Our Local Sea Point: An Eclectic All-Day Neighbourhood Café

When Michael Carter and Shayne Schutte took over 117 Kloof Street during lockdown, they expanded an old mechanic’s workshop on Kloof Street into a relaxed but vibey neighbourhood café. They nailed the zeitgeist and Our Local quickly became a social hub. Hung with plants, thrifted ceramics, salvaged tables and chairs, and a whole stone fountain in the centre, they evolved an enviably eclectic style; part café, part antique store, part conservatory… the furniture version of slow fashion. So individual is it that recreating the magic in a second establishment might seem unlikely, but at Our Local Sea Point they are plugging into the creative energy fuelling the revival of the neighbourhood and building an outpost of old-world charm, Our Local style.

Café culture

Smaller and more intimate than the original, still with its own long table down the centre, and a counter in the window to perch at while looking out on the Sea Point buzz, the new branch has the same relaxed feel that lures you in for long catch-up conversations over breakfast or lunch. With rough-textured walls and vintage furniture that has already lived a life or two, the interiors celebrate the beauty of imperfection, and the stories old things can tell.

You’ll find the familiar all-day menu of wholesome home-style cooking and a feel-good atmosphere that is equally comfortable for social gatherings and solo coffee dates with a book. And on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, the café stays open late for long, easy evenings sipping wine (there’s an extensive winelist), cocktails (the bright and zesty Limoncello Spritz is very Sea Point summer), and settling in for casual dinners embraced by the signature Our Local warmth.

Home-style comfort food

Stopping off for breakfast after a morning run on the Promenade, refuel with a green omelette, laced with baby spinach, zucchini and lemon parmesan ricotta; or the Omega, which piles smoked trout ribbons, avo and poached egg on cream cheese toast. Or sink your teeth into a classic egg-and-bacon roll with mature cheddar and smoky chili crisp.

The loaded chicken schnitzel is a stalwart of the lunch and dinner menus, topped with tomatoes and fior di latte mozzarella; as is the Korean chicken burger (sticky gochujang and crispy fried chicken). And there are delicious vegan options such as charred baby cabbage in a silky cashew sauce topped with garlicky crumbs.

A community hub

The welcoming space with its long central table (albeit smaller than the monumental one at Kloof Street) is already becoming a community hub for collaborations with book clubs, creative gatherings and social meet-ups. You can also book it out for private events and bespoke dinner parties that feel like you’re in a home-from-home (all the fun and none of the clear-up).

Evolving with the neighbourhood, it’s drawing a laidback crowd of locals who love design, good food and an easy, soulful dining experience.

Pet-friendly Yes
Opening times Thursday – Saturday, 8am – late
Sunday – Wednesday, 8am – 3.30pm
Contact 069 665 3996, [email protected]
Where to find it 295 Main Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan

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