Our Local

Shayne Schutte grew up in Durban and learnt to cook by working his way up through kitchens around South Africa. He became a private chef, cooking for clients in Cape Town and in Europe, and spent years feeding friends at home as much as paying guests.

His partner Michael Carter, the creative director, studied in Cape Town and Milan before coming back to Cape Town about fifteen years ago. Both love Italy and the Mediterranean way of life, and Michael persuaded Shayne that the dinners they threw for friends could become a restaurant.

In 2019 a former mechanic's workshop on Kloof Street came up for rent, and the two took it. They filled it with plants, vintage furniture and long wooden tables, and painted the front a warm yellow. The result feels like a greenhouse brunch, and it became a neighbourhood meeting place for breakfast, lunch and long evenings.

The menu leans Italian and Mediterranean but stays home-style. Breakfast runs from shakshuka-style pans with poached eggs to avocado toast and green omelettes, and dinners include loaded chicken schnitzel, Korean chicken burgers and vegan dishes. On Thursday to Saturday evenings the tables turn to dinner, cocktails and a long wine list.

A second branch followed on Main Road in Sea Point. It is smaller and more intimate, with a central long table and a counter by the window, and serves an all-day menu. Both branches take bookings for private dinners and events, from small tables of friends to larger celebrations.

The kitchen also cooks for people at home. Meatballs, melanzane, Moroccan vegan curry, weekly specials and cakes are delivered across Cape Town.