I do love my fancy meals – obviously, otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing this – but I also enjoy some good home-cooked food that’s plain hearty & delicious. It’s always wonderful when you get to combine the two, which The Eatery Wood Fired Grill in Claremont does so spectacularly well.
I don’t head to the southern suburbs very often. I’m very much a town girl and spend my time galavanting around the City Bowl, Atlantic Seaboard, and Camps Bay. While I’ve certainly explored most parts of Cape Town quite extensively in the past, I’ve now become quite comfortable in my city bowl way of life.
So it always is a treat to head elsewhere again and be reminded of the goodness that a neighbourhood restaurant can bring.
The restaurant interior may be small, but there’s a beautiful outside terrace
The Eatery Wood Fired Grill
The Eatery is situated in Belvedere Square, overlooking the bustling Belvedere Road. It’s a rather small restaurant but has a large outside area with big, wooden tables that is perfect for a warm sunny day but can also be closed off for those chillier times.
Entering the restaurant, there’s one overwhelming sensation that will hit you: The smell of a braai.
I love the smell of a good fire (the nice contained type in the safety of a braai area) & it instantly transports me to Sunday afternoons with my family – and the promise of delicious food to come!
And that’s exactly what The Eatery sets out to do.
You’ll find a selection of tapas dishes and light lunches on the menu
The Eatery Wood Fired Grill Menu & Prices
As the name may suggest, everything on The Eatery Wood Fired Grill menu has something to do with the grilling experience.
You’ll find a selection of tapas, lunches, steaks, ribs, and burgers, all with that wood-fired taste. Other items are fire-roasted, and a good selection of the items are plancha-grilled.
A plancha is a thick metal plate that can be placed over a wood fire to add that grilled flavour to a selection of ingredients, like calamari and vegetables, that couldn’t otherwise be made over the fire so easily.
Some notable wood-fired-grilled items include:
- Fire-grilled chicken wings (R55)
- Braai broodjies (R50; a South African favourite with various options available)
- Loaded steak (R130; sirloin with cheesy-loaded chips and jalapeño chillies)
- Jailhouse burger (R60; standard burger but with that flame-grilled flavour)
Prices are also insanely reasonable, and you’re looking at an average of R50 for tapas and light lunches, R150 for steaks, R30 for sides, and R80 for burgers.
This cheese and tomato “braai broodjie” is pure deliciousness
The roasted cauliflower and bacon soup is probably the best-priced dish on the menu!
These plancha-grilled squid were tasty but a little spicy
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We couldn’t possibly try everything but we did try a nice selection of things. I already know I need to go back to have the burgers as one of our neighbouring tables had burgers and I had major FOMO at not having ordered one of those!!!
We chose a selection of tapas, mains, and sides to share, including:
- Plancha-grilled squid tubs & tentacles with chilli & ginger (R60)
- Fire-roasted cauliflower & bacon soup (R35)
- Cheddar, tomato & pickled red onion braai broodjie (R50)
- 150 g sirloin steak (R80)
- 480 g porky belly ribs (R165)
- Sweet potato chips (R25)
- Plancha-grilled veggies (R35)
- Mushroom-risotto ( R35)
The smokey, fire-grilled flavour was definitely evident in all of these dishes, and if you enjoy good braai food, you’re likely to find your happy space here.
I definitely fell in love with the braai broodjie, which may seem boring but I live in an apartment block and don’t get to enjoy braais very often. And, if I do, it’s mostly meats and I rarely am blessed with the unique, simple flavours of a braai broodjie. There’s honestly nothing better and this one hit the spot perfectly.
Sabine equally enjoyed her cauliflower and bacon soup, which was not only thick, creamy, and exceptionally filling, but also offers phenomenal value for money.
The plancha-grilled squid was very flavourful but a little too spicy for my liking. It does say chilli on the menu though, so this spice factor isn’t without warning. If you like a little heat, you’ll probably enjoy these.
The grills were also wonderful, though I’d say the pork belly ribs were probably the best of the bunch! The portion is massive, too, so you’ll undoubtedly enjoy these if you’re looking for good, hearty food.
The Eatery Wood Fired Grill serves a selection of steaks and ribs
Ribs, anyone?
The Milkshakes
I didn’t have any dessert but I do have to add in a note on The Eatery milkshakes. These came highly recommended, so I decided to try one of the small Oreo milkshakes – and, wow, what a delight!
I love a good milkshake but lately, I’ve always been severely disappointed. They always sound divine on the menu, but I think most places are going for that freak shake phenomenon with lots of toppings and pizzaz on the outside, but zero flavours in the actual milkshake.
The Eatery does not do this. The Oreo milkshake, for example, wasn’t a plain vanilla shake with a few Oreo crumbs on top – this was a full-on Oreo-blended-into-the-mixture milkshake, the way good milkshakes are supposed to be.
I don’t know where most “cool spots” get their recipes for the average shake, but they could definitely learn a thing or two from The Eatery.
Beautifully designed milkshakes are great for the gram but, ultimately, all I ever really want is a milkshake that tastes like heaven.
Dessert done right
How’s this for a gorgeous blended-together Oreo treat?
The Eatery Contact Details
If you’re looking for a good neighbourhood restaurant that serves fire-grilled food and the most phenomenal milkshakes, then The Eatery is the place to be.
You’ll find all of their details below.
The Eatery Wood Fired Grill
Address: Belvedere Square, Cnr Belvedere Road and Keurboom Roads, 7708 Claremont
Opening Times: Mondays (15:00 – 20:00), Tuesdays – Fridays (12:00 – 20:00), Saturdays & Public Holidays (09:00 – 20:00)
Website: https://eaterywoodfiredgrill.co.za
E-mail: claremont@woodfiredgrill.co.za
Call: +27 21 003 4505
Written by Benike Palfi
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Article Date: May 2021
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