We test the waters at Hello Sailor, a rustic and quirky Observatory eatery in Lower Main Road, Cape Town. 

Food
Fare is tasty and robust. Hello Sailor prides itself on hand-made burgers and signature 'disco fries', which are a gravy and melted cheese situation all on their own. Specials include dishes like sticky pork loin chops; trucker steak sandwiches; pork sausage mustard rolls; marinated ribs; and roast vegetable penne pasta. They bake their own cheese cake and malva pudding.

Wine
Pouring wines are of the Umfiki range, but they have a good selection of others, as well as whiskeys, vodka and gin. Jack Black Pale Ale is the only beer on tap, and they also offer a range of craft beers by the bottle, including Darling Brew Slow Beer and Bone Crusher; Boston Breweries Whale Tale Ale and Van Hunks Pumpkin Ale; and Brewers & Union Steph Weiss and Dark Lager.

Service
Serving staff are very relaxed and casual, but it’s exactly what you’d expect in this neighbourhood.

Ambience
The original fixtures – front door, ceiling lamps and bay windows – make this a rustic, historic spot, which is very much in keeping with the sailor / pirate / rockabilly theme. Beautiful youthful dreadlocked hippies sit alongside trendy tattooed hipster kids and the usual Obs residents, young and old. Anyone’s welcome. You may even spot one of the sushi chefs from 1890 (around the corner, in Trill Road) as he relaxes with a pre-shift coffee. A few outside tables on Lower Main are great social spots.

And…
Munro's across the road is a pleasurable treasure trove of old junk.

By Linda Scarborough

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