CELESTE looked up to the sky as her eyes rolled back after considering the tapas selection. In a place called Manna where everything is white, the waitress is named Celeste and the angelic waiters dance to an unseen choir, it’s a relief to know that a heavenly experience awaits you. I recently marveled at the Hoi Polloi flower folk in Hyde Park Centre in Jozie, and what impressed me there were stunning table displays of glassware with single flowers or simple sprays. Manna is decorated in the same way, simply and beautifully.

A lavish crystal chandelier is the centre piece over monastic long tables and bench seats. White and light abounds and so does sound which ricochets into a cacophony.

The selection of tapas changes daily. Our party of six enjoyed fried hallomi, marinated artichokes (not a hint of the throat-catching vinegar taste often found), marinated mushrooms, humas (with a garlic dose that I can still taste), balsamic roasted onions (fabulous) and guacamole (ordinary). The menu is divided into tastes – sweet, savory, sour and bitter. I like this Oriental idea of combing these tastes for the perfect meal, which obviates the need to start at the beginning and end with dessert.

Sliced and fanned

I had the divine scrambled eggs with avocado served with toasted coconut bread and salmon. (R55). I ordered a portion of roasted butternut to accompany my dish (R15), which made it more than substantial. Roger, Charles and Pam had the calamari (R60), which consisted of sliced steaks with sweet chili, and they raved about their choice. Bryan had the beef fillet (250g for R70) served sliced and fanned on a bed of rocket.

The real appeal of Manna lies in its ethereal quality. A selection of breads – the rye with glazed fruits being my favourite – and the most beautiful fondant-covered iced cakes with curlicue writing that instantly reminded me of Eloise – the mischievous girl who lived in the Ritz hotel. At R80 they’re not just rich tasting but as beautiful things they’d make perfect gifts. Roger and I shared a slice of perfect gooseberry cheese cake (R20) that tasted wonderful. Unfortunately, once we’d picked away at the Gooseberries their discarded skins around the craters left from the fruit looked like Tinkerbell had dive-bombed into the cake, leaving just her wispy dress. 

At R25, the white chocolate ganache with green tea sounds better than it tastes, while the freshly squeezed juices at the same price are delicious but costly.

Refined taste

Manna is owned by Maranda Engelbrecht who also works at Taste Magazine. She has created a beautiful space that lives up to its slogan “A place of refined taste”. It is positioned high up in Kloof Street, Gardens, near Café Paradiso and Vespa and the extensive drinks menu and the fact the kitchen closes at 7pm for last food orders suggests this is a daytime spot for meals or after-work drinks rather than a restaurant. Even though I didn’t know anyone there, I noted several stylish, if not cash strapped, media cognoscenti.

Before dinner we met at the uber-elegant Bascule whiskey bar at the CapeGrace. Being cash strapped here is not an option. Lou Diamond Phillips or his look-alike walked between the yachts and setting sun near my perch while a rich-looking shaven-haired man sucked on an erection of a cigar. It is rumoured that Friday night at Bascule is where the city’s rich divorcees meet to prowl for fresh meat and discuss futures and the future. Proof that money is central to everything that happens at Bascule is that as I was leaving I walked past an event Investec was having in Bascule’s privee lounge and bumped into Prof Brian Kantor – no doubt about to offer his advice to the habitués as to whether to purchase yachts or stocks with their conspicuous moola.

Manna, 151 Kloof Street, Cape Town. Tel (021) 426 2413.

Bascule, CapeGraceHotel, V&A Waterfront. (021) 410 7100.

This review was unannounced and the bill paid for.