‘I am not a huge fan of Camps Bay to be honest. You fight for parking. You fight for a seat. It is all Ed Hardy, Guess and silicone. Normally if you are in good company you can have a good time anywhere, but unfortunately the company I find in Camps Bay are hardly your run of the mill chilled South Africans! These are the guys with unquenchable thirsts, wallets that never run dry and loud – in taste and volume.
Woman that are so stick thin – it’s amazing they stay upright in the wind. That’s why I have never been to The Grand in Camps Bay. Of course I heard it’s the best – the highest price – top class, but somehow, for the restaurant industry in Camps Bay – in my humble opinion that means something different. You get what you pay for and well the highest price doesn’t always guarantee the best. We have the beach, we have the houses, the fat cat residents – is it really necessary to kill you with excellence when all we really need to do is pay our Camps Bay rent? But I know there are also exceptions and I look forward to exploring them in winter.
Now: The Grand in Granger Bay – wow! What an incredible idea and about time! It amazes me how few places there are this side of the mountain where you can sit have a glass of something cold and enjoy the ocean.
I have pretty much done Wakame to death. Sometimes the snootiness of the front of house irritates me. The Raddisons is still a firm favourite, but ever since the new bar manager replaced a pretty decent R120 bottle MCC with some cheap sparkling crap for the same price – I haven’t been able to go back!
So the Grand – Granger Bay. Feet in the sand. Mosaic mirrors by the bathrooms. White tables. Red roses. Havana Club umbrella’s. A shack on the beach with red chandeliers. A boutique shop with a throne made from crystal glasses.
I have been quite astounded to hear so many bad reviews, especially about the booking procedure – I found it quite efficient, but I am not sure how long it will hold – sometimes people just want to speak to people. They want options, suggestions, they want you to remember their names for the next phone call…it is a part of the restaurant process that we are familiar with, it is something much like starter bread, a mint at the end and a friendly smile that we have come to expect and demand.
The place is hugely popular and there has been more than a couple of occasions when we arrived without a booking – we sat on these heavenly couches on the sand and were told they can make a plan – which they did. The wait wasn’t half bad.
With such a location – I almost expect something to suffer. Be it service or food. The pizza’s are delicious. Not delicious as in the best pizza you will ever taste – but delicious because – when we eat, we eat with all our senses and somehow sitting across from the ocean in comfort, under a cool white umbrella and sipping on ice cold champagne makes a thin, greasy margarita pizza smell and taste like the most divine food to ever pass your lips.
Tasteful, elegant with a bit of whimsy and quirkiness – this summer I am having a love affair with the place. Leave your stilettos at the entrance, but a hot sexy summer dress would not seem out of place. On lip shaped red couch a couple drink beers. In front of them: A small round table adorned with tall red rose and a bottle of Taittinger Rose sitting beautifully and gracefully on ice. (R1000 a bottle)
The prices are sadly reflective of the exclusiveness of the place – you pay a little extra on each item in order to enjoy your view. I have had oysters – which were pretty average and small and a Crayfish sandwich: R160 for two small pieces of toasted ciabatta and basically shredded crayfish and mayonnaise – not unlike a prawn cocktail. It was tasty, hardly filling or memorable. Maybe tapas might be more fitting for the environment.
I am sure there will be some teething problems – but for now it offers me everything I want on a Sunday afternoon!’
