Pure Café – how did I miss this?

I’m not sure how this happened, really, because on the other side of the building is my favourite ice-cream shop in Pretoria. Seems I was so mesmerised by Royal Danish Ice Cream’s delicious Butter Pecan that it never occurred to me that there might be anything else of interest at the centre. There is, though, and it’s called Pure Café.

I ended up taking my sister off to Pure Café for lunch because it appeared in my twitter feed one day, and I recognised it from the Foodspotting app. We found it quite easily, tucked away behind the ice-cream shop, and it was pretty busy, which is always a good sign.

Pure Café promised to be everything I love about lunching. It’s got that Café feel, but with its own unique spin, making it similar to other cafés in Pretoria, but not quite. The green and white décor, for one thing, gives it a fresh look. In a weird sort of way, you almost feel like you are making healthier choices just by being there. Green, there is something to it.

Vibe is nice, but to me, food is the deal breaker, and Pure Café doesn't disappoint. The menu offering is small, although I often find that more limited menus mean better attention is paid to each dish, so that didn’t bother me. Despite the few options available, it’s difficult to decide what to eat because it all looks so good! I found myself making mental notes of what I’d like to get next time I come, and I hadn’t even ordered my drink yet!

In my adventurous spirit, I decided to try the Soutvissie Skop Pasta because that was what Foodspotting recommended. It’s also way out of my comfort zone since a creamy anchovy and broccoli pasta topped with parmesan cheese and flavoured with a hint of garlic and chilli is not something I’ve ever ordered before.

The flavour isn't at all as overpowering as I imagined it would be. I'm not normally a fan of anchovies for that very reason, but in this case, the flavours of the dish have been subtly blended into pure deliciousness. Even if, like me, you don't like anchovies, I'm pretty sure that this will be winner!

The drinks list is as tempting as the foods they offer. I tried Charie's Ginger, also recommended on Foodspotting, which is a ginger homemade cordial mixed in soda water. I'm a sucker for ginger, and found the drink to be refreshing. I also ordered my dessert off the drinks menu, called A Drowned Italian, which is vanilla ice cream topped with a shot of espresso. If you like coffee ice cream, this is a delicious way to end a meal.

Overall, I'd say that the only problem with Pure Café is that there are too many good things on their menu to try in one visit. They don't make the choice easy for you, either! Maybe you'd like to begin with my (or Foodspotting's) recommendations, and take it from there? Perhaps you'll find something that stands out more alluringly from their menu, and you'll begin with that? One thing I am sure of, though, is that you'll be back to try the rest. At least, I know I certainly will!