Cafe Frank vs Jasons on Bree- Under the Cover with Ed Beukes
Towards the quieter end of Bree Street at the junction with Bloem Street, two popular café/bistros lie exactly opposite one another; namely Jasons and Café Frank and I went to investigate!
While the one looks out directly at its competition… I decided to give each cafe a visit to see what each offers and how they differ.
…at merely a stone’s throw away from each other…
Café Frank is a delightful little eatery. Known to offer fresh, healthy, honest and wholesome food, the café also has a little grocer/deli selling hand selected wines and unique culinary products.
Jasons, on the other hand, is primarily known as a bakery where the wondrous aroma of freshly baked bread and warm pastries draw in the customers long before noon tea.
Jasons also has a great selection of wines and beers for its late afternoon visitors, and like Café Frank, of course serves an extremely good cup of coffee.
Jasons is the first of the two businesses to open their doors to customers in the morning at 07:00. Half an hour later at 07:30, Café Frank gets its engines going and umbrellas go up on the sidewalk over the outside tables.
Whilst Jasons already closes its doors at 15:30, Café Frank remains open until 18:00 from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays it is open only until 17:00. Both cafes open at 08:00 on Saturdays and are closed on Sundays.
Café Frank’s décor is airy and light, making use of mirrors, lightly coloured wood and a lot of white.
Big windows also allow a lot of natural sunlight to filter into Café Frank creating a dreamy yet crisp atmosphere…
Jasons décor on the other hand is very masculine with wood, steel, and tones of grey and black. Jasons make use of warm lighting on the interior and has less seating than Café Frank inside but sheltered seating on the outside, which Café Frank does not have.
Both Jasons and Café Frank have the easily accessible counter tops from which you can order a take away coffee or snack and staying true and loyal to Bree Street, both Jasons and Café Frank sell &Union Beers.
Jason and Café Frank also have an open plan kitchen so have a peak if you’re curious to see where the tempting smells of bacon croissants, dark chocolate muffins or roast veggies and thyme come from.
Even though there might be a couple of similarities, the two cafes facing one another still hold onto their own unique personalities.
Café Frank’s menu is packed with the finest foods and quality combinations. From pastries, muffins, filled croissants and omelettes in the morning to roast chicken, quiche, creative salads and sandwiches for lunch. Don’t forget dark chocolate and almond brownies or carrot cake for dessert!
At Jasons, expect the freshest bread with a blackboard menu filled with delicious gourmet sandwiches; from smoked salmon to slow-roasted lamb baguettes. Try the pie of the day with a beer and just like Café Frank, don’t leave without eating something sweet.
Take a moment, a morning coffee break, a lunch snack or an afternoon pause and visit the corner of Bree and Bloem Streets yourself to discover your own personal favourite.
After having a taste of the Bree Street buzz, you are bound to find that either Jasons or Café Frank are perfect for when you just need to get out of the office for a while and hang-out with your fellow Capetonians.