We visit Latitude 33, a brand new café, clothing store and art gallery combination on upper Bree Street.

The people
Charles Post and Gareth Walford are the duo behind newly opened Latitude 33, a café, clothing store and art gallery on upper Bree Street. The spot, whose name symbolises “Bali, Bintang [an Indonesian beer] and surf”, injects a casual vibe into the sometimes self-consciously trendy neighbourhood.

The food
After a “pretty boring” stint as a chef in big hotels in Joburg, Gareth is now running his own kitchen – and that means trying new things on the fly.

Bistro-style is how he describes the food, but it’s also “just bits and pieces that we picked up travelling.” Gareth tells me that he and the team in the kitchen enjoy playing around and coming up with dishes that people will like. Even though the menu is quite extensive at the moment, the plan is to narrow it down to a smaller offering of core classics, supplemented by daily and weekly specials.

The guys are new to Cape Town, so they’re in the thick of researching and testing new suppliers. “We would like to go as local as possible,” says Gareth, “but at the end of the day the quality is most important.”

As a result, the options on the current menu may prompt a decision-making crisis. Should you go for grilled chicken salad with halloumi, pine nuts and basil pesto; the braised lamb pizza with mint gremolata and orange zest; chicken strips with plum dipping sauce; or French toast with chorizo and roasted coconut?

We find that the hand-made beef burger with blue cheese and sweet chilli jam (plus pickles, tomatoes and crunchy leaves), served with a side of skinny fries, is a flavour explosion – it’s impossible not to inhale it immediately. The very generous Asian pork belly sandwich – spiced with aromatic cloves and crammed with stir-fry vegetables and nuts – almost renders the bread unnecessary.

You can grab a coffee or fruit juice before your meal, and a freshly baked take-home treat, like a peanut butter cupcake, Danish or muffin, after. Charles is in the process of applying for a liquor licence, but patrons are welcome to bring their own wine to sip with lunch. (There is no corkage fee at the moment.)

The vibe
Sit at cream-coloured wooden tables alfresco to enjoy the Bree Street vibe, or find a cosy corner where you can flip open your laptop. A beautiful sun-lit atrium lets natural light inside, while wooden ‘wavescape’ shelving curves up behind the counter and onto the ceiling. Climb the stairs to find a surfer-hipster clothing boutique and mini gallery, and a quiet library corner with a leafy waterfall print adorning the wall.

The service
Staff are sparkly-eyed and smart. When I knock a knife off the table, a new cutlery set appears in an instant. Waitrons know just how much personality to bring to the table.

And…
Burgers and sandwiches come with a decadently rich and garlicy aioli that’ll knock your socks off.

By Linda Scarborough 

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