I’ve decided that I like Pretoria’s breakfast restaurants better than the dinner joints, mainly because of cute places like this.

Harries is an old-fashioned pancake house (or pannekoekhuis, in Afrikaans) that’s been around almost 20 years, with four locations around town. I went to the Eastwood/Arcadia branch, which is tucked into the Eastwood Village Centre, next door to a funky craft store called Delagoa. It’s got a wood-and-brick-accented interior with art-lined walls, as well as a large breezy outdoor patio with a high arched cover (also adorned with art).

The menu offers a selection of both sweet and savoury pancakes, which are rather American in texture (thick and fluffy), but French crepe-like in their presentation (stuffed and folded). Savouries are filled with goodies such as east African sweet potato, butternut, bobotie, smoked trout, mince beef, and even Thai-style chicken. Sweet ones are stuffed with simple cinnamon and sugar, milk tart custard, chocolate mousse, or fig preserve and pecans. There is also a selection of egg-and-bacon combo breakfasts, as well as quiche, soup, scones, cakes, milkshakes, wines, and coffees.

I couldn’t choose, so I got a little of everything: a cinnamon and custard sweet pancake, a smoked trout and avocado savoury, and a mini combo breakfast of egg, sausage, bacon, tomato, mushroom, and toast. Needless to say I was stuffed to the gills when I left. The smoked trout pancake was probably my least favorite, but I can’t say that it was bad. The cinnamon and custard was gooey and not too sweet, and the combo provided some much-needed protein to the mix.

Service was fast and friendly, and the prices were reasonable (about R70 for a savoury pancake, and about R40 for a sweet one). If you go, don’t forget to read the fascinating leaflets at the tables which discuss South African history and art, and don’t miss the abstract map art on the ceiling of the outdoor patio.