Our newest obsession, 61 + Ate, is a breakfast and lunch spot that will put a smile on your dial and will have you making up excuses as to why you should be returning every day. Set on bustling Loop Street, you might miss it if you blink, but trust us, you won’t want to. Step inside the double doors and you will be greeted with a spacious seating area with lots of light, flowers and artwork. On the left hand side is the Harvest Table, where a new selection of seasonal dishes are laid out daily for the lunch crowd. On the far end is the barista and bar station where you can order your meal take away, or try one of their interesting State 5 Cold Pressed Coffees. Alternatively take a seat on one of the comfy chairs, grab a menu and enjoy the atmosphere.

Our love affair with 61 + Ate started when we met its two owners Debbie and Leo – the kind of  cool, inviting people that you meet and immediately want to have as friends. The menu is quite tough to describe, it’s not American-style dinner food, nor is it Gastropub or ‘health’ food – it’s somehow an eclectic mix of all of these things. We started off by ordering two Fitch and Leeds Pressed Juices, for myself, the Naartjie, and for my partner, the Apple Chilli. Both were amazingly fresh, tart and delicious.

My partner opted to try what was on offer on the lunchtime Harvest Table – an assortment of fresh salads, homemade bread and hummus, a veggie lasagne and a steamy chicken pie. The aim here is to fill your plate with goodies on offer – you only pay R55 for the plate, so it’s a really good deal. I ordered the Rabbit Hash, a potato hashbrown, filled with rabbit served with a sunnyside fried egg and beer chutney – it was an absolute winner. If that doesn’t tickle your taste buds, perhaps the Duck and Waffle will – confit duck served with a fresh waffle, fried egg and mustard maple dressing – yum! Or perhaps the Oxtail Sandwich – slow cooked oxtail served on sourdough with a cheesy taleggio sauce, pickled fennel and a side salad.

To round off our food fest, we ordered the PBJ Brioche to share, word to the wise, you won’t want to share! Slices of buttery brioche are filled with fried banana, berry jam and salty peanut butter, toasted and served with vanilla cream and fresh berries. This took us up the stairway to PBJ Heaven.

The menu at 61 + Ate is different, but we are infatuated. Our vote, step outside your comfort zone, you won’t regret putting your trust in the hands of Debbie and Leo.

Breakfast & lunch | quirky and fun