This busy little café at the edge of Rosebank Mall is the ideal place for a mid-shopping break, or a quick nosh before or after heading to the nearby cinema, which was how I experienced it. Other than that it’s unremarkable.

The 10-page menu runs the full gamut of pizzas, burgers, pastas, ciabatta sandwiches, tramezzos, steaks and fish. There are a few typical Joburg offerings as well, such as peri-peri chicken livers, beef carpaccio, and grilled halloumi fingers, which mainly inhabit the appetizer section of the menu. So basically there’s a little something for everyone.

Before my movie I opted for the Porchetta pizza, which comprises grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, herbed feta and cream cheese paste, lettuce and cherry tomatoes. It was hearty and delicious. After the film was over I came back for drinks, dessert and socializing: the drinks menu, which is almost as long as the food menu, offers everything from frappes to freezochinos to fruit smoothies to homemade lemonade, to teas and gourmet hot chocolate. I opted for a nutty mocha and a slice of creamy tiramisu, while my companions went for Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc from the smallish wine menu.

The service was polite but somewhat erratic here, which is fairly typical of most mid-range Joburg cafes. Some dishes came out right away, others we had to wait for. The bill took forever to arrive, but we were luckily in no rush. The prices are fairly reasonable considering this is the middle of upscale Rosebank.

If it’s a warm night, sit outside on the patio – it can get a bit hot inside – and watch the people go by. But be warned, the patio is a smoking area.