Parc serves comfort food, made with love and presented beautifully, says Eat Out critic Nicola Ashe. Read on for more on why you should visit the café in Glenwood, Durban, soonest.

Fast facts

Serves: Hearty foods made with local ingredients
Best for: An excellent brunch with friends
Star rating: Food: 5; Ambience: 4; Service: 4

Food

The menu changes regularly at this popular Durban brunch spot, depending on what’s fresh. Meals are written up on the large chalkboard wall. Parc is community collaboration at its best, so expect local ingredients to feature in some hearty breakfast options, open sandwiches, salads and a number of larger, but light meals, including the baked delights of The Glenwood Bakery next door.

A flapjack stack at Parc. Photo supplied.

Your visit might yield a fat slab of toasted brioche, served with rosewater-poached peaches, cheese curd and pistachios. It might be your last meal on earth request. Breakfast is served all day, with the ‘Not so Benedict’ (poached eggs, bacon, Hollandaise and capers on potato-rosemary bread) being a big drawcard, but don’t discount simpler items like Bircher muesli, which is soaked overnight with grated apple, or the deliciously savoury soft polenta served with smoked tomato concasse, creamed spinach and mushroom, poached eggs, pancetta and parmesan. Another appealing option is the wilted greens with sautéed mushrooms, ginger yoghurt, poached eggs, soya-chilli butter and toasted sesame seeds.

An open sandwich topped with avocado. Photo by Fathima Kathrada.

Light meals include a home-made soup and quiche of the day, plus salads and open sandwiches. A brown and wild rice with dukkah and herbs, served with roasted pumpkin, onion, beetroot, cinnamon orange, feta and molasses is sensational!

A chicken dish at Parc. Photo supplied.

A selection of cakes is available for those with a sweet tooth, or choose from their decadent milkshake and freezo menu; the choc-orange and brownie versions are hard to beat.

Drinks

Parc offers one of Durban’s most delicious coffees and often it’ll be served in a glass with a knitted beanie character around it. The café is licensed, and offers a small selection of red, white and rosé wines, craft beers and an inspired variety of made-to-order shakes. Think a lemon cheesecake milkshake…

Ambience

Parc is a cosy space, which spills out on to the pavement, with laid-back acoustic music on weekends. It’s a vibey regular hangout for locals.

The interior of Parc. Photo by Fathima Kathrada.

Service

Friendly and welcoming; the staff members know the regulars by name.

And…

Get there mid-morning on weekends to reserve your spot and take in the chilled music for the afternoon.

Eat Out critics dine unannounced and pay their way. Read our editorial policy here. 

Have you been to Parc recently? Write a review to feed a child through Rise Against Hunger SA.