Cute, light, healthy breakfast and lunch spot in Stellenbosch

Nook looks like a colorful playhouse. It’s cute and homey, it has different sizes of table – in case you come by yourself or with the whole family. It treats you with healthy and yummy breakfasts and lunches and sweet temptations like red velvet cupcakes, croissants and more.

You might assume Nook Eatery to be a student place with the university being so close by, but both, young and old like it. “We see many faces here every day” says co-owner and chef Jessica Shepherd. She started the eatery in July 2009 with now fiance Luke Grant (both in their late twenties) and things have been going well. Jessica and Luke want to give you the feeling to be in someones house. “We wish our house would look like this.” A 4 year old boy once said “I like this house, it’s a very nice house.” Fresh flowers, quote posters (‘It’s nice to be nice’) hang on the wall, here is a happy atmosphere.

The name ‘Nook’ was a friend’s idea two weeks before the opening. And Nook is full of nooks, have a look at the dining room in the back!

The menu is light, quick and affordable

Breakfast is served from 8.30am to 11.30am and you have to make a choice – the menu offers you a yummy selection of smoothies, fruit with yogurt, homemade granola, toasted sandwich, croque monsieur (wood fired gruyere and gypsy ham sandwich), scrambled eggs with toast and more. If you’re just up for a sweet snack, have a look at their homemade pastries and cakes ranging from croissants, cheesecake, pain au chocolat to almond tart.

Lunch is served from 11.30am to 3pm offering a daily lunch buffet consisting of fresh salads and homemade specialties, sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, a soup of the day, croque monsieur, bruschetta, the Nook burger and much more. A quick look on the menu will show you, here they make use of local, seasonal and preservative free ingredients. And you will get your lunch quickly – a nice lunch-hangout if you work close by. Also, you find daily specials on the blackboard. The wooden oven in the back bakes yummy pizzas for the Friday pizza nights at Nook Eatery. They Nook team really thinks about what they serve. They even stock Everson’s Pale Dry Cider and the vegetarian white and red wines MANvintners.

The idea to have a little restaurant came to Luke when he was in Australia seeing all the little cafes. “He said: We can do it”. And they did it.

by Antonia Heil

Nook Eatery
42 Ryneveld Street | Stellenbosch | +27 (0)21 887 7703 | www.nookeatery.co.za

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8am – 4pm, Saturday: 8am – 1pm,
Friday Pizza Nights: 6pm – 10pm

PS: Nook Eatery is also available for functions.

written for www.capetownmagazine.com