Naledi’s Festive Dream, the V&A’s ... Santa visits the Mother City to see what Joy from Africa’s all about
Mynt Café in Cape Town
New Camps Bay restaurant looks to cater for Cape Town locals with great prices and gorgeous views
It’s no great secret that, with prices about as steep as the slopes of Table Mountain, Camps Bay’s pretty seaside strip caters almost totally to tourists, hardly to your average rand-earning Capetonian. But now, the new Mynt Café, a mid-August 2013 addition to the swanky stretch, is devoted to turning this reputation on its head and embracing Mother City dwellers too.
Sitting in the beachfront spot once occupied by the uber successful Sandbar (this prime location has since also very briefly been a base to both Sunbird Bistro and Bar1), the easy-going restaurant is keeping the vibe down to earth and unassuming, the food fresh and light and the bill inexpensive.
“We want to go back to what Sandbar stood for: a place for locals to go,” explains seasoned restaurateur and co-owner Theo Pearson, who founded the warm, earthy-toned haunt with partner Graham Albone (the two also currently own Julep and Café Mojito in Long Street).
Hence, what the casual Mynt Café aspires to be is the kind of neighbourhood hangout that attracts chatty regulars, the type of coastal spot that beach-goers can visit in their board shorts and the sort of eatery and bar that doesn’t entirely shatter the bank balance.
The affordable restaurant dishes up quick breakfasts, light lunches and wholesome dinners, and the focus is firmly on seasonal, healthy food (reflected in the name Mynt). Thus, passersby can pop in for a nourishing muesli and fruit combo, flavoursome open sandwich or burger, succulent steak, hearty pasta, satisfying fish dish or even just a freshly squeezed juice or smoothie.
Though, as it’s perfectly positioned for sundowners, the intimate eatery, which boasts a broad patio that spills out onto the pavement, doesn’t only specialise in reasonably priced fare. Mynt Café’s well-stocked bar also serves up a range of refreshing cocktails (look out for the blueberry and chilli ginger mojitos), a selection of wines at easy-on-the-wallet prices, a small assortment of beers (including craft options) and an array of spirits.
What’s more, the oceanfront haunt has future plans to spice things up somewhat on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings with DJs spinning house and old-school music from 10pm onwards.
Regardless of what time of the day guests make a visit though, one thing remains: Cape Town locals (and their budgets) will always feel welcome at this laidback Camps Bay establishment.
Tip: In the near future, Mynt Café will be running a regular happy hour special, so keep an eye out for this great sundowner deal.
The Bill: As mentioned,the restaurant’s prices are very reasonable, especially relative to the kinds of costs you can expect to incur at any of Camps Bay’s other institutions. A traditional English breakfast goes for about R55, starters ring in at between R35 and R50, burgers are priced at around R55, mains range from R80 to R100 and cocktails will set you back between R40 and R55.
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 8am – late
31 Victoria Road | Camps Bay | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 437 1765
---
Looking for other Mother City places to sip on colourful concoctions while watching the sun sink? Sneak a peek at our overview of top sundowner spots in Cape Town.
---
Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, join our Google+ circle and check out our Pinterest boards for updates. Not to mention, subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with what's hip and happening in our pretty city.
