This recently opened restaurant, Europa’s successor, serves perfectly wholesome meals, made quickly yet thoughtfully, to keep apace with the modern Joburg patron who wants her food healthy and fast. Eat Out critic Thando Ndabezitha visits Kitchen Kafe for a first taste.

Fast facts

Cost: Average main meal is R70
Serves: Light and healthy café fare
Best for: Relaxed meals and meetings
Parking: There’s ample, secure parking space
Star rating: Food 4, ambience 4, service 4

Healthy breakfast prepared and served at Kitchen Kafe. Photo supplied.

Set in the bustling and trendy Broadacres Lifestyle Centre in Fourways, Kitchen Kafe is an ideal chill-and-catch-up spot for moms doing school drop-offs, professionals needing a different coffice space (there’s free WiFi), and gym junkies emerging from the Virgin Active in the centre.

Food

While this eatery has positioned itself as a health nut’s heaven with banting, gluten-free and carb-free pizza bases and wraps as the order of the day, no finer chicken pesto pasta has ever been made this side of town than Kitchen Kafe‘s own rendition. It’s a light yet nuanced offering comprising olives, chicken strips, white wine and cherry tomatoes. What makes the centre hold in this dish – which is recommended with penne, although linguine and fettuccine are also options – is the pesto-infused olive oil.

For a shared meal, pizzas are a tempting proposition. Here the selection is exactly what you’d expect in any self-respecting café: standards like quattro stagioni, Regina, Hawaiian and vegetarian, plus several more that push the envelope. One such dare-to-be-different pizza is the one topped with Parma, cranberry and brie, among others with equally alluring toppings.

Kitchen Kafe‘s menu is for those who want their food made fresh, fast and healthy. Whether it be sandwiches, wraps, salads or light pastas, there’s very little guilty eating here – save for the selection of Pete’s Super Natural Ice Cream, whose hand-made, free-range and hormone-, egg- and preservative-free treats are just what the doctor ordered. Choose from intriguing flavours such as popcorn cream with torched marshmallows and honeycomb, rose pomegranate Turkish delight, Vietnamese coffee, double milk chocolate and vanilla bean. There’s also a fresh daily selection of cakes available.

The lunch menu prepared and served at Kitchen Kafe. Photo supplied.

Drinks

The hip status of smoothies doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon – a pleasing proposition for the health-conscious patron who’d rather drink than eat their calories in a healthy, nutritious veg and/or fruit slush combo. If you’re coming here in the evening, a glass or bottle of SA wine is not such a bad idea, unless you’d prefer a beer from The RedRock Brewing Company selection

Red Rock craft beer selection served at Kitchen Kafe. Photo supplied.

Ambience

Kitchen Kafe is a large, airy and comfortable space, which is quite appealing for those who like to mix pleasure with business by propping a laptop on a café table while munching on a tasty breakfast or lunch.

Inside at Kitchen Kafe. Photo supplied.

Service

In Joburg, restaurants that have ample secure parking space always win extra points and here, given the location, Kitchen Kafe gets all the bonus points. The service is quick and efficient and, depending on which day you come here, you’ll be spoilt for choice in terms of table preference as the restaurant is large, and able to seat guests both inside and outside.

And…

They have a menu of Pressed Juice Co. beverages for the truly virtuous.

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Eat Out critics dine anonymously and pay for their meals in full. Read our editorial policy here.