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You are here: Home / Restaurants / South Africa restaurants / The Verandah (The Beach Hotel), Port Elizabeth

The Verandah (The Beach Hotel), Port Elizabeth

by Jeanne Horak on November 7, 2010 7 Comments in South Africa restaurants

TheVerandah © J Horak-Druiff 2010

Before I moved to London, I had only ever lived in one place – my hometown of Port Elizabeth.  It’s a funny thing, living in one place for many years.  Not only do you get to bore anybody younger than you by reciting all the previous incarnations of a particular venue (“Well when I was your age, this was the hottest nightclub in town; then it was… now let me see… a designer boutique; and then a doctor’s surgery” etc etc) – but you also build up layers of memories of a place as you relate to it in different ways throughout the years.

The Beach Hotel is one of a small chain of family-owned hotels in PE and it has been around ever since I can remember.  None of the hotels is the generic modern Best Western type – they are all smaller and quirkier, but all have been beautifully renovated and maintained and offer a luxurious stay to tourists and business travellers alike.  In my earliest memories of the Beach Hotel, we used to go there for Sunday lunch whem I was little, and when going out for Sunday lunch was the highlight of my week, other than the game of Putt-Putt (mini golf) that preceded the meal!  Later on, the Beach Hotel brings back memories of going to listen to live music in the bar with my first boyfriend – although usually when we were in one of our periods of not officially going out, which is when we were nicest to each other. (Dude, if you are reading this, you know that’s true ;-)).  And later, after I met my husband, I have memories of our going to the wine shop on the hotel premises to enjoy their free Saturday morning wine tastings.

Most recently, however, the hotel is associated in my mind with my father.  Never having been one for wanton dining out, my father usually chooses one place on which to lavish all his custom, to the exclusion of everywhere else.  For a number of years, this honour has been bestowed on The Verandah restaurant at the Beach Hotel.  Birthday?  Meet you at the Verandah.  Anniversary?  Let’s go to the Verandah.  Daughter arriving for a visit from London (ahem!)?  “Just come straight from the airport and meet me at the Verandah.”

It’s not hard to see why he likes it.  For a start, there is the possibility of near-step-free access (important when you are 88!).  Then there is the fact that it has a view both of the sea and Shark Rock Pier; and the fact that the decor is relaxed and comfortable without being chintzy or overdesigned.  There is the lovely shady Verandah from which the restaurant takes its name, offering the possibility of indoor or outdoor dining.  And last but not least, there is the menu that contains both salads and wraps and mezze to please me; and unthreatening options like a ploughman’s platter, curry or stuffed chicken breast to please my dad.  Oh yes – and they do a great line in cocktails too!

I have been there many times over the past few years and below is a selection of the dishes that I and my dining companions have had.  First up are two of the things that I always order first when my wheels touch down in South Africa:  our very own bastardised version of a Greek salad (heavy on the iceberg lettuce!); and a toasted bacon, avocado and feta sandwich.

VerandahCOllage3
One of the best meals I have ever had at the Verandah was their delicious mezze platter, pictured below.  It included generous portions of pita bread, olives, taramasalata, hummus, aubergine dip, and slices of spicy sausage.  Sadly, I don’t know if it is on the menu any more – I did not see it last time I visited.

VerandahCOllageMeze
And last but not least, we have my dad’s perennial faavourite:  the stuffed chicken breast with creamy mushroom sauce.  The other dish pictured below is something my dad would not touch, but which instantly hooked me: a roasted butternut and feta salad – the butternut cubes are caramelised with cinnamon, which makes for a great contrast with the salty feta.

VerandahCOllage1
Everything I have ever had at the Verandah has been delicious – freshly made using good ingredients, and nicely plated as well.  The service is unfailingly friendly although it can be a little absent-minded when they are busy.  The prices are not dirt cheap but you don’t mind paying a little extra for the lovely, relaxed setting and sea view.  A meal for 2 with a glass of wine or a beer each comes to about R250 (just under £25).  It’s a lovely lunch venue, whether you are meeting friends, having a business lunch – or simply reliving some old memories 😉

The Verandah
The Beach Hotel
Marine Drive
Port Elizabeth
South Africa

Tel. 00 27 41 583 2161
Email: [email protected]

 

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  1. Firefly says

    November 8, 2010 at 6:22 am

    Mmmmm, I have also only lived in one place, PE, all my life. The Verandah is a great spot with good food and a bit of an informal feel sitting outside on a nice summers day.

    Reply
  2. Jamie says

    November 8, 2010 at 8:12 am

    Well, it sounds like Port Elizabeth and Satellite Beach have nothing in common. My hometown was and is so much less cosmopolitan but my dad always took us to Peg Leg’s restaurant so I love reading this about your dad. And all the memories. And the Saturday MORNING wine tastings. And when we go to Port Elizabeth together take me here. The food looks fabulous! And that mezze platter the best!

    Reply
  3. Tandy says

    November 8, 2010 at 8:17 am

    I am heading to your home town in a couple of weeks 🙂 we have a friend who grew up in Gordons Bay – he is 80, and there are lots of stories about how things were …

    Reply
  4. margot says

    November 8, 2010 at 4:25 pm

    Me ha gustado mucho tu blog y tus fotos.
    Saludos.

    Reply
  5. Crystal says

    November 8, 2010 at 7:56 pm

    I’ve been there many a time myself. We’ve probably even enjoyed cocktails and music without knowing the other was there! In fact, we visited it in Jan of this year. Fantastic as always. Do you remember when there was a disco under the hotel on the corner right near by, before they changed it McD…?

    Reply
  6. nina says

    November 9, 2010 at 3:58 am

    Oooo, I love that place…..I always sat with jaw dropped lsitening to the live piano music they had to entertain Sunday luch guests!!

    Reply
  7. philomena says

    July 15, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    I worked at the beach hotel for 9 years.Best 9 years of my life. Dennis Peel was the G M.the best.

    Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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