Finding a nice place to grab lunch in St George’s mall can be a challenge. Unless you’re super into B-grade Wimpy restaurants (which I kind of am, but don’t judge me.) Taj Cape Town’s Mint Restaurant and Terrace, however, is a lovely option that’s become even nicer since they expanded the restaurant the spill out into the mall. Now, you can sip a cocktail under an umbrella in a fenced-off area on a comfy lounger. If I worked in the area, it would probably be my first choice for a lunchtime catch up with a friend which is exactly what I did last week.

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To start, I really enjoyed their cumin-roasted butternut salad (R79). I liked that it was light on leaves and heavy on all the good stuff –  yummy butternut; soft, creamy feta and the sexiness that is crispy deep-fried onions with a tangy rosemary and honey dressing. My kind of salad!

As for my friend Chelle, she opted for the beef carpaccio (R95) and it was delicious. LOOK AT THAT CRISPY PARMESAN! If you’re planning on having both a starter and a main, it’s definitely a great pick as it’s on the lighter side of things, but full of flavour.

Also, do NOT sleep on the bread! Mint doesn’t bring you a sad slice of droog ciabatta – you get three different types of mini bread bebbehs!

For mains, I picked the West Coast mussels (R135) and part of what sold me was the fact that it comes with a side serving of vetkoek. (More bread-y goodness! Yes, please!) Also, you get to choose one of three sauces – mariniere, garlic butter and Cape Malay. I picked the latter because it was something different and I wasn’t disappointed. It was basically a sweet, creamy curry that had me wanting to lick the plate. Thank God I could mop it up with the vetkoek that was lovely and light, by the way. Getting vetkoek 100% right is an art – too dry and it’s meh, too greasy and it’s gross – and Mint has definitely nailed it. (Sadly, my pic came out blurry.)

Chelle ordered the kingklip (R185) and that was glorious too. Fresh, fall apart fish on a bed of dreamy, creamy mash with tossed spinach and a side serving of silky beurre blanc sauce.

If you’re looking for a light, airy spot to enjoy an elegant lunch in the dead centre of town, Mint is a real gem. They’ve also just launched a new summer menu as well as a special.

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Lastly, you should know the Mint does a mean Rock Shandy. Here’s to a long, hot summer full of delicious, vetkoek-enhanced food and happy meals with friends!

Love, love

Leigh