Caffe Milano has a New Face- Italian Pastries & More
Nestled in high up in Kloof Street, the restaurant mile of Cape Town, Caffe Milano has received a recent rejuvenating boost.
Previous visits to Caffe Milano ranged from good to average, in terms of my personal experiences, so I was thrilled when I was invited to meet the new pastry chef Andrea Leechi, owner and executive chef Gorgio Navas’ newest addition to the team and to hear first hand what the new plans for the cafe are.
At the time we met him, Leechi looking modest but proud in his whites had been in the Cape for a mere two weeks.
The pastries and confectionery have been brought up to speed with true Milanese flair. You may remember the previous chef, French -trained New Yorker Vanessa Quellec who did sublime pastries and styled desserts, very reminiscent of a Parisian pâtisserie.
This time, Leechi who has worked for a string of Michelin starred restaurants, has introduced biscuits, meringue based nibbles, tiny tarts and pastries all made with less butter and sugar than locally made desserts. Nuts, especially hazelnuts feature prominently. This is apparently more in line with the offerings of bakeries and cafes in Milan.
My first impression was that the plates of little treats we were served resembled dessert tapas, and how wonderful it was to be able to sample a variety, rather than push a fork against one large slice of cake that invariably, one tires of.
It’s an idea, in fact a good one, to order a plate of these mini delights and share amongst a few friends, and once you establish your favourites, you can order one or a few of your very own.
Leechi has also created small, rich ‘tea cake’s that look artful and can be easily cut into 6 -8 slices and enjoyed for dessert with your guests at home. For R60, it really is worth it.
I returned to Caffe Milano for brunch with two dining companions this Sunday past and can attest that the breakfasts of the famous eggs Benedict and toasted croissant with scrambled eggs and bacon are sublime.
I had to buy some more of the biscotti style biscuits- really a cross between biscotti and butter biscuits, made with hazelnuts and the burnt caramel meringues, also with hazelnuts for us to enjoy at home.
Caffe Milano
Kloof Street 153
email info@caffemilano.co.za
021 426 5566
Closed Mondays.
Open 7am – 5pm Tuesday to Sunday
How nice. I like the ‘tapas’ style dessert thing too. Nice to be able to sample a few different menu items.
I hope your summer is in full swing and you guys are having fun.
[…] delightful strawberries – I partnered them with Italian caramelised hazelnut meringues from Caffe Milano in a semifreddo that is bound to delight. What’s more, there are no eggs in this recipe, […]