Gourmet backpackers? Don’t you mean gourmet burgers…

With all this talk of gourmet backpackers on the Highstead Houses site, we’re starting to feel a bit hungry. And you would be forgiven for thinking we are a teeny bit obsessed with gourmet burgers – why else would we have coined the phrase “gourmet backpackers” to describe our unique range of accommodation available in Cape Town for the 2010 Football World Cup.

So in honour of the fabulous gourmet burger, we thought we would share with you Cape Town’s top burger restaurants. We couldn’t choose our favourite, so we’ve listed them alphabetically.

1. Gourmet Burger

Yes, it calls a spade a spade According to their website:

At Gourmet Burger, we do things to burgers nobody would have thought possible. We’ve tossed out the old onion rings and yellow mustard in favour of a veritable spectrum of unexpected delights. Where else could you select a Prawn, Avo and Garlic Burger, a Vegetarian Field Mushroom Burger or a Chicken Roulade Burger? And the innovation doesn’t stop there – from our outrageous Lindt milkshakes to the finest Paul Cluver wines, it’s all in the name.

Location: Long Street, Cape Town and Cavendish Connect, Claremont

Menu: Check it out here

2. Hudsons

This is the new kid on the block brought to you by the cool kids of Cafe Caprice in Camps Bay fame.

They say:

Our concept is to introduce a completely unique, simple, more direct burger bar, offering the highest quality burgers you can get in Cape Town. Our burgers will comprise of freshly ground beef, made in-house, every morning. No soya proteins, limited fat (from the regular 20% down to Hudson’s 5%), and no offal, just whole grain meat! What else makes Hudson’s so unique from the rest? Double crunch fries, sour dough buns, a chickpea and lentil veggie burger, vanilla lemonade, and other innovative toppings to top off the menu.

Location: Kloof Street, Cape Town

Menu: find it on their site here

Special mention: Stocks Jack Black beer

3. Protea Hotel Fire n Ice!

In the first instance famous for their toilets (don’t ask, just go check them out) Fire n Ice! also has a pretty mean burger and milkshake menu. Jump straight to their burger menu here.

Location: Upper Bree Street, Cape Town.

4. Royale Eatery

The Grande Dame of Cape Town burger joints, this is straight out of Pulp Fiction. Strangely they don’t seem to have a website (???) but you can find them here:

273 Long Street
021 422 4536

Have we left something off? Drop us a line in the comments as we’d LOVE to discover new burger places.

Image source: Gourmet Burger

Food, glorious food!

Cape Town is a bit of a foodie mecca, so we won’t even begin to start describing and listing the choices you have when you get a bit peckish during your stay. From seafood, to fusion, to traditional South African and African cuisine – Cape Town has it all.

Instead, here are the links to some of our favourite dining-out listing and review sites, so you can make up your own minds:

Relax with Dax – our favourite: relaxed, chilled, but knows what he wants

Rossouw’s Restaurants – frank and demanding reviews from JP Rossouw

Eat Out – listings and reviews

Dining Out – useful search function and listings galore

But, because we know you are going to want to try out some traditional South African and African fare, here are a few suggestions for African cuisine:

Africa Cafe, Heritage Square, Cape Town – a round-the-continent gourmet extravaganza

Moyo, Spier wine estate, Stellenbosch – food, music, extraordinary surrounds, and eating in a tree house!

Mama Africa, Long Street, Cape Town – food, drink and marimba music

Quarter, Long Street, Cape Town – the latest offering from Bruce Robertson: gourmet street food. What more could you want!

Bon appetito! Please let us know where you ended up and what your verdict was.

Image source: Dining Out

With the 2010 World Cup draw done now is the time to plan your trip

The much anticipated 2010 World Cup Draw took place in Cape Town on Friday 4 December 2009. The Highstead Houses team was at the Long Street carnival to celebrate the draw and, if the festivities were a prelude to the tournament, then we are in for one gigantic month-long party in 2010.

Festivities on Long Street

With the draw over football fans can now talk logistics and plan their trip to South Africa. Booking flights and accommodation should be top of your priority list. The following matches will be played in Cape Town at the Cape Town Stadium:

Group Matches

Friday 11^th June 2010: Uruguay VS France kicks off at 8:30pm local time.

Monday 14^th June 2010: Italy VS Paraguay kicks off at 8:30pm local time.

Friday 18^th June 2010: England VS Algeria kicks off at 8:30pm local time.

Monday 21^st June 2010: Portugal VS Korea kicks off at 1:30pm local time.

Tuesday 24^th June 2010: Cameroon VS Netherlands kicks off at 1:30pm local time.

Round of 16

Tuesday 29^th June: Winner of Group H VS Runner up of Group G kicks off at 8:30pm local time.

Quarter Finals

Saturday 3 July 2010: Quarter Final 3 kicks off at 4:00pm local time.

Semi Finals

Tuesday 6^th July 2010: Semi Final 1 kicks off at 8:30pm local time.

A comprehensive match schedule in PDF format can be downloaded from the FIFA site by clicking here .

Cape Town is anticipated to be the most visited destination during the tournament. This means there will be a huge demand for accommodation in and around Cape Town. We suggest you book both your accommodation and your flights early to avoid disappointment. To secure an accommodation booking at Highstead Houses BOOK NOW.

Organic and eco-friendly SA wines

There has been a lot of hype around organic wines recently, and many of you may be wondering what all the fuss is about and whether it is actually any different from other wines.

Charles Lourens, founder of BottlePlatePillow, decided to get to the bottom of it all and set off, camera in hand, to chat to organic wine makers at a couple of the top estates in the Western Cape. Following on from this escapade, he put together a succinct and informative video clip all about eco-friendly wines, which you can watch on WineTube, a new addition to his successful winery search engine, BottlePlatePillow.

The clip will give you an understanding of what organic wine is, how it is produced and how you can get involved and do your bit to offset your carbon emissions and help to preserve our natural surrounds. Here is a sneaky peak at some of the highlights of the clip:

Still wondering whether organic wine is the ‘way to go’? Michelle du Preez from Bon Cap Estate and Jonathan Grieve from Avondale Estate have some insightful answers. In a nutshell, it is produced without any chemicals or pesticides, which enables the wineries to contribute to the sustainability of our environment (and means that it is healthier for us to drink too!).

Grieve also explains how simple and effective this process can be, for example Avondale has one hundred ducks roaming around their vineyards eating the snails as a natural and cost effective alternative to toxic snail bait.

Simon Back from Backsberg addresses another important aspect of ‘eco-friendly’ wines, explaining how Backsberg off sets all their carbon emissions, and explaining how consumers can get involved in the project too.

According to Tielman Roos, Mooiplaas Estate also wants to educate their visitors about their wines and the environment, and invite them to take a walk in the natural veldt before their wine tasting (pre-booking necessary). Commenting on this section of the clip, Charles Lourens says “I thoroughly enjoyed this part of my trip, the fauna and flora and the views from the nature reserve were spectacular.”

Visit www.bottleplatepillow.com to watch the clip. When planning your next visit to the winelands, remember to use the search engine on the site and stop in at a couple of estates producing organic wine.

About BottlePlatePillow

Charles Lourens created BottlePlatePillow to provide an easy-to-use online directory for wine tasting and sales, winery restaurants, accommodation and fun activities on offer on wine estates in South Africa. He has recently incorporated a video streaming section called WineTube where users can watch, upload and share wine clips.

One of the most appealing aspects of this innovative concept is that the entire website is 100% dedicated to wine and information about South African wineries, so users don’t need to wade through heaps of third party advertising to get the information they want.

Emma’s Cape Town favourite favourites

Name: Emma Donovan

Where were you born? Harare, Zimbabwe

Where do you live today? Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, South Africa

What and where did you study? I studied Media & Writing and Politics at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Why are you looking forward to the 2010 World Cup?

It’s going to be a month full of fun and festivities and I can’t wait to be swept up in it all!  It is also such an incredible opportunity for South Africans to show off their vibrant and diverse country, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that.

What is your favourite thing about living in Cape Town?

Having the sea, Table Mountain, my family, friends and endless things to do within a couple of kilometres of my doorstep!

What are your favourite restaurants in Cape Town?

Hmmm, that’s a tough one… I love trying new places but I’m also lured back to my favourite spots fairly often!

My favourite breakfast spot is Olympia Café in Kalk Bay.  It’s simple, rustic and slightly chaotic, with the most delectable food and breath taking views of the harbour.

If you feel like a treat, Paranga in Camps Bay is the perfect spot to soak up some sun and enjoy a decadent lunch with a glass of champagne.

Rhodes Memorial Restaurant in Rondebosch is ideal for tea and scones or a coffee and slice of cake.  The outside tables have stunning panoramic views of Cape Town, and there is a hearty fire inside the restaurant for cold, wet winter days.

Posticino in Sea Point is warm and cosy, and serves delicious authentic Italian pizza and pasta.  It is jam packed every night so be sure to book in advance.

What is your favourite Cape Town bar?

On a clear day, Wafu in Sea Point is a great spot to watch the sunset from.  They have an impressive menu, including delicious cocktails and sushi.

If I’m in the mood for somewhere a bit more intimate then Rick’s Café in Oranje Kloof is usually my first choice.  It has a wide selection of wines, beers and spirits, and also has delicious snack platters on offer.

What is your favourite South African wine?

My current favourite is an Organic Shiraz from Stellar Winery.

What is your favourite shopping venue?

If I have lots to get done I usually go to Cavendish Square in Claremont as there is an impressive range of shops as well as lots of cafes, restaurants and cinemas.  However when I have a bit more time I prefer browsing through boutique shops, such as The House of Tracy Gold.  There is also a fantastic range of boutique shops at the Cape Quarter.

What is your favourite outdoor activity?

I absolutely love walking along the promenade, all the way from Green Point to Camps Bay and then having a picnic on the beach or stopping in at one of my favourite cafes for a bite to eat.

Richard’s Cape Town favourite favourites

Name: Richard Wright

Where were you born? I was born in Zimbabwe at a little clinic on the outskirts of Harare.

Where do you live today? I live in an awesome old Cape Dutch house in Claremont, Cape Town.

What and where did you study? I studied a Bachelor of Social Sciences at the University of Cape Town majoring in psychology and politics. Strange combination I know but loads of fun nevertheless.

Why are you looking forward to the 2010 World Cup?
Because the tournament will give the rest of the world an opportunity to have a firsthand experience of South Africa and will go a long way to shifting perceptions about South Africa. Also the fact that tens of thousands of people will be flocking in to have fun is starting to get us locals excited.

What is your favourite thing about living in Cape Town?

The natural beauty and the oh so laid back lifestyle.

What is your favourite Cape Town restaurant?
Cape Town is littered with fantastic restaurants. There are so many to choose from it sometimes gets overwhelming but I have selected some of my favorites for you to check out.

For breakfast you have to visit Loading Bay in the De Waterkant, Cafeen in Kenilworth and you cannot miss Olympia Café in Kalk Bay.

If you like sushi grab some lunch at Silver on Kloof Street and Beluga in Green Point.

If you prefer something more substantial go to Camps Bay and check out any of the restaurants on the infamous Camps Bay strip.

For dinner the atmosphere is always kicking at the V&A Waterfront and there are dozens of fantastic restaurants to choose from.

If you would like a more intimate and authentic dinner (and you like Italian food) then you have to go to Posticino in Sea Point or Borusso’s in Kenilworth.

[Ed's note: Posticino seems to be a firm favourite of the Highstead Houses team. You would think we were being paid by them .... hmmm, that give me an idea....]

What is your favourite Cape Town bar?

Again you are spoilt for choice as there is a plethora of bars and cocktail lounges all over Cape Town. Some of my favorites include &Union, Café Caprice and for watching sport you have to visit Foresters Arms (locally referred to as Forries).

What is your favorite South African wine?

I’m a huge fan of Stellar Winery and Buitenverwachting Estate

What is your favourite shopping venue?

I try stay out the malls but if you like shopping then the Waterfront, Canal Walk and Cavendish Square are for you.

What is your favourite outdoor activity?

Hiking up Table Mountain is always a winner and you can never go wrong with time spent on one of the amazing beaches in Cape Town.

Vanessa’s Cape Town favourite favourites

Name: Vanessa Clark

Where were you born? Cape Town, South Africa

Where do you live today? Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town

What and where did you study? Journalism at Rhodes University in Grahamstown

Why are you looking forward to the 2010 World Cup? I can’t wait for all the visitors to South Africa to see how beautiful, friendly and unique our country is. Oh, and I believe some football is going to be played as well

What is your favourite thing about living in Cape Town?
Picking one thing is too difficult, I would say the sea, the mountain, the wine, the lifestyle, ….. did I say the wine?

What is your favourite Cape Town restaurant?

For breakfast: Buzz Cafe in Kloof Street or Signal at the Cape Grace Hotel in the Waterfront

For high tea: the Vineyard Hotel in Claremont

For dinner: Posticino’s in Sea Point for pizza, Vintage in Gardens for Indian, Saigon in Kloof Street for Thai, Blowfish in Dolphin Beach for Sushi, and Fat Cactus in Mowbray and Oranje-Kloof for Mexican.

What is your favourite Cape Town bar?

The Waiting Room and Neighbourhood, both in Long Street, for general fabulousness.

Planet Bar at the Mount Nelson for champagne cocktails.

Caveau in Heritage Square or Newlands for a great wine list and south of France vibe.

What is your favorite South African wine?

So hard to choose! I guess a Beyerskloof Pinotage because it’s uniquely South African, any Sauvignon Blanc from 2009 – this vintage is rocking, and for all-round good value for money, the Longmarket Chenin Blanc from Woolworths.

What is your favourite shopping venue?

Any of the city’s markets, especially Green Point market, the Neighbourgoods market in Woodstock, and the Triangle Market for organic goodies in De Waterkant.

What is your favourite outdoor activity?

Hiking especially on Table Moutain or Silvermine in the south Peninsula. And despite the chilly water, Cape Town has some great scuba diving spots as well as the chance to cage dive with great white sharks in Gansbaai!