Cafe Flo

Step into one of the most established restaurants in Joburg. Having received a top 100 restaurants nomination and been singled out by The London Times as the only Johannesburg restaurant to have been mentioned in a recent article on South Africa, Cafe Flo has earned its enviable reputation despite strong competition from a host of other establishments in Greenside. With well trained staff providing excellent service and an innovative menu with plenty of specials, it comes as no surprise that Café Flo has increased in popularity over the years and spread its wings. To accommodate its ever increasing clientele, the owners took over the shop next door and with tongue in cheek called it Over Flo, which sums up the situation perfectly. Breakfast is served at Over Flo and besides the usual English breakfast for hearty appetites, there is also the more sophisticated smoked salmon and scrambled eggs plus a selection of toasted sandwiches. Café Flo has an old fashioned charm about it with an assorted of interesting French posters on the walls which are reminiscent of a country style kitchen. Colours are earthy and subdued and the restaurant spills out onto the pavement with plenty of comfortable cane arm chairs for al fresco dining which is hugely popular from breakfast through to late evening. Over Flo on the other hand is furnished along the lines of a French bistro in dramatic red and black with touches of Baroque styling in the eye catching display of mirrors and glitzy chandelier. The outside tables and chairs merge seamlessly with those of Café Flo creating a pavement café with a continental ambience. The menus follow slightly different directions with Café Flo leaning towards Italian and Thai influences whereas Over Flo has more of a French Bistro style menu. Lunch time recommendations at Café Flo are definitely the Haloumi Salad with sun-dried tomato dressing or the refreshing different Beetroot, Blue Cheese and Apple Salad with a walnut dressing. Interesting main course specials include the Rump and Haloumi Skewers with a caper butter sauce and the Roast Lamb Pizza with feta, aubergines and fresh mint sauce. Recommendations at Over Flo are the stuffed calamari with prawns and cashews for starters, and the Duck Confit with a lychee and orange sauce. Desserts are worth saving room for with delectable combinations such as the Hazelnut Torte with cream, custard and chocolate or the Pears filled with Crème Brulee.