The Black Marlin, Simon's Town - South Africa

You want to take a drive with your loved one along a scenic coast and surprise her or him with a relaxing meal.  You want to feel the breeze in your face and that of your special someone.  It is the weekend. You want to get out of the urban centre but not too far, maybe you both shall stay over night. Both of you love ocean views and the harvest of the sea.   You look forward to delightful ways of cooking with lobster, fish, prawns and shellfish.   You love retro architecture and heritage surroundings.  You prefer local produce.

Welcome to the Black Marlin, located in the Southern Cape,  with interfaces with the southern Atlantic waters, beautifully located.  You are welcomed with cuisine influences from both Europe and Africa  - grills, pasta, curry, steaks and pudding!   There are also other activities you can join pre and post meals.

At nearby Boulder's Beach.

Fishermen in boats are working just outside the bay near the restaurant.

My group ordered some black West Coast mussels apart from the three course lunch. I liked the accompanying sauce made with garlic sauce, cream and white wine to down these mussels on the shell.  I loved the saffron flavoured rice that came as my mains and oh yes, the lobster was fresh and tasty.  Chowder soup that day was not up to my expectations - ha ha, I would have preferred the lobster bisque - but dessert was welcome with Malay pudding graced by butterscotch saucer and vanilla flavoured ice cream.  Another unique dessert to wind up a meal is the Angel's Delight ( a baked Belgian chocolate tart with orange sorbet).

Some dishes are seasonal, like the ostrich curry.  On my day of my visit, I noticed the Karoo lamb cutlets, Cape Malay chicken curry, chocolate mousse and pesto pasta for lunch as well.   Other options like chicken livers Peri Peri, while grilled sardines  and prawn spring rolls go down well definitely with beer.   Calamari is also made in various ways, deep fried, plain grilled, with Cajun sauce or in stripes, tubes or rings.  There are three sauces made to serve with meats - Madagascar, mixed berry and creamy mushroom.   Other seafood highlighted are Norwegian salmon, the Hake, Kingklip, tuna and the crayfish.

You can consider whale watching tours (July to December), wedding and functional packages or just a family gathering as well using The Black Marlin as a base.  The Black Marlin has been run since the sixties so this is an iconic place in the Cape.

I reckon a leisurely breakfast by the sea is recommended here.  Their False Bay or Sunrise combinations reminds me of those served in Wollongong and Sydney area cafes, with side options available as well.  Depending on where you sit, you can have your private corners or join in the boisterous surrounds of the main dining room - when I was there, there were a few tables of Italian visitors from Europe.

Three salad offerings stand out.  The Blackened Chicken version comes garnished with cucumber, tomato, chili and coriander Salsa, with an option to add Jalapeño.  The caramelised pear is served with Gorgonzola on a bed of rocket and drizzled with a blue cheese dressing.  Marinated beetroot is also available with mixed greens and topped with goat's cheese.

Other good starters to consider are Carpaccio, snails smeared with garlic butter and the Cape Malay fish cakes.   Total vegetarian are dishes in curry, cous cous and spring rolls.  

The Black Marlin's signature dish comprises of cubes of hake wrapped in bacon, grilled on skewers and accompanied by salads, seasonal vegetables, chips, rice or mash and a choice of sauces - lemon butter, garlic butter or chili.   What stands out to me is the Kingklip or King Rock fish, native to South African waters, with the name of Dutch origin.  The Black Marlin serves them either in skewers or in cubes, Du Jour version.

The Black Marlin Restaurant is located at Miller's point, Simon's Town, Southern Cape, South Africa.

Telephone 021 786 1621 and 021 786 1623

Ambiance: Seaside delight.
Service;  Professional, friendly and quick.
Seating:  Outdoor, indoor with white cloths and casual on the decks.
Variety:  Ample.