Carlton Café is a nice spot for breakfast, lunch, coffee, or brunch in quiet Menlo Park, Pretoria. The decor is a mix of industrial and classic with granite, concrete and raw plywood finishes combined with huge windows and shelves packed with glass, porcelain, and foodstuffs. There are both inside and outdoor seating options.

The café is typically very busy on weekends, especially during the morning food market held across the street in Greenlyn Village. I stopped by for a weekday breakfast and found Carlton Café to be pleasantly quiet and a good place to have a meal and get some work done. I was especially grateful for the free and relatively speedy wifi!

Carlton Café’s menu has options for the traditional eaters and for the more adventurous and focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients. I sampled the breakfast stack, a handmade ostrich patty topped with a poached egg, pancetta, rocket, sundried tomato pesto, and a tomato cucumber salsa. All of that was piled on top of a slice of toasted sweet potato bread coated with cream cheese. It was all very tasty and the ostrich patty was cooked to a perfect medium. The drink menu is rather inventive too. Besides the typical coffee and juice choices, there are options like chili hot chocolate, taai koffie, and sweet masala coffee. I tried the ginger-ale chiller, comprised of ginger syrup, sparkling water, and crushed chili. It was very refreshing and an interesting mix of sweet and spicy!

The lunch menu focuses on tasty looking and inventive burgers, sandwiches and salads. Additionally, there is a range of sweet treats on offer as well. Besides the café, Carlton also incorporates a side business called Delicious, which is Carlton’s delicatessen stocking confectionery treats, take-home deli meals, and products from local farms. There are many catering type options that can be ordered ahead for events.

All in all, Carlton Café is a really nice daytime option in Pretoria.