The best lunch in Cape Town

Kate and I grew up in a super healthy home, where we were taught to eat fruit and veg or starve. (Thanks, mom.) Once, at a sleepover, I was fed “pizza” made out of white bread and viennas and my 9-year-old self died a little. Although we’ve become big fans of midnight McDonald’s runs over the years, my mother’s faith in good eating has stuck.

Today, like her, we’re kinda obsessed with Mary-Ann Shearer. Her philosophy for “Perfect Health” (also the title of her book) is simple and has changed SO many lives, including ours.

As kids we lived on her healthy treats and stuck to her lifestyle plan as much as possible, and now that Mary-Ann lives and works in Gordon’s Bay, Kate and I loooove popping in to her Natural Way Cafe. I mean, just look at this freakin’ delicious frozen cheesecake. It’s made with cashew nut milk and pea protein and is literally good for you. Like, you should be eating one of these a day. (My words, not Mary-Ann’s, but I’m sure she’d agree.)

The lunchtime harvest table, which changes daily, is vegan and gluten-free, and although I am neither of those things, the food is truly incredible. Tandy recently told me that she took some friends to Mary-Ann’s for lunch, and they declared it the best veg meal they’d ever had. I had planned on snapping some pics of our buffet plates last week (R50 for small, R100 for large) but the drive to Gordon’s Bay is long and I was hangry. Instead, here is a picture of Kate reading about how to live a healthier life. (Spoiler: food combining is big and fruit and veg are everything).

So, if you feel like trying a down-to-earth, absolute hidden gem of a restaurant, check Mary-Ann’s out here. (Yes, all of the reviews are by my family, so there). I declare it the best lunch in Cape Town because even if you aren’t a veg-crazy health nut, there’s something about eating a wholesome, well-priced buffet meal in a log cabin in the forest that everyone needs in their life. And I hope you catch a glimpse of Mary-Ann when you visit. You’ll buy everything in the adjoining shop for a chance at her glowing health.