The Collective Hout Bay & Cafe Collective — Restaurant in Western Cape

The Collective Hout Bay

The Collective is my favourite restaurant in Hout Bay. From the setting to the food, it is absolutely phenomenal. As much as I wish this was my local spot when living in Hout Bay, the prices are a bit on the steeper side for it to be an everyday experience but saying that, it is worth it for the quality of well, everything.

Let me start with the atmosphere. The seating options are primarily outside in the courtyard. They do have some seating inside but it is very limited and if I’m honest, it doesn’t have the same vibrancy as outside does. There are tables scattered throughout the courtyard and paired with the most comfortable chairs. It’s a bit mix matched which I like. It feels more authentic and homely. Luckily, there are umbrellas to keep you cool and shaded on the rather sunny days. This is one of my favourite places to come to on a lovely day, it is almost always sheltered from the wind and it is just such a lovely place to have a relaxed breakfast or lunch. To put the cherry on top, there is a lovely curated playlist that enhances the experience, and at just the right volume too.

Apologies again, I do not have prices for you. I did not take a picture of the menu and it isn’t online either. Regarding the harvest table, your plate is weighed so the price can vary. I must say, it is definitely on the pricier side. My plate normally ranges from R170 - R200, so it’s definitely an occasional lunch for me.

Okay, coffee time. My usual order, a flat white with almond milk. I really wish I could say I love it, but I don’t. It’s not great. If I were you, I would skip the coffee, order their homemade ice tea. If you’re still craving a coffee, walk over to Hout Bay Coffee for the best coffee you’ll ever have in Cape Town, and be sure to grab a treat while you’re there too. I highly recommend the chocolate loam.

Sorry, went on a bit of a tangent. Back to the Collective. When I’m not there for their harvest table lunch, my usual order is the smashed avocado and poached eggs on a mini bagel. This is absolutely delicious and hits the spot every time. The perfect toasted bagel topped with a generous amount in smashed avocado and the silky soft poached eggs. Yum! What really makes this dish for me is the addition of the thinly sliced red onion and coriander. It makes it a bit of a guacamole situation which I am 100% for. Last but not least is the too generous sprinkling, more like chunks of salty feta. Overall, this dish is phenomenal. It’s light yet filling and it’s all just perfectly balanced. The saltiness, the fresh, the sharpness from the onion. Just yum.

Now for the harvest table. I can highly recommend it. It runs from 12pm to 3pm everyday and the menu changes, to my recollection every 2 weeks. Look, it is pricey but the food is outstanding. It is real home cooked food. Chef Tam is the mastermind behind the harvest table. The best way I can describe her food is that she is not a chef, but she is a cook. What I mean by that is that she is absolutely amazing, she is gifted, and authentic. Her passion for food and cooking really shows. The flavour, the depth, the skill. She is incredible and those that get to try her food are truly blessed. Please do yourself a favour and try her harvest table creations. It is well worth it.

So, if you’re in the Bay and want a meal that is so delicious, it’ll bring you to tears. Head over to The Collective for a remarkable lunch. Trust me. No, I am not sponsored. I wish I was so that I could eat these...

Absolutely delicious! The food was incredible. We chose from the harvest table (buffet charged by weight). There were about 10 dishes to choose from, with all except 2 being vegetarian. Each dish was beautifully presented, with lots of colours and textures from the wide array of ingredients. I can't remember all the dishes, but here's my best effort: more-ish cauliflower fritters with chutney, roasted baby leeks and all sorts of other things on a perfect hummus (I think there were roasted nuts involved), avo and beans salad with a yummy tangy dressing, stuffed phyllo parcels, Thai green curry and rice with crispy bits, grilled broccolini, something with butternut... like I said, I can't remember! The two staff members I met were very friendly and helpful.

Be aware that the seating is mostly outdoors. They have two indoor tables in a separate building, but generally you're supposed to sit outdoors. It was a very cold day, but they had warm blankets to offer. I would probably prefer to go there in better weather, or get takeaways as they seem pretty organised with takeaway containers etc. The setting is very nice, as they're part of a cluster of shops all sharing the charming...

I am not one to easily give a negative review and always try to understand that restaurants get busy and one needs to understand that people normally do try their best but today I was so upset with the male manager of The Collective in Hout Bay. We are locals and always try and support the local restaurants but we waited 30 minutes for coffee today and when politely asked about it the manager was not friendly or helpful at all. When my mom accidentally spilled some of her coffee all over herself, no one lifted a finger to help us clean it or offer any assistance. We felt embarrassed and totally isolated and when we sat down at a clean table to finish our drinks, he asked us to move again and did not show us to a new table. I was so upset with his unfriendly and rude attitude that I will never support the restaurant again. This is very unfortunate because the Collective Chef is one of our favorite chefs and the waiters are usually polite and friendly. I seriously doubt that we were the only unhappy people with this...