On Saturday I had brunch with the “Ou bros” – Joe & Ben – otherwise known as the ”Asian twins”. Now they’re not really twins, people just mistake them for being twins. Or even worse – they mistake the one for the other!  This has caused some interesting & awkward situations in the past.   Anyhoo, we decided to try out the much talked about Skinny Legs & All in Loop St.

The space apparently used to be occupied by an art gallery, but now it has been transformed into a pretty little cafe, owned & run by two sisters (twins nogal - like real twins).

There’s still very much an arty feel to the place, with quirky pieces on the walls, but also a bit of an “old world” charm with details like a gorgeous antique cash register, a farm shop type open fridge and rustic looking crockery. 

To drink, Joe opted for a berry smoothie (R32):

While Ben and I felt the need for a caffiene fix, so we opted for a flat white each (R16):

While waiting for our food, we noticed a very intriguing magazine called ”The Gentlewoman – it’s a far cry from your normal glossy chick magazine, featuring very “serious” interviews & articles, a lot of black & white moody photography and even newspaper like paper.  Hmmmm… not too sure about all that, I like a bit of skinner & skandaal with my reading, but it was interesting to page through though.  The thing that really got us was the slogan on the cover:

Ag just faaaaabulous daaahlings... hehe.

So back to the food.  I opted for an open sandwich on country sourdough bread called “Cremalat Mozzarella” – mozzarella and braised tomatoes in a fresh basil and fennel-seed marinade (R65):

Ben was clearly feeling health concious, cause he opted for the fruit salad with yoghurt & homemade honey muesli (R65):

Joe had what I probably should have gone for instead –  soft scrambled eggs with smoked salmon trout (R60):

As pretty as everything was… I have a few issues.  All round I felt it was a bit pricey.  I mean R65 for muesli, yoghurt & fruit?  Or for one slice of sourdough bread with some toppings?  Even the scrambled egg with salmon seemed a bit small for the price…   Taste wise I would rate it was “average”.  Not bad, but definitely didn’t rock my world either.  I think the main problem is that pretty little cafes are becoming a dime a dozen here in Cape Town, especially in the CBD/Woodstock area.  In my mind you need something more than cute decor to stand out.  And that thing is going to be super tasty, well priced food.

If I’m in the area, I’ll likely pop in again for a cuppa and maybe a scone or something.  But I’m not going to be going out of my way to have a bite here.  It was pretty busy though, so I’m guessing they do quite well with people who live/work nearby and by the looks of it also the “hipster crowd”.

My Miss K Kiss-o-Meter ratings for Skinny Legs & All would be:

• Vibe & Service: 
• Price & Food: 

xxx