A cool and cosy café that’s part conservatory and part antique shop!
Our Local already feels like a Kloof Street institution. The quirky converted mechanic’s workshop brims with plants, vintage furniture and a fountain that wouldn’t look out of place in an Italian piazza, and has become the go-to place for brunch, toasties, coffee and cake. The new lunch and dinner menu makes a compelling argument for settling in at a table or sofa nook on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, kicking off with cocktails and bar snacks and progressing to generous servings of Mediterranean-inspired mains, both meaty and vegan.
How it started
Our Local grew out of Michael Carter and Shayne Schutte’s love for entertaining and sharing good food with friends. Shayne had been a private chef for many years and Michael persuaded him that they should open a restaurant, when by chance in 2019 this space became available.
“We were out of the blue offered the old office to start with, and four weeks later we opened!” Michael recalls. “Then a year and a half later, after just surviving all the lockdowns, we took over the whole space as Our Local”, turning the unlikely industrial space into a welcoming extension of their home.
Restaurant, antique shop, conservatory
Big yellow doors open off Kloof Street into a light, airy space; tall trees in pots, clusters of collectibles and old books on shelves, plants as dividers on the long central table, and price tags on some of the furniture, result in a constantly changing décor scheme – and most of the stuff is for sale!
“We never know exactly how many we can seat,” Michael says, “as we come in one day and find a table has been sold. We’re constantly sourcing new pieces, so there’s always something exciting.”
Mediterranean food with heart
Shayne and Michael both love Italy and the Mediterranean way of life and this comes through in the menu. “Shayne makes food that is full of flavour,” says Michael. “We don’t want seven elements on a plate. It needs to taste good and feel home-cooked.”
Spaghetti Limone is zesty and bright with lemon, garlic and capers (and the optional addition of smoked trout) – generous portions, generous flavours. The specials board when we visited held a wonderfully smoky roasted-tomato soup garnished with pea shoots; a delicious Moroccan chicken dish, the meat marinated to tenderness then roasted in a rich sauce of dates, olives and capers and served on potato purée.
A sumptuous burger on a brioche bun is a perennial favourite, as is the fillet and chips. Croissants and breads for the toasties on the brunch menu come from Coimbra bakery, and the cakes, brownies and tiramisu that make up the teatime and dessert offering are all baked in-house.
Cocktails and bar snacks
Channel the laidback Mediterranean vibe with an Aperol Spritz or Espresso Martini, or go for a classic G&T or Old Fashioned to kick off the evening in relaxed style, along with snacks of piping-hot lightly battered zucchini sticks, dunked in luscious aioli, and arancini on home-made Napolitana sauce.
Good to know The entire space can booked for private events on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.Or, if you’re looking for a more intimate venue, a large room separated by glass doors from the main restaurant can be booked for private dinners.
Opening times Sunday – Wednesday, 8am – 4pm
Thursday – Saturday, 8am – 11pm
Contact 064 642 5004, eat@ourlocal.co.za
Where to find it 117 Kloof Street, Cape Town
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