5 Places to Take Your Mom for Lunch in PE

December 1, 2015 by Chasing the Rainbow in Eastern Cape, Locations, Port Elizabeth, South Africa 2 Comments

I count my lucky stars every day that I live in the same town as my mom. Even though we live really close to each other, we don’t get to see each other enough – we snatch a quick chat over a cup of tea, but quality mom and daughter time is few and far between. My parents are travel bugs, and they are more often away than at home. When my mom is ‘in residence’, we love to do lunch together. As I write this, she is away, and I am missing her terribly and imagining what we will do when she gets back. So, here is my choice of PE’s best places to take your mom for lunch.

1. Savages Bistro on Park Lane
Savages personifies opulence and indulgence. Set in a beautifully renovated Victorian house (aptly called The Victorian Veranda), the daytime bistro hits the right combination of a relaxed, social vibe and a sophisticated, fine dining elegance.

The drinks menu is something to behold. How do you choose between things like a homemade fresh-herbed Victorian Iced Tea, a Veranda Pink Lemonade made with fresh lemon and berries or a Turkish Delight, Smores or Snickers milkshake?

The menu is innovative, the portions generous and the taste and presentation simply divine. Mom had the homemade chicken pie and I had their fresh-out-the-oven veggie quiche. I have also visited a few times with my hubby and sons, and have it on good advice that the wagyu beef burger is sublime, and the milk tart to-die-for.

Savages has only been open a few weeks and is already buzzing – which is not surprising.

The beautifully renovated Victorian Terrace

Savages at the beautifully renovated Victorian Veranda

2. The Rose Garden at Floradale Nurseries
The Rose Garden recently relocated from its rambling rose vintage tin cottage to swoosh new premises on Circular Drive. The huge wrap around veranda on The Rose Garden restaurant offers a shady, sheltered view of the pretty lawn with a kids play structure and the surrounding flowerbeds, blooming with newly planted country flowers.

The restaurant was packed when we visited, full of lots of ladies of every age. It really is an ideal spot for a girls’ lunch out. Quiche & salad for me, Chicken & almond salad for mom. Put that together with a pot of tea (mom), a cappuccino (me), a vibrant chat about anything and everything and voila – lady heaven.

Photo courtesy of The Rose Garden

3. Boardwalk Hotel Lobby Lounge
Ooh la la – what a treat. The Boardwalk’s 5 star hotel has really added a fancy dimension to PE. The restaurants are well publicised, but did you know that you can go and sit in the uber stylish lobby lounge and have lunch? The couches are plush, the tables solid mahogany…fresh flowers, thick carpets, everywhere you look you are surrounded by carefully chosen furnishings straight out the pages of a décor magazine. And wait till you see the food and drinks. We had tea with all the bells and whistles – cute little pots of honey to sweeten to your taste. My Thai vegetable curry was served in a beaten copper bowl, with the Basmati rice and dainty salad separate. No ordinary fish and chips for mom – this was the most perfect beer battered fresh hake with homemade tartare sauce, peas and “pommes frites” – all on a carefully cut out round of newspaper for authenticity.

And all the while, a friendly waitress making you feel at home and an ocean view that could be on the cover of National Geographic Travel.

All this made even sweeter by a surprisingly humble price tag!

The Boardwalk’s plush lobby and lounge

4. Fushin Champagne & Tapas Bar at Bay West Mall
I haven’t actually taken my mom here yet. She says it sounds “way too yuppy” for her liking. But Mom, I disagree – fine dining, fine service, beautiful food and an entire menu of champagne, surrounded by trendy clothing stores – who wouldn’t love it!

I visited with Ralph, and after tucking in to one of Fushin’s incredible Thai Chicken Curries, and Black Pepper Patagonian Squid, we enjoyed some retail therapy browsing around the plethora of shops.

Mom, I will convert you yet.

Photo courtesy of Fushin

5. Bocadillos on 1st
I remember having tea and lunch with my mom at Lemon Tree in Central – we were devastated when they closed their restaurant. Now, the latest addition to the Bocadillos family has not only revived, but modernised and improved the Lemon Tree lunch experience. The shopping and dining complex on 1st Ave Walmer is just perfect for a mom & daughter lunch. Bocadillos is beautiful – both inside and out, and offers the same delicious menu and freshly baked goodies as their 6th Ave counterpart. Lemon Tree’s premises are enormous with both the regular price Victoria House section, and an entire two levels of sale stuff. You can while away quite a bit of time browsing all the stunning décor items and knick-knacks. Round off your shopping lunch with a bouquet from our favourite florist, Pollen, who has a store right next to Bocadillos.