Fortunes Café
Where: Windermere Centre, Lilian Ngoyi Road
Open: Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm, Saturday 7am to 3pm, Sunday 8am to 1pm.
Call: 031 312 0773
It’s a bit like finding an old T-shirt or pair of shoes, or a comfy chair, that somehow fits so well. That’s the place under the escalator at the Windermere Centre. Fortunes Café has been around forever and almost feels part of you.
There’s not much to it ‒ a few chairs and tables spilling out into the walkway, a few deli items on the shelves on the one wall ‒ an inviting array of cakes on a table at the entrance, and a lot of bums on seats taking a break from shopping or simply passing the time of day. Or doing the crosswords.
But the food is always quick and hot, and the waitress always has a smile and seems to know half of Morningside. Even when she’s the only one on duty and is rushed off her feet, things happen.
Often a pianist may add to the vibe, just to keep people amused if nothing else. There are medleys from the musicals and Frank Sinatra, although, today, it was a whole collection of hymns. I was dreading a rendition of Onward Christian Soldiers but, fortunately, he obviously didn’t know that one. Somehow Broadway is a little more fun.
The plus is you’re always bound to meet someone you know, usually from the bridge club, or see a friend passing in the distance. And the coffee, while maybe not award-winning, it’s drinkable.
With a week jam packed with musical events, which meant I was never going to get to a restaurant for dinner, a colleague and I dived in for a quick working lunch.
Between deciding whether it was arrogance, ignorance or incompetence that got the British government all Trussed up this week (it’s probably all three), we perused the menu. And that was before her resignation this week which gave her a shorter shelf life than an iceberg lettuce.
Breakfast offers a vast range of options and is served all day. There’s any number of ways with Hollandaise, from a traditional Benedict to one with creamed spinach, or salmon, or bacon, and even mushrooms or brinjals instead of the muffin. A plus if there are any Banters left these days. I’ve also enjoyed their omelettes. You fill them however you like them.
Preferably not with Iranian drones as we debate whether the Russians really love their children too (apologies to Sting). Oops, does Vladimir Putin have any children? A quick Google suggests he has two adult daughters from his air hostess ex-wife, with the suggestion of a couple illegitimate ones possibly floating in the background.
There’s a section of the menu that takes in sandwiches, salads, wraps and burgers. There’s even a battered-fish burger. Toasted buns, muffins, scones and pancakes are in that sort of fill-the-gap-between-meals section.
But back to the Russian nasty, we sort of hope he does, although my colleague is rather pleased we’re at the southern tip of Africa. After all, our scandals are so quaint involving a few million rand stuffed under a mattress on a game farm.
We turn to something called Fortunes Favourites which includes fish cakes, savoury quiche, famous chicken curry and gourmet roast beef open sandwich. My eye settles on the savoury pancake (R70) stuffed with savoury mince and topped with cheese sauce. It comes to the table bubbling, the waitress warning the plate is hot. My colleague chooses the bangers and mash (R75) with peas and gravy, and is offered ordinary or mustard mash. The mustard variety adds some fun to a comfort meal that he tucks into before I can even get the camera out. I enjoy my gooey, cheesy mess of a plate. But it was exactly what I felt like.
Over a second cup of coffee we share a slice of dense, rich and dark chocolate cake (R45). The carrot cake too looked tempting, and there were pastéis de nata on the table. Just enough time to debate whether a bunch of semi-senile octogenarians can keep out the Maga hordes baying at the gates of Washington DC.
Oh, wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just enjoy a comfort lunch in a comfortable corner of the world?
PS: In all the news at the table, don’t forget Fortunes has some exceptionally good-value Sunday roast specials, that come with dessert.
Food: 3½
Service: 3½
Ambience: 3
The Bill: R250 including a generous tip