Cafe Mojito, Cape Town: Restaurant Review

Cafe Mojito
265 Long Street
Cape Town | Map

Category: Casual
Fare: “Hearty Cuban”

Price range: Medium
Open for: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Coffee
Under review: Lunch
SA Blog recommends? Definitely

Snippet
During a recent lunch hour there, my Lovely Assistant and I shared a jambalaya (R55), which, as it is served with a large amount of rich, heavy Cuban flatbread, is probably big enough for three.

(See full review below.)

This outing cost: R40 per person
Including tip? Yes
Including wine? N/A
Food score (out of 10): 7
Service score (out of 10): 7
Reservations? No
Closed? Never (more or less)

Contact Information
Tel: +27 (0) 21 422 1095, Fax: N/A
cafemojito@yahoo.com

Review
One is tempted to classify Cafe Mojito as a pub, because, taxonomically speaking, it shares so many characteristics with proper pubs: hearty food set down in front of you with an equally hearty clatter; plenty of booze calling out from over the barman’s shoulder; and, wink, English waitresses. But the food is full of spicy chorizo, the bottles of booze are the wrong color (clear, being mostly rum), and the English waitresses are serving too many different types of people, from lawyers in suits to backpackers in bandanas.

Thus Cafe Mojito is not a pub – it’s just a place for good, Cuban-style grub. My Lovely Assistant and I often meet there for lunch or supper with friends, seating ourselves in the cozy non-smoking section, and watching the Long Street menagerie pass by. It’s particularly nice to ease in to an evening during the cafe’s happy hour, each day from 5-6 p.m., when all cocktails – including the only genuine mojito for miles – are just R13.

During a recent lunch hour there, my Lovely Assistant and I shared the jambalaya (R55), which, being served with a large amount of rich, heavy Cuban flatbread, is probably big enough for three. The English waitress kindly divvied the entree up into two bowls – and it took us a good half-hour – without too much conversation, to get to the bottom of them. The dish is more than what you would expect from a jambalaya in Africa, with its genuine spicy chorizo (very hard to find in these parts) the standout flavor.

Cafe Mojito’s menu is very vegetarian-friendly, though not to the point where carnivores will feel left out, and its full English breakfast (served by a fully-English waitress) can be ordered all day.

Also reviewed in: Rossouw’s Restaurants