Main Road Greenppoint, Cape Town Central, South Africa
Good for:
Breakfast/Brunch, Dinner, Families with children, Lunch
The Banting Kitchen
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REVIEWS
2 Reviews
Main Road Greenppoint, Cape Town Central, South Africa
Expert Review
As a serious carb lover, I was really not looking forward to having lunch at the Banting Kitchen. There would...
As a serious carb lover, I was really not looking forward to having lunch at the Banting Kitchen. There would be no bread. No pasta choices. Not even any mashed potatoes. It just didn’t sound appealing. But it was a girl’s lunch out and one of my friends had given up carbs recently and the other was allergic to gluten so I figured it was my time for me to make a sacrifice and eat somewhere they would appreciate.
So we went to the Banting Kitchen, which is located at the five-star Cape Royale Hotel in Green Point. I’m so glad I did! I was beyond impressed with how much I liked what I ordered and how I walked out of the restaurant feeling full, rather than empty.
Let me preface this review by saying that in addition to loving gluten, I also am not much of a meat eater, so when I think of Atkins, which in my mind is very similar to Banting (but don’t tell that to someone following this South African diet craze, as they swear there is a distinct difference), but regardless, when I think of no carbs I think of lots of meat and little else.
But here they were really creative in their use of ingredients and everything — from the salad with a healthy topping of my favorite vegetable, the avocado, to the crispy calamari made with cornmeal — was spot on. And even though there wasn’t bread, we devoured a cheese platter, as dairy is not off limits, and I must admit I like cheese almost as much as I like carbs.
The only downer here was the atmosphere. The place was empty when we had lunch, and the space was too big for how many diners there were. It would have felt better with fewer tables. I did like the option to sit outside on the patio however. And the seating itself, a mix of banquets and seats, was comfortable. The service was impeccable.
Expert Review
I’d like to first say that I do not partake in Banting, the new diet craze that everyone seems to...
I’d like to first say that I do not partake in Banting, the new diet craze that everyone seems to be on lately. In case you’re not sure what Banting is, it is the new high-fat and low-carb diet created by Professor Tim Noakes (the same guy that was telling us to eat carbs not so long ago). I’m not a believer in anything to the extreme, and although many people swear by it I will definitely not be taking it on board myself. However, some of the ideas are great and I certainly believe that cutting down on carbs is a good idea. I found the idea of this newish restaurant, The Banting Kitchen, quite brave considering it’s based on a craze and I was curious to check it out.
The restaurant is set in the heart of Green Point, and although it’s on the popular Main Road it has ample parking space. The restaurant is very upmarket with seating both outside and inside. We started off with a delicious glass of Tulbagh one and then looked through the menu. I chose the crustless goat’s cheese and baby marrow quiche starter with a homemade tomato jam. It was absolutely delicious. I preferred it without the jam though, but this is definitely something I could have ever day. Then for my main I had the roasted butternut salad with herbed confit tomatoes, roasted walnuts and Danish-style feta. I was very tasty but I’m glad I had the starter too as it wasn’t very big. My husband went for the creamy garlic and chilli chicken livers for his starter, and for his main he tried the grannies Banting lasagna. He said they were both excellent.
After that we tried the “bulletproof coffee,” another new trend that’s popular. It’s coffee made with a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of coconut oil (or slight variations thereof). I was very skeptical but was surprised how delicious it was. Unfortunately after a few sips I couldn’t get past the oiliness and couldn’t finish. My husband finished his, but we both felt a bit sick afterwards. It’s definitely not for me but I’m glad I tried it.