Sapore Restaurant, Nottingham Road

Living in a small town has the downfall of only having a pub to sit in for a drink or meal - nothing too fancy to brag about the next day whether its to do with the beer you washed your burger down with or not!

Nottingham Road has the privilege of having a very unique restaurant in town - Sapore. The name stands for 'flavour' in italian so you can imagine what to expect on the menu. For us local people Sapore is more upmarket, if you wish to sip a cocktail at the bar or chow forkfulls of creamy pasta then this is the place to be.

The establishment has a very neutral and comfortable look about it. Amazing attention to detail is in place whether its just on your dinner plate or with the tea light candle floating in a cup in the middle of your table. The music played in the background is just enough to allow quiet conversation amongst the table.

The Food Menu definately has something for everyone. I found the meal I had was good, the presentation was immaculate - the portion size was above average.

The Beverage Menu had an expansive alcoholic selection with wines, liquers and shooters - great for the bar. However, for those dining had a disappointing selection of non-alcoholic beverages. 

The waitrons serving the tables are very friendly although the service is slow. It was great to see the manager doing rounds on the tables on a few occassions throughout the evening - the interest he had in the way things were going was there which was also proof of the standard that Sapore has with good food.

Definately a 'must' for anyone interested in fine dining in a small town :)

St Ives Restaurant, Accommodation & Fly Fishing Estate

This estate is situated in Lions River which is in the beautiful Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands on the R103. Perfect for wedding receptions and photographs, it boasts lush scenery with a beautiful dam that is home to big white swans. St Ives prides itself on giving guests top notch service in all aspects - wedding receptions are set up either inside the banquet hall or outside on the raised wooden deck that overlooks the glistening dam. Dinner comprises of a tailor made menu prepared by a team of Chefs that source local ingredients to create gourmet cuisine!

In my opinion, I think the food served at St Ives steams with perfection. Each time I have been there - whether for lunch or dinner - I have walked out of there wholly satisfied! I once heard that St Ives made the best spare ribs in the midlands, and so I had to experience this for myself. I indulged in 400g of beautifully basted ribs accompanied by a generous helping of crispy hot chips. I had to take home a doggy-bag but I was so impressed by the fact that I got exactly what I was EXPECTING and didn't blink twice about the bill as it was priced right too!

Another awesome thing to do at St Ives is to sit at one of the thatched gazebos alongside the dam and have a braai or a picnic. You can purchase a braai pack or elaborate picnic supplied by the restuarant. The picnics or braai packs include linen, crockery, ice bucket, cool box, glassware, charcoal and of course the finest food, wine or other beverages. Convenience or what?

St Ives also boasts some tasteful accommodation - they have 16 luxury semi self-catering suites!

Now that you've seen exactly what you can expect to find at this lovely estate - get in your car and visit them! :)

AN INSIGHT INTO WHAT THE MIDLANDS HAS TO OFFER YOU!

Many people come and visit the small places such as Nottingham Road, Rosetta, Kamberg and others to get a taste of what the meander has to offer them. Whether its for fine dining, adventure, or beautiful scenery. Over time I hope this blog will give you every bit of information as to what to expect at most places that are situated on the Midlands Meander - this way you won't be sorely disappointed on arrival!

 From personal experience I have been disappointed by a few places I've visited. This happened because I had heard of a place that people were frequently visiting so when I visited this establishment with the expectation of it being amazing - I was disappointed. Why? 

• The lack of atmosphere - no music in the background to set any mood.
• The uninterested staff employed to 'sell' the products on offer - it felt awkward to just 'buy-with-my-eyes' as the staff member stood around watching me while biting their nails.
• The impression of the place - dusty, cramped - didn't have a good smell either.

The above points are just a few things that turned me off relying on word-of-mouth and other resources publishing little descriptions that are meant to bring in customers with great expectations of the product advertised.

The first review I will be publishing is on St Ives Restuarant, Accommodation & Fly Fishing Estate. I hope you will experience all the great things here that I did! To Be Continued in the next post...