Empire Cafe

Empire Cafe Review

A picture window overlooks the surfers' beach, and folks will visit barefooted with sand still between their toes. The food is unexpectedly good, even if the service isn't. The lamb rump steak is fabulous: it's served on sautéed spinach with chickpeas, rooibos-tea-soaked raisins (rooibos is a Cederberg mountain plant), garlic butter, and eggplant, with dribbled garlic aioli. Also popular is the burger with a surprisingly good mushroom sauce. Although the butternut-squash-and-feta salad is good, it comes with crisp butternut-squash chips that are more easily enjoyed by hand than with the cutlery provided. The café's confectionery skill is renowned, and people visit just to buy breads and pastries. As desserts go, the malva pudding delivers the perfect balance of sweet and sticky with vinegar undertones. The coffee is delicious. Some will find the laid-back vibe irritating, while others will find it's exactly what they were looking for.