The Barn Owl Tennis Club
Where: 368 Florida Road, Morningside
Open: Daily 7am to 4.30pm
Call: 072 689 0825
The Poet was back from India and suggested lunch at the newly opened Barn Owl which is in the old tennis club at Mitchell Park (not the Blue Zoo). I thought it was an excellent idea.
The Barn Owl’s new tennis club project is a lively spot, simply decorated. It’s basically two rooms divided by a bookcase, complete with books and old National Geographic magazines from the 1980s. I almost felt like I was in my school library for a moment.
The counter where you order and where the coffee machine is, and all the activity is, runs along the one side. The second room has two larger tables ideal for families or small business groups. Two young moms and a bevy of children were holding court.
On the verandah, the digital nomads were tapping away at keyboards complete with headphones. And there is a small courtyard, but it was way too hot to sit here, even with the umbrellas up.
We found a table overlooking the tennis courts and a lovely through breeze greeted us.
Smoothies and coffees seem to be the thing here. In the summer heat, pink and green concoctions were being iced in the blender. I quickly clarified that the milk used in coffees was milk and not soya milk. I once made the mistake of unthinkingly ordering a cappuccino in a vegan restaurant. The soya froth was beyond horrible. Although they do offer almond and macadamia nut milk for vegans.
While we were sipping our coffees, an iced version for me, the Poet brought out her chakra drum, a beautiful object she had bought in India. As we played it, it added to the general melee of whirring coffee machine and lively children. Our waitress loved the resonance it created, you could feel the sound. The ladies next door were fascinated.
The all-vegetarian menu is simple and you order it at the counter. Dishes that are vegan are marked accordingly, and on many there are suggestions for changes which would make them vegan.
The basic breakfast consists of eggs and tomato pesto on sourdough, while toast could be topped with lemon cream cheese, thyme fried mushrooms, eggs and wild rocket, or blueberry sourdough topped with almond nut butter, sliced banana, cinnamon syrup topped with granola.
A brekkie bowl consists of roasted root veg, poached eggs, charred sweetcorn and spinach covered in a harissa hollandaise. I will certainly try that next.
Then there’s an open sandwich with avo and feta and home-made pickles, or a kimcheese toastie which is kimchi and Midlands cheese. A more conventional cheese and tomato option is available.
The Poet decided to try the hummus toastie (R70) which was a hummus and mushrooms on sourdough with fries. All delicious. I opted for the Brekkie Bun (R85) which was eggs, feta, mushrooms and tomato pesto served between a toasted buttermilk bun. It also came with skinny fries. I think I might have preferred the sourdough to the buttermilk bun, which was a shade heavy, but enjoyed the breakfast nonetheless.
There was an option to swop the mushrooms with something called facon, which filled me with dread. We asked our waitress who assured us it was vegan bacon, made with wheat. I had visions of that other revolting vegan offering ‒ a soya prawn. If you want to eat a plant-based diet, celebrate vegetables. They’re delicious.
We ordered more coffees while I tried the cheesecake which was heavenly. I liked that it was decorated with nuts and seeds. I’ll be back for this for certain. The Poet refused to taste it. It would seem the family functions in Delhi had done enough to the waistline. The beautifully decorated carrot cake too looked like it was worth its calories. And there were packets of chocolate biscotti.
Food: 3½
Service: 3½
Ambience: 3½
The Bill: R356
The Independent on Saturday