Lazari Review: A Friendly Neighbourhood Café with a Menu that Wows
Cute brunch spots are a dime a dozen in Cape Town, but if Lazari was in your neighborhood, you would probably be there every day. It’s the type of place you’d imagine a quirky group of friends in a 90s sitcom hanging out at. With cosy seating, pretty tables, and large window walls overlooking the bustling streets of Vredehoek, Lazari offers the perfect setup for coffee dates with a side of people-watching.
The sidewalk café invites you in with its charming facade but it’s the “Cape Mediterranean” menu, influenced by flavours from the Middle East to the Mediterranean, that will have you coming back for more, more more.
So, while the friendly neighbourhood café may look like the type of place a sitcom’s whimsical main characters would frequent, Lazari stops short of veering into the trap of being too trendy and try-hard by virtue of its own genuinely darling character.
Cape Town is often accused of being saturated with soulless, over-designed cafés catering to the Insta-snap-chasing masses, but Lazari escapes the fate of this label by sticking with a tried and true recipe of great food, beautiful decor, and a generous dollop of genuine warmth.
In a food scene that at times seems to have gone mad with unicorn pancake stacks and doughssants, Lazari is the remedy. I visited the newly renovated café to try the all-day breakfast menu and left already making plans to go back for more.
What’s on the menu at Lazari?
The all-day breakfast menu is brief but hits all the right notes with standouts like Eggs Benny Lazari Way (R92), Bircher Apple Muesli (R98), and Turkish Eggs (R120). There are plenty of options for plant-based guests t00, including the Vegan Shakshuka (R105) and Creamy Cooked Oats (R82).
After much deliberation, I settled on the Shakshuka (R115) while my brunch partner ordered the Free Range Chicken Livers (R110). The Shakshuka was the perfect dish for a chilly Cape Town morning and won me over with its beautiful medley of flavours. And, if you simply must snap a picture for the Gram, you’ll be thrilled to hear it had all the aesthetic appeal that you’d expect at any trendy Cape Town café or coffee shop.
The dish included two cooked eggs in a fragrant tomato and bell pepper sauce with cumin, garlic, paprika and onions served with a slice of freshly baked sourdough bread. It’s a giddily heartwarming way to start the day and mopping up the leftover sauce with that delicious Lazari sourdough bread made for the perfect bite at the end of my meal. If you’re not yet sold on the hype of Shakshuka, then I implore you to try Lazari’s “Cape Mediterranean” rendition before choosing a hill to die on.
After a few stolen bites of the Free Range Chicken Livers, I can confidently recommend the dish as a must-try for lovers of this often polarising delicacy. Love them or hate them, Lazari does a damn good take on chicken livers. Served in a homemade fragrant garlic, paprika, tomato, red pepper, and lemon sauce with a dash of cream, the dish is complemented with a toasted pita or bread of your choice. You can also add a poached egg if you’re looking to up that breakfast feeling.
Lazari Coffee is life
Before we get to dessert, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the coffee. Oh my goodness, the coffee! It’s great enough to please even the fussy, coffee-obsessed Gilmore Girls (yes, both Lorelais!) and Modern Family‘s resident coffee connoisseur, Manny Delgado (tired of the sitcom references yet?). The Cortado I had with my breakfast was absolute perfection, and if I could mainline Lazari’s coffee into my veins through an IV, I would.
So, if you’re not motivated by food, then at least visit for the excellent coffee… and the infectiously good vibes. If nothing else, Lazari is a stellar coffee spot. They’ve even gone so far as to set up a cosy little corner on one end of the space with a shared long table (for those who want to work or meet new people) alongside an intimate lounge area with a couch, armchair and coffee table all boasting the best street views in the house.
The space is bright and relaxed, created with comfort and carefree chats in mind. Whether you’re enjoying a meal at the tables with banquet-style seats or taking it easy in the lounge area, Lazari is the type of place where it is easy to make yourself at home. It’s especially welcoming to digital nomads with plenty of charging ports and multiple plug points for your convenience.
A sweet send-off
I don’t usually have dessert with my brunch but I wasn’t going to say ‘no’ to the sweet treats that arrived at our table after our brunch plates had been cleared. For those with a sweet tooth, Lazari offers an array of different cakes and baked goodies, prepared daily.
The beautiful pastries and desserts are all displayed on the vintage-style shop counter enticing you to linger longer and order another coffee to enjoy with your sweet indulgence.
Lazari’s famous pink cupcake was outstanding, offering the perfect balance between moist vanilla cake and sweet pink icing. The also terrific Apricot slice was sweetly buttery with a gooey interior and flaky, crunchy surface. It’s absolute perfection if you’re partial to apricot-flavoured desserts. While snooping around the coffee counter, I also spied a few other tasty treats that have been earmarked for my next visit. Think Peanut Butter Cookie Cups, Pecan Pie Bars, and croissants.
To top it all off, the pet-friendly joint, even offers home-baked dog biscuits for your furry friend (which also happen to be fit for human consumption and enjoyment — don’t tell your dog I told you that). Even better news? All of these exceptional confectioneries also travel well to bring a little bit of Lazari magic wherever you’re going.
Aside from the obvious (and delicious) reasons to visit Lazari, it’s the welcoming atmosphere that sets it apart from the rest. The service is sensational and you’ll struggle to find friendlier waiters and staff at any other joint in Cape Town. Whether you’re looking for a place to work solo, are long overdue for a catch-up with a friend or your special someone, Lazari comes highly recommend as the place to do it all.
Lazari is open until 16:30 on weekdays and 14:00 on Saturdays. All-day breakfast is served from 8:00 and lunch from 11:00. For full details on opening and closing times and to check out the full menu, visit the Lazari website here. You can also follow LizariCafe on Instagram for updates and news.
