The moment my feet hit the plush blue carpet of Tobago’s Restaurant, I knew I was in for a treat.
The hostess greeted us with a smile and led us to a table overlooking the water. Despite the overcast weather, the blue and white interior reminded me of a warm summer’s day. Staff expertly arranged the reason I was here – the Sunday lunch buffet – and my eyes took in the display of salads, breads, cheeses and warmers filled with veggies, meats and seafood. My interest was definitely piqued when I spied the dessert table, colourful and inviting. The sound of the coffee grinder only added to my excitement.
Tobago’s Restaurant at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Waterfront Cape Town hosts a delicious Sunday spread every weekend from 12:30-15:30 for R395 per person. Children between 5-12 receive 50% off and kids under 5 eat free.
The manager stopped by our table to greet us and encouraged us to tuck in and enjoy ourselves. We didn’t need much invitation and proceeded to the salad display. Surveying the variety, I can say that I happily would have eaten just from this table and been completely satisfied.
Salads
Starting with the the salmon, tuna, potato, calamari with sweet chilli, basil pesto pasta as well as the chickpea and eggplant with mushrooms and balsamic reduction salads, we moved on to a delicious springbok carpaccio and a fresh bread roll with salted butter. Yum!
There was also pickled fish, pear salad and mussels, but I wanted to pace myself. You could also build your own salad from an array of fresh ingredients like tomato, cucumber, red onion, chickpeas, peppadews and olives. For those who prefer a warm starter, they had corn soup on offer.
The salads went down beautifully – light, fresh and perfectly seasoned. The red onion and chives in the potato salad was a nice touch and I particularly liked the chickpea and eggplant salad with mushrooms and balsamic reduction.
Mains/Hot Foods:
What is a Sunday roast without roast? You could help yourself to line fish and roast chicken, while the chef would cut a perfect slice of lamb or beef and drizzle it with gravy. Also available was lamb curry with tzatziki and salsa, roast vegetables, roast potato, roast butternut with feta and pumpkin seeds, pasta with white sauce and rice.
I honestly wanted to try all of it, but stopped myself short of rice, chicken and fish. As for the rest, I was in tummy-warmer heaven, especially the tender lamb curry. It was superbly spiced and perfectly balanced by the tzatziki and tomato, cucumber and onion salsa.
Desserts:
The piéce de résistance. Everyone’s favourite part of the meal. I was already full but I knew I couldn’t leave without indulging my sweet tooth.
It was by far the most colourful table, with strawberry cheesecake, lemon meringue, éclairs, lamingtons, chocolate brownies as well as blueberries, tiramisu, date balls, vanilla muffins and strawberry yoghurt tarts on display. My inner chocolate lover inclined me to select the brownies and éclairs. I also chose tiramisu and lemon meringue.
The éclair pleasantly surprised me by having a coffee cream centre instead of a traditional plain one and while I don’t usually opt for lemon meringue, these bite-sized creations almost made me laugh in delight when I slid my spoon into the meringue – it billowed up around my spoon like a delicate, fluffy cloud. The cheesecake was void of that sour edge many cakes tend to have and was creamy without being heavy. There wouldn’t be space for so much as a cup of coffee after this.
Surrounded by light chatter, calming background music, attentive staff and a great view – the sun came out! – and satisfied by a full, tasty meal, I left the restaurant with a smile and an invitation to return soon. No doubt about that.
Take advantage of Tobago’s Sunday lunch buffet while you still can – the lunches are running until the end of September. It’s well worth it.
Book your table now for next weekend.
