Fork is a tapas bar located on bustling Long Street—a sightseeing and shopping destination during the day and party central at night. Fork is open all day, from lunch until late, with a snacking menu from which you can build a bigger meal. The menu is quite extensive and has a large selection of tapas and wines. Each tapas plate comes with four to five bite-sized individual portions, so the idea is to order several and share among the table. They recommend two plates per person. The food tends toward Spanish and more widely European, with a definite South African influence.

When I stopped in for a casual weekday lunch, they were also running a nice special; for R70, I got a tapas tasting platter with five different items, a glass of wine or soft drink, and a cup of coffee. The waiter assured me it would be enough for a lunch, but the portion was quite small, so if you’re hungry, add an extra plate to the order. During my visit, the five tapas served up were a smoked Norwegian salmon, vegetable curry, Moroccan meatball, tempura pork, and roasted butternut with hummus. The flavors and presentation were nice, but it wasn’t really enough for lunch and didn’t blow me away. I’d say the whole theme of the restaurant is best suited to an afternoon snack and glass of wine more so than to a meal.

The atmosphere of the place was nice and elegant yet relaxed, decorated in dark woods, with tables set on the first and second floor. There is also a balcony upstairs to soak up some sun. Weekday lunches are quiet and would be okay for business purposes; I saw a few tables with laptops out. Service was friendly and helpful. I’m guessing the atmosphere after work and in the evenings would be much livelier.