Loop Street’s culinary credentials expanded recently, with a brand-new restaurant on the First Thursdays strip. Thulisa Martins reviews Solo.

Price: Average main meal R99; private dinner parties or functions available on request
Corkage: Still awaiting liquor licence
Food type: Modern bistro, trendy and contemporary
Best for: Relaxed breakfast and lunch in a comfortable, beautiful setting
Parking: Not much parking, as per most restaurants in the city
Star ratings: Food 4, service 4, ambience 4

Food

New kid on the block, Solo, opened in early November in the midst of the city bowl’s buzzing culinary hub, beside the 99 Loop Gallery.

Breakfast options include eggs Benedict, flapjacks and freshly baked muffins. Photo supplied.

Offering only breakfast and lunch, Solo’s menu is compact and inspiring, and includes a list of shows and events taking place at the gallery in the near future.

Chef Chad Blows (formerly of The Marine in Hermanus) takes pride in offering fresh produce and ingredients with integrity and all items are subject to seasonal availability. The cheeseburger, for instance, is made with free-range ground sirloin and paired with smoked cheddar, tomato-and-piquant-pepper chutney, gherkins and sliced fresh red onions.

Solo’s generous mushroom burger. Photo supplied.

When feeling very peckish, the 200g buchu-marinated free-range beef rib-eye fills the gap. The juicy, tender steak has just a hint of buchu and is cooked to perfection, lightly covered with mustard butter and served with a fresh and crisp watercress salad, together with some of the best French-style fries in town.

The pan-fried calamari is definitely worth a try, too. Bursting with flavour, it’s light and crisp on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside, presented in a bowl on a wooden board with a side of tasty courgette salad and creamy garlic aïoli.

The summer pasta is a good vegetarian option, served with a choice of pasta (including gluten-free spaghetti), and served with blackened sweetcorn, beurre noisette, rocket salad, and aged balsamic marmalade.

Grab a muffin to go if you’re after a speedy breakfast. Photo supplied.

The short sweets menu offers mini butter doughnuts, which are served warm, with a creamy and rich butternut caramel dipping sauce. For the chocolate lovers, dark chocolate and salted-caramel fondant made with 60%-cocoa Valrhona chocolate is also available.

A selection of muffins, cupcakes and cookies can be hand-picked from the display as well if you’re after breakfast on the run.

Drinks

Guests can enjoy a small selection of fresh juices, such as the refreshing option with cucumber, pear and baby spinach. A minimal selection of soft drinks and iced teas is also available. Even though alcohol is not on offer yet, for a limited time Solo offers guests a free glass of wine or iced tea when ordering from the lunch menu.

Trees and fairy lights bring a touch of the outdoors into the buzzing city centre. Photo supplied.

The coffee is lovely and there’s soya and almond milk for the lactose intolerant. Loose-leaf teas are a great option for those not keen on caffeine.

Service

The service at Solo is very friendly and professional, from when telephonic reservations are taken up until you leave the restaurant. The waiters are informed and speedy, and do not leave guests wondering for too long.

Exposed brick adds a dose of history to the interior. Photo supplied.

Ambience

The interior seating extends to a beautiful exterior under a sunroof, with the blue sky clearly visible on a sunny day. Fairy lights on the trees create a calming effect that somehow makes you feel you’re not in the middle of the city. Wooden tables and chairs with navy blue highlights make for a relaxed, comfortable vibe.

And…

Private dinners and functions can be booked for dinner; the chef will specially create a menu for each event.

Eat Out reviewers dine unannounced and pay their own way. Read our full editorial policy here.

Have you been to Solo on Loop Street? Write a review now.

The restaurant doesn’t have a liquor license just yet, but an on-site barista prepares great coffee. Photo supplied.