushrooms, peppadews, sundried tomato, chives, garlic feta and mozzarella. I like the sound of poached eggs on a toasted baguette with creamed spinach, smoked salmon and hollandaise sauce; and kippers and scrambled eggs with a chive cream cheese sauce.
If you really want to get exotic, try a breakfast of spicy mutton sausage, veges, vindaloo lamb cutlet, grilled tomato and baked banana Madras.