Artcaffé Unveils a Fresh Menu, Elevating Dining with Fresh Ingredients and Progressive Palates

On 7th June 2024, Artcaffé the Oval Branch restaurant unveiled a new menu getting a fresh spin. Drawing inspiration from global cuisines, local favourites and the health-conscious demands of modern-day food enthusiasts, Artcaffé have curated a collection of dishes that promise an adventure on every plate, harmonizing fresh, locally sourced ingredients with the dynamic preferences of contemporary taste buds.

In an era where the urban-restaurant-goer’s tastes and preferences are ever evolving, looking for healthier and more shareable meals that can be enjoyed in more social settings, the new menu has carefully designed dishes that can carry you through the day from breakfast to dinner.

“The inspiration for the new Artcaffé menu stems from our collective culinary expertise and our promise to our diners to offer an exciting dining experience. The new menu encompasses an expansive variety of new dishes and aims to cater to a wide range of tastes and preferences. Some of the highlights include new breakfast options, healthy, well-balanced bowls, and signature salads. It is the perfect casual dining experience that places a lot of weight on the usage of fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Preparation and cooking methods are selected to bring out the best of the ingredients in any given dish.” Parool Shukla, the Head Chef

At a tasting held for media personalities and friends of the brand, Chef Andati explained, “our guests will discover not only new flavours and textures, but a new philosophy of eating that’s all about freshness, creativity and wholesome eating. We took a close look at what our customers tastes were evolving to, married this with global trends and added our signature Artcaffé touch to create fresh plates with a wonderful local flavour.”

Standout menu items included

Pineapple Upside-Down Pancakes are breakfast must-try: fluffy pancakes topped with caramelized pineapple and served alongside a seasonal fruit salad.

A range of delicious bowls: wholesome, nourishing and filling. Lighter on starchy carbs that many of our customers are steering off of. Favourites includes the Greek Bowl & Terriyaki Bowl.

The starter was Sunny side up pineapple pancakes served with tropical seasonal fruits that included water melon, passion, fruit and pineapple

Super green/Quinoa bowl which is a vegetarian option. In the bowl you will have guacamole, humus, halloumi cheese, beetroot with honey, raw kale, roasted sweet potatoes, focaccia flat bread and tahini dressing

Fruity, well priced and easy drinking wines: like Peche Blanc, Rose Pamplemousse (grapefruit flavoured wine).

The new menu has also carefully balanced the classic favourites with fresh new dishes, ensuring there’s something to satisfy the nostalgia in long-time customers and intrigue the adventurous spirit of the new.

Savoury sun flower french toast served with a side of fried egg, wilted spinach and bacon

Greek bowl Tzatziki, contains roasted cauliflower, chicken thighs with lemon juice, lemon and coriander rice, tahini, flat bread and cucumber tomato salad with pickled onion

Meatballs sandwich in focaccia bread with pesto

Fried chicken caesar croissant with Parmesan caesar dressing and a side of lettuce

Pan fried red snapper smeared with butter sauce lemon juice, sugar flour capers and fresh basil with creamy mashed potatoes and mixed steamed vegetables

Halloumi teriyaki Japanese stir fry rice with fried vegetables in teriyaki sauce

For dessert 2 different cake flavours

Lemon mixed berry and white chocolate cake

Orange and dark chocolate cake

My Experience with Artcaffé's New Menu

I had the pleasure of sampling Artcaffé's new menu, and it was a delightful experience.

Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes

My two favorite dishes include the Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes. The pancakes were exceptionally fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The pineapple had a perfect balance of a crispy top and a soft center, complementing the pancakes beautifully. The best part was that they weren't overly sweet but perfectly balanced.

Snapper Fish with Mashed Potatoes

The Snapper Fish with Mashed Potatoes was heavenly. The fish had a robust lemon flavor that was distinctly noticeable, and the buttery mashed potatoes were incredibly creamy and well-balanced. This is a dish I could easily have seconds or even thirds of.

Lemon Mixed Berry White Chocolate Cake

The Lemon Mixed Berry White Chocolate Cake was delightful. Each element was distinct yet harmonized beautifully, making the flavors perfect.

Other Dishes

Not to diminish the other dishes, which were also a unique culinary experience. The Greek and Super Green Bowls had elements that surprisingly worked well together when eaten as a whole.

Meatball Sandwich and Fried Chicken Caesar Salad

The Meatball Sandwich and Fried Chicken Caesar Salad featured the fluffiest bread, pairing perfectly with their respective ingredients.

Halloumi Teriyaki Fried Rice

The Halloumi Teriyaki Fried Rice was exceptionally fragrant, with an aroma that was tantalizing as soon as it was placed on the table. Its vibrant colors were visually appealing, and the spice level was just right.

Desserts and Wine

Both cakes were enjoyable, though the strawberry cake stood out to me, while the dark chocolate one reminded me somewhat of a fudge cake. The wine was smooth and paired well with the food.

Artcaffé's new menu promises an enhanced dining experience, driven by fresh ingredients and progressive flavors, making it a must-visit for any food enthusiast. The new menu gives you the chance to have a different dish with each new visit or visit with friends and get the different types of dishes to try all of them at once. The new menu caters to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners, offering a diverse selection that encourages multiple visits to try everything. If I were to rate the food, I would give it a 9/10. I will definitely be visiting again