This seafood restaurant on The West Coast is absolutely delightful when it comes to the setting and decor. Where else can you sit in an old fisherman’s boat and enjoy a seafood platter or a Jolly Jar sundowner? Plus, your dog can join you too!
Where is it?
This open-air seafood restaurant is on Paternoster’s doorstep, at the Tietiesbaai gate. It’s approximately 140km from Cape Town if you are day-tripping through The West Coast.
Why go there?
You get to eat your lunch or watch the sun set while sitting in an old fishing boat! Plus there’s a lovely bay to enjoy a stroll and a paddle in the sea and it’s pet-friendly.
How much am I going to pay?
Prices are very reasonable here. Expect to pay around R50 for a starter or toasted sandwich, R100 for a main course or a pizza and R200 for a seafood platter. Kiddies meals are also available from R40. There’s a wide selection of drinks, from cocktails (from R45) to wine (from R80 for a bottle), along with beers and ciders. If you take your own wine, there’s a corkage fee of R15.
When is it open?
Seekombuis is open every day of the week from 11h00 during season and closed on Mondays out of season.
Contact details
Telephone 072 258 9041/ 082 094 1848, www.seekombuis.co.za
I have always said that it pays to chat to people! While a group of us girls were in Paternoster for the weekend, we got chatting to some visitors to the seaside village and they told us about this great little restaurant just up the road where you could sit in a boat and enjoy a meal or a drink. We were very intrigued with this idea and made a plan to go for lunch the next day. We were glad we did!
Seekombuis Seafood Restaurant and Pub is absolutely delightful when it comes to the setting and décor. Situated right on the beach, you can choose to sit at one of their tables in an old fishing boat, or sit under cover in the restaurant (which is still open to the beach). We opted to sit under cover as it was midday and most of the boats offer no protection from the sun. The ones that do (only two) were already occupied. We also discovered that the bees love the outside seating areas as they are after the cocktails and Jolly Jars!
The drinks side of the menu is much larger than the food side (love it!) but there’s plenty of options for all tastes and budgets. They even have a few vegetarian options – vegetable soup, toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches, pizza and a few vegetarian side dishes including very yummy fried onion rings. Our party opted for fish and chips, toasted sandwiches and a vegetarian tapas of various side orders, which we all enjoyed. The meals are not gourmet, but the portions are large and they are tasty. Besides, it’s the ambiance you’ll love more than anything!
Here’s a taste of what you’ll find on the menu:
- Smoked snoek pate with homemade bread and butter (R55)
- Peri-peri or plain chicken livers with bread and butter (R45)
- Various wraps filled with either calamari, hake, smoked black mussels or chicken, served with a salad and chips (R65)
- Black mussel pot served on a bed of spicy rice with a sauce of your choice (R85)
- Fried hake and chips (R95)
- Hake and calamari served with chips (R125)
- Hake and flame-grilled ribs served with chips (R130)
- Breakfast pizza with eggs, bacon and cheese (R110)
- Smoked mussels and smoked snoek pizza (R115)
- Platter for one with prawns on spicy rice, hake, calamari and chips (R170)
- Platter for two with a crayfish, creamy black mussels on spicy rice, smoked black mussels, fried hake, calamari strips and prawns (R390)
- Ice cream and chocolate sauce (R25)
Drinks range from hot beverages to cocktails, to wines, craft beers and local beers and ciders. We enjoyed our “Jolly Jar” cocktails for R55, including a RnR, a Mai Tai and a Jolly Gin! One member of our party quaffed glasses of wine at R25 each and we ended it all off with a mug of Moerkoffie for R15. The craft beer range is from CBC and there’s a large wine selection (two pages). They also have milkshakes and coke floats!
The best part is that Seekombuis is pet-friendly and welcomes dogs on leashes. They brought our dogs a bowl of water and even made sure that we gave our dogs a treat or two from our plates! Dogs (and their humans) will also enjoy a walk on the beach in front the restaurant after lunch.
Seekombuis is one of my favourite West Coast finds to date and I recommend you (and your dog) pay them a visit when you are next in the area. They also cater for functions, weddings and events with a seafood buffet option. What a great idea for your next birthday or office party!
Inside information:
The tar suddenly gives way to a short stretch of fairly sandy road, but if my Hyundai Getz could make it, you can too.
*With special thanks to Keren Meave Moss and Denise White for the use of some of their fantastic images.
Published May 2018