The perfect send-off or welcome from Cafe Espresso

By The Standard | Jun. 3, 2012

By le connoisseurThe airport is always a hive of activity and it was no different on the day we chose to have a meal at the little café nestled deep in the left corner of the departures area. We arrived at 11am and the place was buzzing with customers leaving and arriving in a steady stream. The clientèle was varied with both large and small groups with toddlers and babies in the mix.

The décor is interesting and pleasant with wooden tables covered by African print tablecloths. The staff is very small; a chef, a cashier and a waiter. They are visible to the customers at all times and no matter how busy it got they never looked flustered. The waiter had good knowledge of the menu and he repeated our order perfectly to ensure he had it correct.

The cooking area looked like an old apothecary with Turkish lamps glowing from the ceiling and cabinets with drawers stacked up on one side. The prominent and dusty green plastic plant was disappointing. This country is full of beautiful live flora which would have looked much better. There is an awesome confectionary display next to the main counter. It holds mouth-watering scones and a variety of cakes.

The menu is surprisingly extensive for such a small establishment. They offer salads, grills, sandwiches, pasta dishes, pizzas and desserts. The drinks menu is also large with coffees, teas, milkshakes, hot chocolate and cocktails. Basically there is something for everyone. You can have a quick meal or a prolonged one while waiting comfortably to fly away or go home.

We both opted for the Café Espresso breakfast of two eggs to order, bacon, beef sausage, grilled mushroom and ham. I opted to have the meal without the eggs and my partner ordered fried — well done. While we waited for our meal we ordered rooibos tea, hot chocolate and mineral water. We had initially opted for milkshakes and freshly squeezed juice but these were not available, and we were happy with the range of alternatives.

The tea was perfect according to my partner. The accompanying milk was piping hot which kept the tea at the correct temperature. I loved my hot chocolate which was hot, sweet and chocolatey! It was served in a glass mug with a stunning long handled spoon. I used my partner’s milk to dilute the richness a bit and to make it go further!

When our breakfasts arrived we were struck by the lovely presentation. The fresh lettuce and tomato garnish with a tasty lemony dressing was the perfect finish. My partner’s only criticism was the lack of butter for the toast. The eggs were really good as were the bacon and sausage. The presentation of the cutlery with a paper napkin secured around it using a toothpick was clever and attractive.

It was altogether a pleasant experience especially as the café is located in the airport, opposite a little kiosk selling sweets and snacks as well as housing an Internet café. Café Espresso is a fitting goodbye or hello.