Salads, sandwiches and a serene setting.
A fresh breeze is blowing at The President Hotel in Bantry Bay as a relaxed new lunch spot, Botany Café, opens. Named after the botanical garden of medicinal herbs that was planted in the bay in the 1800s, the deli-style café takes its inspiration from fresh locally sourced ingredients for a delightful menu of quick grab-and-go meals. With its serene setting looking out over the hotel pool towards the ocean, it’s a refreshing refuge for arriving hotel guests, and an appealing escape for locals looking for a coffee catch-up or lunch on the run.
Fresh salads and sandwiches
With deli-style service, you can grab a tray and feast your eyes on a beautiful array of fresh salads and bites while you decide how to build your own plate. When we visited, the five tasty salads on the menu included delicious shredded beetroot with apple and coriander; green harissa bulgar with avo and spinach; and Angostura sweet potatoes. Add extras such as grilled chicken, falafel, involtini di melanzane (aubergine rolls), gorgonzola fig tart, an onion bhaji or a Scotch egg for a deliciously easy, sustainably-sourced and healthy lunch.
Or go for a bespoke sandwich on slow-fermented and wood-fired Woodstock Bakery bread. With fillings such as gammon, brisket banh mi, falafel and honey-mustard sausage enlivened by an array of house pestos, mayo, dressings, pickles and salad, you can customise them to your own preferences, as they are made freshly for you at the counter.
A sweet treat with coffee
The sweet cabinet brims with temptation, from small bites of lemon squares or ginger fudge, to florentines, brownies, almond croissants, carrot cake and what is claimed to be the best chocolate cake ever. And there’s a menu of milkshakes and freshly squeezed juices, as well as coffee and tea.
There’s ample parking for visitors to the hotel, so it’s worth remembering Botany Café any time you get frazzled searching for parking in Sea Point. And it’s perfectly positioned to stop in to re-fuel after a run on the Promenade, or to catch up with friends for a quick bite in quiet surroundings.
Good to know You can get your selection of salads, sandwiches and extras to takeaway too.
Opening times Daily, 12pm – 6pm
Contact 021 434 8111, bookings@presidenthotel.co.za
Where to find it The President Hotel, 4 Alexander Road, Bantry Bay, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan
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