From breakfast to dinner and dessert, this bakery-café dishes up pure delight.
Sonny and Irene, the latest offering from Kove Collection, is a café-bakery in the heart of Sea Point, affectionately named after owner Paul Kovensky’s grandparents. And true to Kove form, it nails that hard-to-achieve balance between upmarket, uber-stylish interiors and cosy, welcoming atmosphere.
Dressed in pastel pink, marble and oak, Sonny and Irene blends an air of Art Deco-ish nostalgia with contemporary touches – brilliantly echoing what Sea Point was and is. It’s certainly one of the prettiest spots in the neighbourhood…
Chic comfort food
To match the gorgeous surroundings, chef Amber Deetlefs’ menu combines retro, classic and contemporary flavours, ranging from steak Diane and seafood Pithivier (puff-pastry pie) to truffle risotto and an ancient-grains salad. Our starter of house brisket burnt ends with mustards, pickles, Karoo bossie and crisp flatbread was utterly delectable, unlike anything I’ve tasted. The mains – tiger prawns with citrus beurre blanc, and lamb cutlets with potato purée and minted peas – were well-prepared and delicious.
At the heart of it all is the bakery, where pastry chef Chris Morrison produces an array of breads, bagels, buns and more. These turn up all over the menu, in the form of, say, a prawn baguette with avocado ritz trimmings; a charcoal-grilled hot dog; buttermilk hot cakes; a cheese, onion and truffle croissant jaffle…. Naturally, there’s a tantalising sweets and pastries trolley, too.
As an all-day dining restaurant, the breakfast menu stands out, with signature eggs prepared two dozen ways, five different Benedicts, and French toast with white chocolate ganache and blueberries. The Pastry Bar adjacent to the main restaurant offers the ideal spot for a streetside coffee, cake and catch-up.
Cherry on the top
There can be no better place, this summer, to indulge your craving for an ice-cream sundae or banana split, a milkshake or a boozy float (such as a mojito with mint sorbet), and cocktails from master mixologist Marshall Behaein (ex THoM) – think apricot margaritas, pomegranate gin sours and basil and cucumber martinis.
Opening times Monday – Sunday, 8am – 10pm
Contact 021 745 6600, reservations@sonnyandirene.co.za
Where to find it Station House, 19 Kloof Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan
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