Once again I was in
Riebeeck Kasteel for a work outing and as it usually happens round midday, we
were hungry and needed food. I remember once having eaten at the Riebeeck West
Hotel and it was very nice. You can dine outside in their garden under these
massive trees. So we decided to go there first to check it out. We got to the
Hotel and there was no one in the restaurant and they were busy cutting the
lawn. Now I love the smell of freshly cut grass, but we couldn’t exactly sit
and eat in the garden with grass shreds flying around everywhere. There is also
nothing worse than being the only people in a place so we made our way back to Riebeeck
Kasteeel and went to Café Felix. When we parked it also looked like this place
was dead but we thought what the heck, we are here now so let’s just go inside.
Much to our delight there were already a few patrons inside. You can’t actually
see much from the road side as the tables are nicely hidden away from the
street, in a courtyard outside. They have tables on the inside as well but seeing
as it was such a lovely day, everyone was sitting outside. They have old lampposts
outside in the courtyard and you can sit at a table underneath one! I was there
with a girlfriend so sitting under a lamppost with her just felt kind of wrong.
It would’ve felt like we were on a date from a Lady and the Tramp scene. Not
that I’m calling either one of us a tramp…or a lady for that matter! J
We settled on one
of their other tables. I immediately loved this little courtyard! Very cute! A
friend of mine told me about this restaurant as a potential wedding venue. I
emailed them once but never got a response so I lost interest. The main reason
being though that I didn’t really want to get married in Riebeeck Kasteel as my
brother got married there so it would have felt a bit like monkey see monkey do.
They don’t have
printed menu’s but a blackboard with all the meals written on instead, which
floats from table to table. For a casual small arty town restaurant I thought
their menu was a little bit pricey as well as their wine list. Seeing as my
office was paying I didn’t want to rack up a monster bill by choosing the most
expensive thing on the menu. Therefore both of us decided on the chicken. Crisp chicken roulade with roasted
butternut and sage compote, spring onion risotto and a whole grain mustard
sauce. It’s description sounded great so I couldn’t wait to taste it. Apart
from the Lasagna and Lamb Burger, this was the cheapest dish on the menu.
Coming in at R75.
When it arrived
my first impression was one of shock! I was really hungry when I placed the
order and when I saw the food arrive I was convinced that there was no way in
hell this would fill me. The presentation of the meal was lovely though. The
chicken roulade was very tender and crispy indeed. It was wrapped around a
filling of spinach and a little bit of what seemed like feta. The slightly
sweet roasted butternut and raisons that accompanied it really made for a stunning
combination! The risotto was really creamy and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Can you
believe I have actually never had risotto before! So my first experience of
risotto was a welcoming one! The mustard sauce on the side was absolutely delicious!
I am not necessarily such a fan of mustard but this was amazing! You needed a
strong grounding flavour with the already slightly sweet and creamy taste of
the chicken and risotto. I hope it was home made because then they would score
even more brownie points with me!! The staff was friendly and helpful! We
actually forgot to take the slip when we left so later that day I called them
and asked them to fax it to me which they gladly and speedily did.
Seeing as
Riebeeck Kasteel is a bit out of the way I can’t say that I would be returning
to Café Felix again soon or regularly. While we were looking for Café Felix we
saw quite a few other places that I would like to try next time. Maybe if you
are looking for a fine dining experience this would be the place to go. If a
guy had gotten this chicken dish they would have needed to stop at the shop on
their way home. It just filled me so it definitely would not have satisfied a
man or someone with a bigger appetite. I did however see the Lamb Burger come
past and it looked really impressive.
Café Felix has
also been on my little list of “Restaurants I’d love to try” for a while now so
I’m very glad I finally got to check it out.
Yours in fun
& first time risotto,
Elly D
7 Church Street
Riebeeck Kasteel
022-4481170
They have a small
menu which seems to change according to the seasons. The tuna sounded
delectable and the waiter assured me that it was fresh so that’s what I ordered.
Seared tuna dressed with ginger, lime,
sweet soy, roasted peanuts and fragrant leaves. It was absolutely amazing! Perfectly
cooked and complimented by that yummy dressing they prepared it in. It was
accompanied with quite unusual side dishes. A fragrant leaf salad and sliced
green apple drizzled with a wholegrain mustard dressing. Both went surprisingly
well with the Tuna. I think its intend was to emphasize the freshness of the
tuna. 
