Owners Isabel and Theo Van Rooyen form a formidable mother and son team, with both having worked hard to restore this upmarket coffee shop/restaurant to its former popularity.
Theo, who has a five star chef track record, makes sure that the menu always has some firm favourites alongside the more exotic surprises, like Moroccan Spiced Lamb served on Couscous; Tandoori Line Fish (Kabeljou with yoghurt, lemon, sweet tomato jam served with crispy baked potato) and Chicken Scallopini. Favourites like Eggs Benedict remain a draw card.
This well appointed restaurant has already earned itself hard earned recognition from the publication Garden Route CXPress, which awarded them the title "Best New Kid 2011 NLR Wines".
"It has been a good year," said Isabel looking happily over the light-filled restaurant, where the easy couches and fireplace continue to create a relaxed ambiance. "We have grown with leaps and bounds as our reputation for producing consistently excellent meals from locally sourced produce, as well as a venue for bespoke private functions continues to grow.
"Our early breakfast served from 07:30 provides business folk with free Wi-Fi access, and the dailies are popular. Businessmen find us the ideal place to prepare themselves for the day. In winter we close at 15:00, but in summer we will open on Thursday and Friday evenings, as we are ideally placed to serve tapas snacks and drinks after work, with seating indoors and outdoors in the courtyard."
The private function room fitted with audio-visual equipment is ideal for mini-conferences as it seats up to 20 people. Other festive occasions like stork parties and birthdays are also staged here by appointment.
Apart from the Food and Wine Uncorked function on 3 October - hosted alongside Garden Route Agri - another networking occasion presents itself when Meade Café stages a Long-Table business breakfast for all Georgians towards the end of November/beginning of December.
Meade Café's menu is unique and leans more to the French Bistro side, but the home-made cheese cake, biscuits, cakes, bread and other delicacies ensure that moms enjoy meeting their friends at the Café for a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Plans for opening a delicatessen section are far advanced and are in response to regulars who cannot wait to purchase their smoked meats, pastas and other delicacies which are all prepared on the premises. For more information or to book your year end function contact Meade Café at 044 873 6755 or visit this fine establishment at 91 Meade Street, George.
There for the first birthday celebration of Meade Café held on Friday, were the following Genevafontein residents, from left - Margaretha Hoepfner, Natalie Doman, Mienkie du Plessis, Sannie Viljoen, Minnie Theron, Madeline Meyer, Jill Lilford, Helene Grobler and Dien Immelman. At the back are owners Isabel and Theo Van Rooyen. Photo: Pauline Lourens
