Atlantic Express Restaurant in Sea Point
Situated in an old restored railway carriage, the Atlantic Express Restaurant [021 439 3038] has stood the test of time and is known as one of the Cape Town restaurants that is well worth a visit for great meals, coffee and cake.
Q: Where is it?
1B Regent Road, Sea Point, Cape Town.
Q: When are they open?
Open | Monday-Thursday 08:00-23:00 | Friday-Sunday 08:00-24:00
Q: What brand coffee do they serve?
Peacock. And like many traditional coffee shops, you can order a refill for almost half the price of your first cup.
Other hot beverages include a variety of coffees, teas, Horlicks and sweeter beverages like Milo and hot chocolates.
Q: Cold beverages?
Yes. Your standard sodas, milkshakes, fruit shakes, iced tea and coffee as well as a freshly squeezed orange juice- perfect with something from their large breakfast menu.
Q: What’s for breakfast?
Health options as well as all your traditional egg breakfasts. The Atlantic Express Restaurant is one of the halal restaurants in Cape Town that offer delicious breakfasts, so instead of bacon you can definitely expect mouth-watering Macon.
Q: Which other meals can I expect to find on the menu?
A couple of great starters like soups, samoosas and garlic rolls as well as a wide traditional range of meals categorized as:
Sandwiches, Burgers, Light Meals, Beef, Lamb, Poultry, Seafood and Pasta.
Some meals that stand out are the Smoorsnoek Pancake with a baked potato and cheese sauce | Crayfish Curry prepared with coconut and served with savoury rice or paratha | Karoo Roast Lamb bathed in garlic lemon with vegetables and rice |
But it is widely said that The Atlantic Express Restaurant’s Fillet Steak is juicy, tender and absolutely delicious.
Q: Are there vegetarian options?
Yes. Apart from the crumbed mushrooms and soups as starters, there is a Greek salad, toasted sandwiches, baked potato and vegetarian pasta.
Q: What’s available for those that have a sweet tooth?
The Atlantic Express Restaurant is known for their banana pancakes. These come with caramel, cinnamon sugar and maple syrup with cream or ice cream.
The signature pancake has ice cream, chocolate sauce,
cream and flaked almonds.
Expect to also find muffins, scones, cakes, waffles and the very traditional malva pudding on the dessert menu.
Q: How many people can be seated in this Cape Town Restaurant?
Between 50 and 60 people.
Q: Where does the railway coach come from?
The coach was one of 10 coaches that were placed in service on the 4th of December 1920 and operated mainly on Cape Town’s main line.
Was it a luxury carriage?
Yes. The Atlantic Express Restaurant was originally coded as L14, with ‘L’ indicating ‘Luxury First Class’ and ‘14’ the amount of times that this style of coach had been upgraded.
Any other interesting facts?
- The coach was manufactured by the Birmingham Carriage and Wagon Company in England.
- The coach was then assembled at the Salt River Works of the South African Railways.
- Halal-certified Cape Town restaurant.
Content and Images | Ed Beukes
Read more of Ed Beukes in his personal blog | Editor in Love