2 Park Road, Cape Town Central 7800, South Africa
Cuisine:
Contemporary, Continental
Good for:
Bar Scene, Breakfast/Brunch, Dinner, Entertaining Clients, Large Groups, Late Night, Lunch, Reservations, Romance
Rick’s Cafe Americain
15 Visitor Photos +
Expert Review
Rick’s Café Americain is a laid back eatery with loads of charm. Rick’s occupies a one-hundred-year-old Victorian style house converted...
Rick’s Café Americain is a laid back eatery with loads of charm. Rick’s occupies a one-hundred-year-old Victorian style house converted into a restaurant. There are a lot of nooks and crannies, which gives the rather large restaurant a cozy feel. There are seating areas on the front patio, at the bar, in rooms throughout the two-story house, and on a lovely roof top deck with views of Signal Hill and Table Mountain. Décor is in Casablanca Moroccan style and there are movie posters adorning the walls. The food is Moroccan themed with influences from the wider Mediterranean region as well as from other international cuisines. Rick’s is open for lunch and dinner and there is also a huge selection of drinks and happy hour specials, so it’s also a good location to just enjoy a drink under the shady umbrellas. They offer 60 beers, have an extensive wine list, and serve cocktails by the jug.
I enjoyed a quiet weekday lunch on the rooftop deck among a crowd of business diners, tourists, and locals. I opted to try the lamb tajine royal—lamb knuckle stew on the bone with dried apricots, almonds, walnuts, roasted veggies, and cous cous all topped with a yogurt sauce and served in a colorful Moroccan tajine. Everything was really spicy, fragrant, and tasty and the portion was very substantial. I tried the Moroccan lime cheese cake for dessert, which was even better. It was served with a raspberry coulis and homemade Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream. Rick’s also offers a different set of well-priced lunch specials each day of the week. There’s also a tapas menu if you just want a small snack with a cocktail for happy hour.
Service was very friendly and helpful although a little slow. The atmosphere is really nice and relaxed and I especially like the great vibe enjoying the sunshine on the rooftop deck. It’s probably really nice there in the evenings as well.
Expert Review
Located in Park Road, just off Kloof Street, you’ll find Rick’s Café Americain. Known for their cocktails, tapas, vegetarian food...
Located in Park Road, just off Kloof Street, you’ll find Rick’s Café Americain. Known for their cocktails, tapas, vegetarian food and craft beer on tap, Rick’s offers some unique dishes including Moroccan dishes that you’ll want to try. The theme of the restaurant is centred on a restaurant in the movie Casablanca and you’ll see hints of the film throughout the whole restaurant. When I visit the Rick’s, it was a quiet Monday morning but the lovely restaurant still added a great atmosphere to my meal, even though it was quite empty. Happy hour at Rick’s is from 3pm to 7pm and they serve some great daily specials that you should definitely check out. It really is a beautiful venue that includes a lovely open downstrairs area and cooling mist, lots of seating space inside and a rooftop seating area that is by far the best spot on Park Road.
For lunch, I enjoyed the Tapas Platter with olives, lamb kofte, chicken brochette, prawn skewer, calamari, Spanish meatballs, chilli poppers, patatas bravas, pita bread, humus, tzatziki and a pepperdew dip. There is also a vegetarian tapas platter available for those non-meat eaters. What a great variety of tasty tapas! I loved the lamb kofte, homemade humus, Spanish meatballs and patatas bravas which is cubed, fried potatoes with a great tomato relish topping. The chicken skewers were really succulent and the prawn skewers were delicious. I would definitely recommend ordering this for the table or as a main meal. What a variety and truly delicious!
For dessert, I ordered the Morroccan Lime Cheesecake which came as a big slice with raspberry coulis and homemade Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream. The ice cream was so creamy, I thought it was cream, but it has a lovely vanilla flavour. Other than that, the cheesecake had a great ginger bread base with a smooth, soft filling. I didn’t taste much of a lime flavour, but nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Expert Review
Tucked away in Tamboerskloof, minutes from the city centre, you'll find Ricks Cafe Americain. When I arrived I had one...
Tucked away in Tamboerskloof, minutes from the city centre, you’ll find Ricks Cafe Americain.
When I arrived I had one thing on my mind – lamb. But the table next to me ordered burgers. Looking at their order, I instantly changed my mind, thinking “gotta get me one of those.”
When the menu arrived, the lure of lamb was strong, but the sight of my neighbor’s burgers sold me. Ostrich BMB Burger it was to be. The Ostrich BMB consists of a 250-gram patty loaded with grilled bacon, grilled mushrooms, melted brie, cranberry sauce, lettuce, tomato and served with coleslaw and a basket of fries.
My meal arrived, piled high, a delicate balancing act in itself. Without delay, I tucked in. My waiter arrived a number of times to ask how he meal was, and each time my mouth was full — no need to ask. This burger was quite like any other I have had — a flavour sensation, with the brie and cranberry subtly making their presence known.
The ambiance was chilled and relaxing, with great loungey music in the background. One has the option of eating on the front patio (which I chose), inside, or on the upstairs deck affording spectacular mountain views. There is also a bar with a distinctly Cuban feel to it.
My eyes were bigger than my stomach though. I had every intention of ordering the chocolate samosas (filled with dark Belgian chocolate, deep fried and served with home made Madagascar vanilla ice cream),
But alas, there was no way I could manage that as well.
It was a truly enjoyable meal, the best burger I have ever had. I waddled away happily towards the setting sun. And it was only R89. Possibly the most well-spent money on a meal.
Rick’s – absolutely recommended.