I had been to Salamander Cafe before and loved their Avocado Omelette, so I convinced my girls to have breakfast there. It is an upscale bistro with a lot of emphasis on the arts.
The indoor area was tastefully furnished with this unique chandelier made of green beer bottles tied together in a circle, hanging from the ceiling. It gets high points for ambience and decorations, just up my alley with books (which unfortunately you can’t peruse) and African artwork littered around the outfit.
The outdoor sitting area was really cosy. We enjoyed a nice dose of cool fresh air amidst well maintained sets, green palm trees, potted plants and sculptures. The downside was a beggar calling to us for alms through the fence.
Unfortunately, ambiance and good company were the only things that made the experience at Salamander bearable.
The service time took too long. Drinks arrived; one long after the other and the food took even longer after the drinks. We had to wait for about an hour instead of the 20 minutes promised.
You know how you get tired of waiting for food to the point where you are no longer hungry? Yeah. We didn’t want to make a fuss, till we noticed a white couple who came after us were being served before us.
Soon after we complained, the food came out. I don’t know why our meal took so long and no one gave any explanation for the delay.
The salad with guacamole and a tortilla with corn and eggs looked way better than it actually tasted. The salad was fresh but I found the tortilla to be unsavory and the guacamole too little (perhaps my frustration clouded my judgement). I should have asked for some more but I was done with complaining.
The steak was really small, buried under a hip of onions and mushrooms. The menu included fruits and no one asked which we’d prefer, so we had them switch the watermelon they offered with some pineapple instead.
I ordered the Soho Omelettes with Swiss cheese, spinach and bacon, which would have been good, but ended up being too salty, especially the bacon.
In the end, we finished off by having a bit of everything from each other’s plates because neither of us were impressed with any single serving.
I must say though, that we found the Mango&Coconut mocktail very refreshing, and the French Toast was soft, fresh and quite delicious.
Summarily, let’s give the mocktail a 9/10, the omelette a 5, and the salad and tortilla a 6/10. Overall, it was not a pleasant experience and so I did not leave a tip. In fact, I paid the exact amount to the nearest unit. Tips are earned on good service and this service left a lot to be desired, that said, I don’t think I’ll be stopping by anytime soon.
The Red Confidential 