Relaxed spot for breakfast and a movie

Café: Red Sofa Café Address: Corner of Exner Ave and Derry Street, Vredehoek Contact: 021 461 7274 Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 7am to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday 8am to 5pm. Monday closed. Web: www.redsofacafe.co.za Dish Eaten: Scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and brie on rye Price: R76

JAN CRONJE

THE RED Sofa Café is a relaxed and casual eatery in the heart of hip Vredehoek above the Cape Town city centre.

It is connected to the Red Sofa DVD store next door, meaning you can browse for the latest Hollywood blockbusters or Scandinavian noir crime series while waiting for your cappuccino.

At 10am on an overcast Sunday, most of the wooden tables and window counters inside the eatery were occupied by hip locals discussing what went down the previous night, or using the café's WiFi.

Outside, meanwhile, people read the Sunday papers and sipped cappuccinos and hot chocolates, while a few dogs snored contentedly under the tables.

The café has been tastefully decorated. There is lots of exposed brickwork and wood, menu chalkboards, and its large windows give it a bright and airy atmosphere.

I ordered the Effing Delicious (R76), which is spring onion scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, brie, rocket and avocado on sourdough rye.

While its price is fairly steep, all the ingredients were fresh and the portion size large. It was certainly tasty, but lacked some acidic bite to counter the creaminess of the trio of brie, avocado and eggs.

It could also have done with a bit more salmon.

The coffee was good, and the staff very friendly.

Other breakfast options include the Sofa-Fry Up (R76), which is a scrambled or poached egg, bacon, sausage, tomato, mushroom and sourdough rye ,and the French Toast (R45) that comes with pecan nuts

You can also order a plate of oats porridge (R45), with cinnamon sugar, bananas, honey and pecan nuts; or splurge on the Plate 'o Bacon (R50), which is exactly what it claims to be. The breakfast menu is served all day. Between noon and closing time, you can order from the lunch menu, which includes things like a spicy chicken and avocado wrap (R65); and the Red Sofa cheese burger (R70), which comes with tomato chilli jam and French fries.

The café also serves a variety of fresh fruit juices (ask for daily flavours), and craft beers when beer'o'clock strikes.

jan.cronje@inl.co.za

PICTURE: JAN CRONJE STACK: The ‘Effing Delicious’ is scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, brie, rocket and avocado on Sourdough rye.