The Grand Cafe & Beach Review. First seen in 48 Hours.
DURING the nineties I wrote a column called Club Crawl in the Sunday Times. I was very young and enjoyed being out all night. I discovered then how much I liked the All Access, not mind you because I was a looker or rolling in money, but because of the influence I borrowed from the newspaper.
Typically I’d visit four to six nightclubs a night and report on them the following Sunday. I had a wad of plastic laminated VIP cards too great to keep in my pocket that I’d regularly boast to friends about.
The book, The Last Party and movie Behind the Velvet Rope sketch life at and after Studio 54, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager’s feted New York nightclub where the concept of who made it past the velvet rope into the sanctum was tested and proved an alluring marketing tool. Let everyone in and no one will come.
Even though I was on the right side of the rope, I always felt out. Knowing my reason for being there was other – being neither the looker nor moneyed.
These memories, dormant for nearly for two decades, came back as we entered The Grand Café and Beach, Granger Bay near the Waterfront where the Oceana Powerboat Club is.
It is a glittering spectacle, iridescent as the setting sun fires up the white sandy beach and the iron warehouse shimmers like mercury. Light reflects off everything – the vast chandeliers and Venetian mirrors; the silver ice buckets; the diamonds on the rings and ears of patrons.
By dark, candles light up long tables of diners still with the feet in the sand. In the warehouse the pace is frenetic, long-aproned waiters shimmy past tables and through queues of people wishing they had one. This is not the spot for a quiet night out. I recognised faces from billboards and TV programmes and many from the nightclubs.
It was as if this were a reunion for Idols, Cats, Rita’s or 777’s revellers. Visionary owner Gail Behr is already famous for her Homework range of clothing and Grand Rooms and Café in Plett and Camps Bay. I hope she has the fortitude to shut this arm of her style empire come winter.
In places such as this, food is often disappointing. After all, creating something beautiful and alluring is the focus. At the Grand Café and Beach the food is excellent, especially if you let chef Seelan Sundoo prepare one of the “specials.”
I started with an avo ritz (R75), two halves with good sized prawns and Marie Rose sauce for a dash of 70’s glam. JP had the Slice of Caesar (R70) which is large wedges of lettuce rather than elegant leaves. It seemed as if there were two large lettuces in the dish. Although a great source of roughage, I’d prefer more sauce and bacon bits.
The sugar salmon (R140) is a beautiful coral fillet topped with brown sugar and soy and divine to eat but not as good as the “special”, seared tuna with a creamy ginger and wasabi sauce. Unbelievable.
When we return we will have one of their giant pizzas, a 1.5 meter rectangle for the table to share or sit on a sandy couch and eat mussels with chips (R80) sipping a Brazi with grapefruit and lime juice, cachaca and cointreau (R48).
You won’t get past the velvet rope without a reservation which you can only make via email at Beach@thegrand.co.za or by sms: 072 586 2052.
It is worth the trouble. Oh, wear something nice.
[05-Mar-10]
Brian Berkman
Whilst I absolutely adore the flattery Brian thank you , I must hasten to admit that I do not own the
Grand having sold it to Sue Main three years ago .. I would love to take all the kudos but my path to heaven is already rather tenuous ! You write so well xxgb
[28-Nov-10]
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