IF the name conjures up views of breaking waves, think again. The windows are panoramic, but overlook a manicured rugby field, and the setting is the popular False Bay Rugby Club in Constantia.
When my London-trained Cordon Bleu friend suggested we lunch at a rugby club, I raised my eyebrows. But The Bay proved to be a fresh, fun family destination, offering generous portions, exceptional value for money and appetising daily specials.
The food is no “pub grub”. I had expected run-of-the-mill fare: instead, after one bite of the crumbed mushroom starter, I asked to meet the chef. A talented graduate from Silwood Kitchen, 23-year-old Lauren van Buuren, is blooming in her first “real job” – the demanding role of head chef at a new venue.
She admits to “trembling in the kitchen” when the restaurant opened its doors in early February. Today, still enthusiastic but unflappable, she’s justifying the faith in her shown by Lance Chandler, a partner in the new venture and owner of the landmark steak venue, Barristers in Newlands. Proud of his protégé, he agrees that chips at the The Bay are better than those at Barristers.
Chandler was approached by the rugby club to open a family-friendly, unpretentious venue that would appeal to young rugby players (the venue has a captive market in schoolboy rugby players), their parents, sisters and brothers – even their grandparents.
Open to members of the public, it’s a welcoming spot seating 100 inside and 200 outdoors. It pumps at weekends (Sunday specials include roasts) and on Thursday evenings, when there’s live music. Portions are large enough to satisfy growing appetites and there’s a special menu for the under-12s, and a safe outdoor play area where the small fry can unwind.
The extensive menu flows from breakfast till late. Unfazed by her speedy climb up the culinary ladder, Van Buuren is having fun with flavours and combos. As importantly, she’s prepared to listen. The tasty sauces served are homemade, but when my friend found that the tartar sauce tended to overwhelm the delicate flavour of the mushrooms, Van Buuren and I sampled them without sauce – and agreed.
Apart from the specials, best-sellers are chilli-popper burgers that combine popular chicken burgers with best-selling “hot, hot, hot” chilli poppers from the bar snacks selection.
Perfectly presented chicken schnitzels from the pub lunch options fly out of the kitchen (788 in April alone), while the best of the pizzas, according to our knowledgeable waiter, is the Constantia, topped with bacon, Camembert, caramelised onion and rocket.
We delighted in butter-tender, free-range matured fillet (available as 200g or 300g), cooked to order with (joy, oh joy) no basting sauces, and deliciously crisp-coated, juicy battered hake, happily pairing the food with a surprisingly extensive, well-priced winelist. As Van Buuren’s passion is pastry, we ended dreamily with velvet-smooth, creamy cheesecake.
No supporter of Gordon Ramsay-style bullying, her kitchen is a happy place, and it shows in the food.
“We have fun all day – and when the work is done, we can play!”
l Bar snacks around R50 for individual items or platters a head. Breakfast to go (egg, bacon, toast and preserves) to R45 for a full English (including boerewors); pub lunches R55; mains from R55 to 300g fillet at R125; burgers from R45-R70; pizzas from R40. Kiddies’ treats from R30.