May06
13
Bel Purto
My family and I recently spent some time at a beachfront resort in Umhloti (Umdloti - there seem to be two official spellings), on the Kwazulu-Natal North Coast. We enjoyed being there out of season, and despite some dodgy weather, had a great time.
On our last evening there we decided to go out for pizza. Partly because we like pizza, and partly because it appeared that the only restaurant in Umhloti is Nino’s (other than some questionable seaside pub & grills). Alas, even that turned out to be falacy as this particular Nino’s is a ‘coffee bar’, meaning they close at night. Whatever.
Fortunately for us there was a restaurant open that night, across the way from Nino’s, called Bel Purto. I was instantly weary as we had a tired 14 month old baby boy with us and his power hour (that last stand before he gives up at night) was due. I could clearly see that Bel Purto was NOT a family restaurant (or at least it did not appear so), and did not want to be “that couple with the baby’ I had always complained about in my single, frolicky years.
To cut a long story short, we chose to go to Bel Purto, and had an incredible evening. My son still had his power hour, but we handled it pretty well and everyone (management, staff and clientele) at Bel Purto seemed to understand.
A few things struck me about this exceptional restaurant. Firstly, they had outstanding decor. Simplistic, minimalist design that just fit together perfectly. It was smart, and yet comfortable. It was stylish, but never pretentious. It was upmarket, but I was welcome in jeans, slops and a golf shirt. Upbeat, neo-production acid jazz provided the soundtrack for the evening and was noticeable without being intrusive. Others may differ on this, but I also loved the fact that they had an open kitchen. Knowing who’s making my food and whether or not they give a damn inspires confidence. And these guys were having a ball. I couldn’t wait for my meal to arrive because I wanted some of what they were on!
Secondly, and this is unprecedented: the staff actually WANTED TO BE THERE. Everyone seemed to be having fun. Smiling, joking amongst themselves, thoughtful interactions with our table, service beyond the call of duty. They were good, and either brilliant actors or simply happy employees.
Not only did they get the ambience and service right, but they followed it up with an above-average meal. A complimentary herb foccacia as a starter, my wife chose pizza and I changed my mind at the last minute choosing pasta instead. I’m no culinary expert, but it was just a thoroughly enjoyable meal.
All in all, the best restaurant experience I’ve had in as long as I can remember. I couldn’t help but contrast that experience to earlier this year when we spent a Sunday lunch at Moyo, Zoo Lake. We waited for over a half hour after booking a time, and paid a fairly large sum of money for a very average meal. I guess you can’t win ‘em all. One blogger’s meat is another blogger’s poison though, because Patrick rates Moyo very highly.
If you’re ever on the North Coast, pop into Bel Purto and enjoy food and service the way it should be.
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